Battambang: From 18-20 September 2012 there is a seminary for all the Kindergarten teachers in Battambang prefecture. Every year there is a seminary before reopening class start and also wants to train all the teachers before they start teaching. In this seminar teach them about the strange games, painting, and the technique how to teach the children understanding as soon as.  There are 56 teacher from other communities came and participated. They are from Kompong thom, Kompong Chnang, Siem Reap, PoiPet, Tahen, Chomnom, Pailin, and Battambang. In this seminary were leaded by 5 sisters. They are helpful to find out about, difference of games, songs, and the technique in teaching. 

The last day of the seminary Mgrs: Kike Figarido and other three priests Fr. Totet, Fr. Manoj, and Fr. Pedro also joined in the seminary to ‘give them the certificate that they completed training course for three days.
Mgrs: KIKE Shared: Before our prefecture there are just only a few kindergartens because we were poor with the teachers and we have a lot of children came to study. And we didn’t have a good leader as sisters. So we work with the hard situation. The children need good teachers came and help and take care of them. I am very happy that there are a lot of teachers came today and trained them self. We have good sisters also that always help and lead all the teachers, and give them the new knowledge that they have. Other hand it is also our prefecture needs to develop the human resource .

The 6:00 evening mass yesterday, September 3, 2012 was quite different than any other Monday evening masses. The church was packed as Fr. Manoj Ekka, SJ and Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ concelebrated the mass and the choir for the Sunday mass did

The singing. The mass was certainly a special one since it opened the 2012 Diocesan Youth & Catechists Synod. 

This year’s synod theme tags as "Faith Is A Gift From God." There are 207 young people and catechists from different provinces under the tutelage of the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang such as Kompong Chanang, Pursat, Siem Reap, Pailin, Kompong Thom, Banteay Mencheay and Battambang province.

After dinner, the formal opening of the synod was highlighted with a gospel reflection led by Fr. Pedro Gomez, the chairman of the synod. A procession from behind the audience to the stage by Fr. Pedro bringing the holy bible with two candle bearers started the refection. The gospel was taken from John 4: 14, about Jesus’ encounter of a Samaritan woman at a well which read: ““Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” It was interpreted through a dramatization which captured the feelings of the participants.
 
Mgrs. Kike welcomed the delegates after the gospel reflection. He also blessed the water used to bless the participants. Each parish was called and representatives got up on the stage for the blessing. Most of the priests in the entire prefecture were present in the opening program. Several sisters coming from different parishes are also participants of the synod. 

There are 3 main purposes in the synod
  1.     Give the youth and catechists good communication to each other.
  2.     Give the youth and catechists good communication with Lord through prayer, listen, and practicing the Gospel.
  3.     Give them through the theme “Jesus met Summary women…….” John 4, 1-38.

In the first day of the synod they discussed about them “Where is the faith from” and the second day they discussed about “What does the faith push us to do?”  And the last day they also discussed about “ how do we catechize?”  in this three they learn and share about their faith to each other well.

Fr. Pedro shared: I am very happy in this year because the youth and catechists had meeting to each other that we have never before. In this synod there are many icons as the well that we already performed, the water of the life, and especially the bible that is the food to feed our spiritual. Love and Mercy will be change the mine of the people who far away from God will beck and live near him.

Mgrs. Kike shared: The faith is a gift from 100% and we are son and daughter of God should receive from him100% as he gave us. We already discussed before about the strategy of our prefecture for 5 year from 2010-2015. We have 4 important strategies 1. Values formation, 2. Education, 3. Faith formation, 4. Leadership. We should continue to follow  our strategies it will helpful in our communities in Battambang prefecture. 

Living as a catholic life we should show  your faith to other people around you.  Life of prayer, Take care of our Liturgy, know how to serve other, and create a good habit in your society  

The Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang is blessed to have many people interested to extend help in the different ministries. People coming from different corners of the globe come to volunteer for a short or long period of time. Some share their time and expertise for a couple of days, for a week, a month, a year or two and even more. Volunteers are spread out to different parishes depending on their work interest and suitability. Medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses, and dental practitioners such as dentists may have been the most number of volunteers every year. Youth groups conducting summer camps and short activities to communities also have a big chunk of the volunteers coming for the year-round. Indeed, there is a variety of professions, skills, and talents that volunteers including lay missionaries and seminarians having mission exposures bring in to the various ministries of the prefecture. 

Recently, five volunteers have said adieu. Leticia Isasi Guerrero who is from Spain came in February 2012. She was helping in coordinating some of the programs of Bishop Kike for the entire prefecture and was stationed in Battambang. She left for further studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Min Jung Kim also known as Anna was stationed in Kompong Thom. She taught English with the students living at the parish hostel with elementary to high school students. She also educates them in personal hygiene and conducts other personality development activities. Originally from Korea, Anna had to reinstate with her job in Australia as nurse after her three months stint. 

Gordon Kao serves the parish in Siem Reap for a year. He hails from Taipei, Taiwan and acted as manager of the computer training course and Chinese and English classes that his organization sponsored as part of the parish educational programs. He plans to get a job back home and is hoping to be back in Cambodia when he saves enough money and continue to serve the Khmer youth. Harold de Witte is a seminarian from Belgium. He came to witness how Catholics who are not even one percent of the total population in Cambodia live amidst the Buddhist majority. He hops from one community to another during his two months stay to get a glimpse of how people live their faith. KC Doctolero came to Svay Sisophon last year from Manila, Philippines. She helped set up the website of the parish. She moved to Battambang in May of 2012 to update the website of the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church. 

This month of September, there are some volunteers who will also bid goodbye. But just like as the saying goes: “when God closes the door he opens a window,” after some volunteers will leave, there are also many other generous people who are eager to come and offer their services. 

By: Blas Descallar, JVP 
Jesuit Volunteers Philippines