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I arrived at the Adirondack Center in Johnstown in February not really sure what to expect. I was a little nervous going in and not knowing anybody at the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI).

CLI, a five-day program by the diocesan Office of Evangelization, Catechesis and Family Life, helps Catholic teens get ready for leadership roles in their churches, schools and communities.

I got up to my room, looked at my door and saw that I was rooming with a girl named MaryKate. Everyone loved that! Like the famous Olsen twins, we were called "MaryKate and Ashley" the whole week.

Once we all introduced ourselves, we did a couple of group activities about leadership and were placed into small groups. Each small group had a leader. Our leader, Andrew, was very inspiring! 

I was a little disappointed after day one. I had only made a couple of friends and missed my family a lot. But we woke up the next morning to the lovely vocal stylings of our program staff belting out "You are my Sunshine" at the top of their lungs. 

Before breakfast (and every other meal) we had to do an activity to see who would eat first, then said a prayer. The activities before meals were fun because they forced us to work together. We got to know each other very well through them. 

After breakfast, we had a lesson about leadership and group activities. One of my favorite activities was the communication workshop: Two members of the program staff had to make a cream cheese and jelly sandwich based solely on the directions of two other CLI participants. 

When one of them was told to pass the jelly and she reached her hand into the jar, scooped some out and prepared to literally "pass" the jelly, we knew things were about to get messy.

Another activity on day two was learning different forms of prayer. These included prayer through meditation, Scripture and music. The prayer through meditation was so moving that it almost made me cry.

The prayer through Scripture really made you focus on the words. When Scriptures are read during mass, you've heard them so many times that sometimes you miss the true meaning. 

At the end of each day we had reflection time with our small groups, where we bonded the most. 

Day three was my favorite. Everyone was starting to become really close. We did what I considered the most effective group activity of all: In our small groups, everyone "lost" a sense. 

I lost sight and was forced to rely on the guidance of my fellow group members. I soon discovered that I trusted them. I never second-guessed or hesitated when being led or directed a certain way. 

At the end, we asked our group leader why we lost the senses we did. We said we lost what we used most. He took away my sight to get me to talk more. That really "opened my eyes." That activity really gave me the courage to speak up and not second-guess myself.

This was also the day our small group came together. We got to see one member open up and show his true feelings. He said how much he loved us and was going to miss us, and started to cry. 

All of us really bonded that night. We ended up crying through Mass - but, after Mass, everyone came up to us and gave us comforting hugs. You don't find that kind of unconditional love at school. It felt really nice to know that that many people cared about me - people I hadn't even known three days earlier. 

This was a wonderful opportunity. To all who went to CLI, I love you and you're in my prayers! 

(Ashley Werner is a teen from St. Stanislaus parish in Amsterdam.)[[In-content Ad]]

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