Ines, Celia, Hanna, and Thomas at SEEK 2023

Hello everyone!! My name is Ines. Before Seek, I had no idea what the Seek conference was. I had not even been to a conference. This was my very first conference ever. One late December evening after adoration, a friend invited me to join, and intrigued by the “you are called” I was like sure, I have nothing to lose. I did not know what to expect at all whatsoever but I was still very excited about the adventure.

Fast forward to when we got there, I was so overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there. I had never seen so many priests and bishops under one roof. The place was just radiating so much joy. In the midst of my anxieties and worries, I just felt overwhelming peace and joy. There are so many highlights from the conference but a few of my favorites were morning Mass, the keynotes, the concurrent women’s session, the impact sessions, small prayer groups, new friends and not to forget getting so close to meeting Jonathan Roomie, an actor that plays Jesus in The Chosen (better luck next time).

I can be a very reserved person, but during this time The Lord really opened my heart to let loose and just enjoy the experience. I got to meet so many cool people and gain great friends. It was so beautiful to see people share their stories and what they had learned from different sessions and just how much support everyone was for each other. God blessed me with really cool friendships at this conference. I am blessed with friends that share my joy for the Lord and bring me closer to God.

Starting every day with God at morning Mass was just amazing. It taught me to prioritize God in my life and place him at the center of it. Every session I attended spoke to the core of what was happening in my life and taught me lessons that will help me grow in my relationship with Christ. And then there was adoration; this was so much different than any other adoration that I’ve been to. Usually, when I go to adoration, it turns into a giant complaining session but this time it was different. I still had time for my complaints, I guess I should say prayers and not complains and I also had the time to just seat in the Lord’s presence and just soak in his goodness in my life. My heart felt so warm, physically very warm, and I could just feel the Lord’s presence within that place, and I was so comforted. This whole experience was just so overwhelming for me. Getting to witness so many people that were just so on fire for the Lord was wow. Each day I was at Seek, It became very clear to me that this was where I needed to be.

Seek23 was such an amazing experience for me. This conference reinforced God’s love for me in areas of my life where I did not feel his presence. I was filled with so much encouragement to keep seeking God in the midst of all my discouragements, anxieties, worries, and fears. This conference stirred up for me more hunger and a deep longing for God in my life. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.

SEEK 2023 Experience – Ines Kabeya