This August, Catholic youth from all over Kyrgyzstan gathered on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul to participate in the II Catholic Youth Festival (August 13-21), organized by the Jesuits. "We climbed the mountains, sailed on a small boat, sang a lot, gathered in the evenings to pray together, and what is the most important, we felt like a family, that is especially valuable since this year our festival was dedicated to the theme “Home." - Kamila Osmonalieva recalls.

 The festival, which lasted eight days, attracted a lot of attendees, who are not only Catholics, but also Orthodox Christians and Muslims. The conferences’ theme was "Home where love lives". The young people worked in groups, as well, sharing what was on their minds and in their hearts.

 One of the evenings we had Worship Service. We gathered in a traditional Kyrgyz yurt to adore Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. Adoration was mostly in silence, sometimes a guitar was heard inviting everyone to sing in worship.  During the Adoration all those who wanted, could receive the sacrament of penance and reconciliation.

 At the end of the festival, participants travelled to the city of Karakol, where they took part in a game with a lot of challenging but exciting tasks. Teams competed in agility, endurance, intelligence, and erudition. The festival ended in a two-hour cruise on the lake.

 "Thanks to the wonderful atmosphere that prevailed during the festival, I realized that God is the house where love lives," one of the participants, Kamila Osmonalieva, said to Jesuits.co.uk.