I once read a book where a girl thought of her life in two parts; before her accident and after her accident. That’s kind of how I like to think of Kairos in my life.
Akpevweoghene Iyomi
When I think of my life, I like to separate it into, before Kairos and after Kairos. Before Kairos, I was confused, that’s the simplest way to put it, I was existing, I smiled, I laughed, but I wasn’t living. Yes, I knew who I was, what I wanted, what I was doing, but at the same time, I was kind of lost. I didn’t understand the depths of my life, of God’s love for me, of who I truly was and by the first term of my second year of senior school, it felt like I was falling, and I just kept falling and falling and falling. Then Kairos came along and all of a sudden, I understood what the point of it all was again.
Before I had my Kairos, I was excited. I was excited because it was a religious retreat and I had faith that it would bring me back to myself, to happiness. At the same time, I wasn’t convinced. A part of me felt that I would be in the state of confusion forever, not knowing what was wrong but feeling that something was off all the same. However, a single talk given to us by the chaplain of the college, Fr. Uchechukwu Oguike, S.J., before the retreat changed my mindset entirely. Fr. Uchechukwu said that as he spoke to a graduate from a Jesuit school, she said that in all her 6 years in secondary school, the 4 days of Kairos had the most impact on her life. That said something to me, that out of 6 whole years, that is about 2190 days, only 4 days made an impact on her life forever. And instead of asking myself ‘Can Kairos help me?’ I began to wonder ‘What could we do in just 4 days that would change my life forever?’
Kairos for me can easily be summed up into just a word, beautiful. Kairos was easily the most beautiful experience I’ve had. I cried, I laughed, I thought, I meditated, I imagined, I smiled, I lived, I loved, I was happy. Kairos helped me learn more about myself in just 4 days than in all the 15 years of my life; it taught me more about the people around me than I had known or cared to know in my 4 years in JMC. Kairos made me know God, Kairos opened my hearts to God, I felt Him there with me, all the time during Kairos. Kairos was beautiful. One thing that struck me the most was how well planned out everything was, each activity was connected to the last and the next and ultimately connected to Kairos itself and I don’t know when exactly but soon I began to feel the pieces of myself falling back into place. Each activity, each session, everything brought me closer to myself, to God, and soon I saw myself differently, I saw people differently, I saw everything differently, I saw life differently.
Kairos brought out emotions in me, Kairos made me feel something. And the beautiful part is that I still feel it, every day, all the time, every moment, every time in my heart. Kairos planted a seed in me, it changed me, and I can see that change, just a month and 2 weeks after Kairos and I can see the fruits of that seed in little parts of my life, the way I talk, the things I say, the way I relate with people, the way I think, the person I have become. Kairos changed me, Kairos helped me, and every day I still smile as I think about that 4-day retreat. It may seem like such a small thing, but those 4 days mean the world to me, what I experienced, what I felt, it means the world to me and I’m grateful to Fr. Uchechukwu, Mr. Michael Ikpodon, S.J., Ms. Baginwa Oneyor and the student leaders for organizing such a beautiful retreat for us. I thank my fellow K-17 retreatants for being open and sharing their thoughts and pains to make the retreat one to remember. I am grateful to God for helping me trust the process and being open and willing to experience and be transformed by Kairos.
My Kairos experience would forever remain in my heart, reminding me that everything happens for a reason, giving me strength and resilience in times of difficulty. And if there is one thing that would never leave me from that retreat, it is the realization that I am enough, that God has a plan for me, that everything happens for a reason and that the Akpevwe after Kairos, the Akpevwe of today, the Akpevwe of my future will forever be grateful to Jesuit Memorial College and the Jesuits for the chance to have such a beautiful experience, Kairos.
Akpevweoghene Joy IYOMI
Class of 2026