Jaejo M.

Hello, my name is Jaejo Manjila (you can call me Jae for short). I am a fourth-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga, studying Computer Science and Mathematics. I have a brother (His name is Jeff!) and two loving parents. In my spare time, I love running in nature, playing football (or soccer), and singing Coldplay songs on my piano. At my parish, St. Alphonsa Syro Malabar Church, I co-lead the youth ministry and teach the Catechism weekly. I spend a lot of time with my chaplaincy at UTM, serving as the men’s ministry leader as well.

I knew that God loved me, and I loved Him… at least I thought I did. It was a sudden realization within my first year on campus that I came to know what that truly meant. That I was created for a relationship with Him. The message was so simple, and yet it gave me the peace I much needed. It also gave me a lot of fear, knowing what I will have to give up to follow Him. He has blessed me in this life so much that I believe it’s time for me to do what I can to bring Him to others, especially to those who don’t believe in Him or struggle to do so.

Why do I want to be on Mission?

1 John 4:19 – “We love because He first loved us”. Because I had encountered God’s love so profoundly, I also learned to love the people around me more deeply. I led and participated in faith studies, spent a summer as a missionary, and each time, God gave me so much more than what I gave Him. This time around, He called me to take an even bigger step in bringing others to Him, and so I did (of course, with a bit of fear but a whole lot of hope).

I had originally applied for the Ireland mission because it aligned with what I wanted for the summer. Later, I was told that I was a better fit for the Wales mission. Because I am a planner and adhere to a specific routine, a big part of me wanted to say no to the mission. But by spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist, I was reminded of a verse: “Your ways are not my ways, your thoughts are not my thoughts” – Isaiah 55:8. God’s plan is always better than our own, and I am excited about what God will do with me this summer! Waka Waka Eh Eh 🙂