picking out their well-planned Ag Show attire, 15 teens were packing their bags with T-shirts that had the printed message: "To Memphis with love from...Bermuda''. Why would 15 teens miss the Ag show? For Jesus Christ, that's why.

On April 22, 1999, 15 teens and eight chaperones boarded a plane destined for Memphis, Tennessee. The travellers are members of the Catholic Teen Crew of Bermuda. They were travelling to meet their youth minister Mike Manhardt at a Christian retreat in Memphis, called Youth 2000.

Youth 2000 has stated its primary goal is to inspire and prepare young people to live and give witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bermudians who experienced Youth 2000 felt it was an enlightening, enriching, religious retreat.

After arriving in Memphis the Bermudian group travelled to "His Way House Retreat Centre'' where they would stay for the next five days. The retreat centre had less than attractive living conditions yet the teens easily adapted to their environment without a complaint and looked forward to the activities of the next few days.

The Youth 2000 retreat was held at the "Christian Brothers High School'' for a period of three days. During these days the Bermudians along with 700 other people took part in various religious activities.

The retreat included inspiring talks by numerous speakers, including the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Small group workshops were held where teens discussed such topics as "Living our Faith in the World today''. Personal testimonies let everyone hear from teens who had made mistakes in the past and had reformed or were attempting to reform their lives according to Jesus Christ. The International Rosary, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the crowning of Mary and Eucharistic adoration were also activities in which the group took part. Throughout the retreat there was lively religious music, played and sung by Mike Manhardt and other musicians and singers. The retreat was a festival of prayer and praise.

While in Memphis, Tennessee the Bermudians took advantage of their free time and "jam-packed'' their days with activities. They visited Beile Street where the form of music, the Blues, was invented; they took a trip to a local mall where the teens could shop and socialise; they went to a mini-amusement park called "Celebration Station''; they drove by the hotel where Martin Luther King was murdered; and they stopped at Elvis' famous house, Graceland. And of course they ate at numerous fast food restaurants.

The trip to Memphis, Tennessee gave each individual a chance to get closer to God and gain a better understanding of Jesus Christ and the Eucharist.

Though this was the most important aspect of the retreat, the trip did allow the group of Bermudians, both teens and chaperones, to grow much closer to one another and to realise that they are all one body in Christ.

The Bermudian group had many feelings they wished to share about their amazing religious experience: "The trip was an amazing experience and it has made me think about what to do with my life and has brought me closer to God,'' said Mindo Ferreiro, 15.

"Memphis brought a lot of clarity into my life...sometimes you need to get away from the world to focus and regroup on where your life is going and whether or not you really want to be there; Memphis and all of my friends did that for me,'' said 23-year-old Amanda DeSilva.

"The trip was an adrenaline rush for me. Especially when I got up in front of 610 teenagers to give a testimony about life and my struggles,'' recalled 18-year-old Melissa DaPonte.

"The trip to Memphis did so much for me,'' added 18-year-old Lindsey Kipps.

"Most importantly it was a chance for God to shake and tell me to move on with my life, get over yourself and be a disciple for me.'' And Jason Cabral, 16, said: "It was a unique experience which changed my life for the better.'' Pope John Paul II once said: "It is to you, young people, that the task first falls of bearing witness to the Faith and bringing into the third millennium the gospel of Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth, the Life...'' The Bermudian teens who travelled to Memphis hope to fulfil this task, sharing their experience with others and keeping the Catholic Teen Crew of Bermuda full of life and spirit.

Celebrating Jesus: Members of the Catholic Teen Crew of Bermuda, including Susana Costa and Jason Cabral (left and right centre) enjoy themselves at Youth 2000.