“Why don’t I talk about Jesus through the media?” I asked myself two years ago. Since then, I have been learning more about mass communication. When I joined Jesuit Communications Vietnam (JESCOMVN), I met many other young people who had had the same thought; they desired to talk to others about Jesus through the media.
As part of our regular practical training, JESCOMVN Media Education programme organised an immersion trip to a mountain village to work with Catholic student volunteers serving ethnic communities. We followed the volunteers’ activities with our cameras because our task was to produce a video on their work.
I was more worried than interested about participating in the immersion activity. I considered the job I would have to leave behind in Saigon and my summer schedule. I prayed for the trip and offered it all to the Lord, asking for His blessings. I also imagined the possibility of encountering difficulties during our immersion.
My friends usually go to the high lands to help the ethnic people. For my part, my purpose was to find Jesus. It’s strange! But I know that I can find Jesus in the eyes of the smiling children and in the beautiful gesture of the volunteers who care for them.
It was there in the mountains that I and three others from JESCOMVN passed five wonderful days with the children and the volunteers. The children call the volunteers “teachers” because their main activity is to teach the children. The volunteers teach not only knowledge from books but also good manners and good behaviour. I see their love for the children. I thank God for the volunteers who tell and show the children that they are loved and respected.
In every JESCOM trip, we reserve the last moments of the day for recollection. We give thanks to God and review our day, recognise the presence of Jesus in our activity and identify our joys and sorrows. Then we share our feelings and experiences. There are many moving stories being shared, and I am always thankful to God for these moments of consolation.
Our task as communicators was to capture the volunteers’ generous service into image frames, while at the same time to discover the presence of God. Hence, in our job, we simultaneously work and pray. For me, communication is not only about what we show or talk about, rather it is about inspiring others. It is Jesus who is the inspiration of all inspirations. I and my friends continue to do what Jesus inspires us to do. Every job has its own difficulties, but I believe that Jesus accompanies us and wants us to talk about Him. May our effort help you to see Jesus.
Here is our production:
Joseph Vu is a first year Sociology student in Vietnam. He participated in Jescom Vietnam’s Media Education programme in 2017 and has since been collaborating to help produce JesCom Vietnam’s videos. Last September, he participated in Signis Asia Communication Lab in Chennai, India.