For a year I never told anyone about my plans of going to Sydney, Australia, Not even my closest friends in High School knew what was on my mind. Even my parents were both shocked and happy when I later told them about my sinister plan. Main reason why I engaged my self in Ka Pepe (Read: Kumikita sa blog ng ena) was because of this insatiable and unquencheable desire to attend the World Youth Day once again. My last attendance was in 1995 in Manila and since then I never had the chance to watch or participate the WYDs of Paris, Rome, Toronto and Cologne. WYD had a lasting impact on my life (As you can very well see in the suffocation of free promotion and feature of the event on my blog) that it paved the way for my vocation—really!. It has been a year long plan and a prayer-filled yearning and reflection. Having nothing but myself and enough money that I saved on my bank account, I felt I was ready to go, to see the new Pope, to feel once again the Joy of being one with the young people of the world and to shower my almost drought stricken faith, I was ready to embark my first ever cross country journey. It’s like virginity, saving for the right time so that it would be special and lasting. But as always God has other plans. I did everything in my power to make it to World Youth Day but it was not mine to grant nor mine to fulfill. Here is the story of my “almost” journey to Sydney Australia…

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It all started when I was preparing OTWOMD for its launching last March of 2007, I just got my own self hosted blog and two months prior to my blog launching I was researching for the WYD history to feature it on my blog’s pages. There I stumbled upon the WYD 2008 official website. In that website I inquired on how to register as a participant until WYD Team replied that it was too early to register. So I waited for months until in November of 2007, WYD Secretariat finally launched its volunteer registration. I had a change of mind. Instead of registering as a participant, I decided to go for the volunteer’s slot. There is always this urge on my heart to always be a part of the bigger picture, not just being there, but actively contributing to the higher cause of the event. And so confident as I am that I have enough experience and qualified credentials to be considered for the slot, I immediately signed in.

I was scheduled to leave on July 9 and come back on the 24th though we have an option to stay in Australia for 3 months, but I never really wanted to over stay because I have no intention of being one of the TNTs. I was included in the Volunteers’ group 3382 under Ms. Hiam Katrib, our head. As you can see, after my registration, my Visa application was already sent to the embassy. Stupid as I am, I thought WYD or the Australian embassy will notify me of my Visa status. S I was confident then that I have nothing to do but wait.

January 2008 kicked in and I checked once again the status of my registration. There I saw this confirmation message on the WYD site that I was already included in the Volunteers team.

Having no news or email about my status, I checked my visa application on the WYD2008 website and there I saw this message on my visa status page. I was so confused because I really don’t know if I will go to the Australian embassy or wait for the WYD team to confirm my application. So instead I wrote them a follow up letter…

The WYD Team replied on January 21, Feast of the Sto. Nino. The WYD Team has already processed my application but they still don’t have any position for me. In short I was in the waiting list. In those waiting months, I began to worry because WYD 2008 was only 6 months away and my application was not yet moving. So I waited patiently for any developments. Until my blog friends Malen, Reynz, Ambo and KotsengKuba urged me to join their Ka Pepe Team. At first I was so hesitant because I was worried on what my readers might think of my blog which is I still consider as a Catholic Blog. Yet I have this intention of buying a DLSR Camera so that if ever my plans will push thru, I will be able to capture the scenes of WYD direct from Sydney. So I gave it a try and everything fell into place. I now began earning money and was able to save a few in my bank account. March came and still there was no news about my application so I once again followed up my application, and to this they replied once again:

Strangely enough, WYD Team replied to my follow up on March 19, feast of St. Joseph. They told me that my position is still pending and that I will be called not later than april 2008. So I waited for another month or so. While waiting for their phone call, various blog friends has invited me to go with them on Vacation specifically Malen, Ambo and Reyna Elena in Davao. But I turned them down. At first I was so careful of spending my saved money on any trip because it was intended for my WYD Journey. I really prayed hard if I will go with them or not because I was also skeptic of the WYD response. Until coincidence finally gave the answer. On that same date that we were about to go to Davao, I was scheduled to accompany my cousin from New York to his itineraries. So fate already made a decision for me. I did not go to Davao or to any bloggers activity in stored for that month. April and May came, but there was no phone call. So on May 15, I finally accepted that I won’t be going to Sydney after all. So I spent half of the money I saved in buying things that are badly needed for replacement. I did not spent them all because deep down inside my heart I was still hoping that I will be accepted. Until this fateful day of May 30, feast of our patron saint here in our hometown, a news arrived in my inbox…

