Rafael is 28 years old and is from Brasilia. Married just two months ago to Adriana, he is one of many young people at the Ordinary General Assembly of Shalom Community, which takes place every six years to set the guidelines for the next six years and to elect its new General Council.
The General Assembly
“In 2013 I was dedicated to the Community and I remember that we participated in an intercession “mobilization” by the General Assembly of that year. We were implementing Perpetual Adoration in the mission (Brasilia) and I remember people praying for the election of the General Council. Being attending the Assembly this year is amazing, I never imagined that! Here in the General Assembly, I have grown a lot in the knowledge of the Charism, through the mentality of the Founder and by the life of the brethren.
I think I can contribute a little to this experience that God has provided among the youth. God has given me the privilege of working seven years in the Youth Project and, over the years, most within the shepherdship. I bring some of our yearnings as youth, our challenges, and blessings.
I believe that one of the great graces of the last six years has been the consolidation of the primacy of young people, but also the growth of young people entering the Community and the protagonism of the young people in all sectors. ”
The encounter with the Truth
“ I was 21 years old. My Life in the Spirit Seminar took place on April 1st. I remember very well because it was April Fools’ Day, the day I met the Truth. This was very marked within my history. That was when I joined Shalom Work in Brasilia.
In 2013, I had the opportunity to be “A Youth in Mission” in the General Government of the Community when I worked for World Youth Day. Then I finished my vocational discernment year in Brasilia, have graduated and started to consolidate myself within the Charism as Covenant Community. They were all very important experiences for me.
I think this missionary experience is something that all of us in the Covenant Community should do, whether as a family or as a youth. Some do not have the privilege of spending a lot of time, however a fifteen-day mission, or on the occasion of an event such as “Renascer”, for instance, is an unmatched experience. It is an opportunity to tap into this missionary dimension in a more concrete way, leaving where we are and going to other people, different people. ”
Rafael Lima de Almeida
Translation: Leila Froeder