Habari Gani retreat builds family among teens

I remember being extremely immature the first time I went – going for all the wrong reasons. By the retreat’s end, however, I began to understand what it was really about. That understanding became stronger the second and third times I attended.
 

Habari Gani holds a special place in my heart. It has taught me resilience, general respect, time management, vocation, love, friendship, dealing with those who discriminate against people based on looks (not only race) and self-confidence.
 

The biggest lesson I’ve learned has been the importance of family. I love my mom and my brother with everything in my heart, but Habari Gani taught me that family goes beyond who is in your house. 
 

Four people I know took “family” way beyond Habari Gani and made an impact in my life – Alecia Bloodworth, Bennett Horne, Father Daniel Green and Ajani Gibson. They have been there for me through thick and thin, ups and downs, my accomplishments and my downfalls. They were there for me on the retreat and away from retreat and  never let me forget about the lessons of Habari Gani. Another attendee, Marley Arnaud, and I have become so close that I consider her to be my real sister. This shows the impact of Habari Gani.
 

Marlon Brooks, a senior at Holy Cross School, is an extraordinary minister of holy Communion and a member of the youth ministry and pastoral council of Corpus Christi-Epiphany Church. He is an at-large Teen Cross member.

 

The next Habari Gani retreat will be April 24-26 at Lumen Christi Retreat Center in Schriever, Louisiana. To register, contact bcatholics@arch-no.org or 861-6207.