I was so overjoyed in receiving the news that I was finally accepted. So I replied to the email and gave them my big YES. At this point in time, I was ready to apply for my VISA. So I immediately went to the Australian Embassy to the Philippines Website and inquired for the application..

Reading the info on the website I became more excited because the Australian Government will not charge us of any fee for the VISA Application. I downloaded a couple of forms and was already planning to gather the documents I needed for the VISA Application including a recommendation letter from our Bishop and Parish Priest. Before I left the website, there was this urge in me to go to the homepage of the embassy. So I did, until my months of waiting all became in vain…

I received my approval (which is needed for a WYD PILGRIM VISA Application) on May 30– it was Friday and the embassy’s deadline for the application is June 1, Sunday. So how on earth could I gather all the documents that I needed in one day considering that May 31 is a Saturday and most Government offices and embassies are closed on that day. So I emailed again the WYD team and told them my dilemma. Waiting for their reply took me forever because their response arrived after a week of my inquiry. They told me to still go ahead with the application and maybe the Embassy would approve my visa. Their answer was not very assuring since even their office is not certain of the Embassy’s decision. Another email came and this time the WYD team gave me a detailed instruction and position of my work as a WYD Volunteer. Lalo ako naghinayang…

My position in the WYD is a Crowd Marshall Assistant. Not that flattering but at least its not too hectic since I can interact with so many Pilgrims which I do best. I actually applied as a Medical Team and Kitchen staff (haha syempre naman food eh!), but they assigned me in the field which is way much better. So with barely 20 days to go, I have decided to terminate my Journey for the WYD since their response were too late for me even catch up with the embassy and plus the fact that it was not in my hands that my application came to a very disappointing conclusion. And guess what, the last email that I received from the WYD staff contained a threat haha…

I thought to myself “di wag eh kayo pabagal bagal eh! Di nyo tuloy masisilayan ang ka-wafuhan ni bluepanjeet sa sydney”. LOL LOL

So there goes my “Almost” journey to WYD in Sydney Australia. For some this experience might be too depressing or disappointing, but honestly for me, I feel no resentment at all because everything has a purpose. Kahit gasgas na yang kasabihan na yan, still there is truth to it. I don’t want to think that I’m really a bad luck when it comes to traveling abroad because in the first place there is no such thing as bad luck. I just consider it as one of my great “not-yet-my-time” moments which I will charge to my experience. Di kasi ako naniniwala sa kasabihan na “baka hindi ka talaga pang abroad” kasi sabi sa akin ni Madame Auring I will go places. Seriously, whenever things do not fall into place, it doesn’t mean that it is the end of it all. It just means something better is in store for us in the future. Whatever that might be, I assure you, It isn’t the Olypics in China this August… Ayoko makakain ng double dead na chicken.

Here’s the Morsel: Everyone of us is asked by the Lord to help others in every way we can, in every opportunity that befall on us. But like any other Job opportunities, yearnings and dreams has also rejection, not because you are not qualified or you are incapacitated, but because there are better opportunities awaiting you than what you are actually eying for. In my case, my Lot is not in Sydney but here on my blog. Millions of Online Pilgrims like me who cannot attend the Sydney World Youth Day are stuck on the net, looking for updates, and as usual I’m here journeying with all of you, bringing the WYD in Sydney to your very own monitors. For the Lord said “You shall not be needed in Sydney, you are more needed here in OTWOMD”. Sourgraping? Nah! It’s not in my vocabulary. It’s just one of those mysteries in the Greater Scheme of things…

Pax et Bonum to everyone and let us Celebrate the Spirit of World Youth Day where ever we are… I dare you to Move!