Guided by grace: Encountering God through community & creation 

Experiencing God through others is like feeling His spirit and His grace every day as I walk along this journey with the people who encourage, comfort, and guide. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to join and exert my best efforts in this year’s Asia Pacific Contextual Theology for Engagement Program (ACOTEP) in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, from 23 May 2025 to 1 June 2025. In this faith-based immersion program, I was able to reflect on my relationship with God, realign my advocacies and activities with the ecological impact, and interact with the Kadazan-Dusun indigenous people and my fellow ACOTEP participants.

The major highlight of my ACOTEP experience is the big white light I saw above us at night after seven hours of climbing to Nunuk Camp. I consider this light as one of God’s manifestations for me to feel reassured that despite the exhaustion and unforeseen circumstances in life, He is always with us in our journey of challenges, confusion, and clarity. As we went back down the mountain to our homestay at Gomipito, it became clear to me that the animals and insects we encountered along the way are native to the forest. We, human beings, should not be afraid and should not hurt them because we coexist with them. Meanwhile, the discussion points from the lectures and/or workshops shared with us by our Jesuit formators: Fr Jojo Fung SJ, Fr Gabriel Lamug-Nañawa SJ, Fr Bros Flores SJ, and our IP resource persons, Ms Angelica Suimi, Ms Ann Lasimbang, Amay Sintiah, and Amay Lanting of the Kadazan Duson have certainly helped me discern my lifestyle choices. Always go with what is more sustainable and appreciate the valuable contributions but with the caveat of ensuring that God is in the center of all the work that we do. 

As we celebrate this year’s 10th anniversary of Laudato Si', we are called to renew our commitment as carers of our common home. And as part of the academic institution, we are motivated to translate Pope Francis’ message into action - to consume what we only need, create more spaces for interfaith dialogues, and be involved to promote social justice to our communities. I trust that God will always communicate with us in the best ways possible to serve and preserve everything He has created, for His greater glory and the greater service of His people.

Mariella T Besana 
Formator
Office for Social Concern and Involvement
MI-SEEDS