Aaron Loh

Hi guys, my name is Aaron, currently a Year 4 student in NUS! Really glad that you’re taking this time to read my testimony and hope it speaks to you in some way! (:

Let me first begin by sharing my life prior to my experience with God. I was always a Sunday Catholic ever since Confirmation because I wasn’t very close to my church community and at that point in time my friends were the only reason I would even consider joining ministries. I never really thought much about my faith and whenever people asked me about my faith, I would usually just direct them to a friend who was more well-read than me. Yet, this never bothered me, and I felt like I was happy with that relationship with God so that I could focus more on school life and studies. But, God’s plan for me was greater than this!

My journey back to God began only in my third year in NUS when I felt like I needed to know more about my faith and what I believe in because how can I tell people I’m a Catholic if I don’t even know what I believe in! I have been very blessed to have the guidance of Father Jude along the way to clarify my doubts and push me to deepen my understanding of the faith (which was initially a really scary experience for me because I have never shared so personally with a priest before). I am also extremely blessed to have met fellow Catholics in my time in NUS who give me that gentle nudge to turn to God in my struggles. (:

The high point of my journey was during the School of Christian Leadership (SOCL) 2018 held by the Office for Young People. There, God revealed to me His true presence and how much joy and freedom it brought to my heart. It was there that I knew that God was real and that He has been there in every phase of life! I saw how my life was so perfectly orchestrated to this point in time where He would choose to reveal himself to me and what a powerful realisation it was! That experience filled me with such fervour to serve Him and share the joy that I’ve felt with the people around me.

It was also during SOCL where I saw the beauty of the community, that no matter our backgrounds, all of us have been called by Him and are striving to live our lives for Him. It was the first time I met Catholics from other universities and formed beautiful kingdom friendships with them. This was honestly a surprise for me because I am an introvert and having to socialise was daunting for me, but I have been made an extrovert for Christ!

This appreciation of community carried on past SOCL and as I started my school year. Burdened by the demands of school and the workload has made it difficult at times to keep my eyes on God. Yet, my friends were always there to show me what it meant to live as a Catholic and their sharings were my sources of inspiration, encouraging me to pursue Christ even more. I know that I cannot go on this journey alone because if I do, I will definitely burn out. Truly, community is such a grace given by God to help us on our journey and we are not meant to do this alone!

With this, I encourage you to take that first step to join a Catholic community in CSS. You may find it daunting to meet new people but I assure you, these will be some of the truest friendships you will ever make in your life. God bless! (: