Marist Youth Ministry Immersion 2025: Engaging with Students at Lavalla School in Cambodia and Embracing a Beautiful Culture

The Marist Youth Ministry's (MYM) immersion to Cambodia in December 2025 was more than a journey - it was an encounter rich in cultural discovery, education, and lived faith. Immersed in the realities of Cambodia, pilgrims opened their hearts to God's grace, allowing it to reshape how they see the world, themselves, and others. For many, the experience proved truly life-changing.

Throughout the immersion, pilgrims grappled with uncomfortable truths about inequality and their own privilege. These encounters demanded humility, courage, and openness to grace - qualities that couldn't be forced but had to be cultivated through patient presence.

"One of the most challenging parts of the immersion in Cambodia was confronting the reality of inequality and recognising my own privilege," reflected Ella, one of the MYM participants. "It was difficult to witness hardship while knowing I could leave, which challenged me emotionally and forced me to sit with discomfort rather than try to fix it."

Naomi and Klay teaching at LaValla School

Rather than rushing to solutions, pilgrims learned to remain present, allowing discomfort to become a place of growth and deeper compassion.

Time spent at La Valla School emerged as the spiritual centre of the immersion. In the relationships formed with students, pilgrims experienced God's grace at work in simple yet profound ways. What began as a desire to teach quickly became a space of mutual learning, humility, and transformation.

Emmalee at LaValla School

"I truly thought I would've been the one teaching the kids, but somehow I've learnt more from the students than I could have ever taught them," said Elvis, another participant. "Every day, I could feel myself being changed by them."

"The lessons of love, friendship, compassion and resilience were primarily learnt here," added Naomi. "All the other experiences were amplified because of the school… it really highlighted a love of work."

Sr Denise Goglhan and Seth with group at JRS with Noble Peace Prize

An encounter with Sister Denise Coghlan RSM at the Jesuit Refugee Service in Siem Reap offered another powerful witness of faith in action. Through her unwavering commitment to peace, dignity, and justice - particularly in her work to end the use of landmines and cluster bombs - pilgrims saw how God's love transforms lives and communities.

"I always live by 'everything happens for a reason', but Cambodia really solidified that for me," Naomi reflected. "Reading at Mass at St John's and meeting the Sisters truly opened my heart."

Maya carrying food to elephants

Cultural experiences deepened the pilgrimage's spiritual dimension. Visits to Angkor Wat and surrounding temples revealed Cambodia's ancient beauty and spiritual depth, inviting pilgrims into a sense of sacred presence across generations.

"The beautiful architecture of Angkor Wat and its long-standing history gave me a sense of presence through the ages," Elvis shared. "The statues, paintings, and sheer size were incredibly moving."

Group in front of Angkor Wat Temple

In stark contrast, visits to the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields offered sobering moments of remembrance and reflection, grounding the journey in the painful realities of Cambodia's recent history while deepening pilgrims' commitment to compassion and justice.

"Although confronting, visiting the Killing Fields and museum truly helped me understand Cambodia and how the country and its people have become who they are," said participant Abi.

Klay washing an elephant

Environmental sustainability was woven intentionally throughout the immersion. A visit to the Kulen Elephant Sanctuary offered a gentle encounter with creation, highlighting care for the earth as an expression of God's grace.

"The elephant sanctuary was also a highlight - something you don't do every day," Elvis noted.

Pilgrims modelled responsible stewardship throughout their time in Cambodia, using reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and shopping bags. By choosing social enterprises for accommodation and meals, they supported local communities while minimising environmental impact.

Elvis at LaValla School

As the immersion unfolded, pilgrims reported a renewed awareness of global inequality, deeper gratitude for their own lives, and a growing understanding of faith lived through presence, relationship, and service. Shared meals, prayer, reflection, and community life strengthened bonds and nurtured spiritual growth.

"It's hard to explain how life-changing and grounding this experience was," said Klay. "I feel whole and peaceful, like I'm being changed in a positive way and want to share that with others."

Ella at LaValla School

While emotionally and physically demanding at times, the immersion invited pilgrims to encounter both the world and God with open hearts. Grounded in grace, they came to understand faith not simply as belief, but as love made visible through everyday actions.

"The immersion in Cambodia changed my faith by grounding it in everyday actions rather than ideas," Klay reflected. "It helped me understand faith as something expressed through presence, empathy, and shared humanity."

'Homemade' group dinner in Sydney night before departure - orientation and getting to know each

The Cambodia Immersion 2025 truly embodied the 2026 Marist theme, Full of Grace: Transform the World with God's Love, shaping pilgrims who are more attentive, compassionate, and ready to carry God's love into the world beyond the journey.

-Words and Pics courtesy Jenifer Miller, MYM Sydney Regional Coordinator & Paul Harris, Mission, Life and Formation