Translated, retold, and celebrated

There are questions that hit differently when asked in silence—when no one is watching, when you’re walking a long road under the sun, or when you’re alone in a corner wondering, “Am I really worthy of God’s love?”

That was the honest, trembling question that Karen Mae Lebin brought to the Inner Conditioning Workshop (ICW) in Bulacan. And it wasn’t just a rhetorical question—it came from a place of deep reflection, soul fatigue, and quiet longing.

“Even with all the trials I’ve faced,” Karen shared during the kamustahan, “I realized there is always hope. Through this journey, I’ve learned to love myself more—and love God even deeper.”

What changed her?

It wasn’t a flash of lightning or a booming voice from the clouds. It was the simple, slow, sacred experience of Lakaran—of walking not just with her feet, but with her spirit.

“Because of love, everything changes.”

Karen recalled a moment in Lakaran where she felt completely seen—not for her flaws, but for her becoming. Despite the pain, the failures, the self-doubt—she felt held.

“Even if we’re not all the same, even if our paths are different—because of love, everything changes,” she said with a soft, almost trembling voice.

And that’s the heart of ICW: not to erase differences, but to help us discover the thread of purpose that runs through all of them.

“I know I’m not perfect… but I can do better.”

Karen admits she has fallen short, like all of us.

She’s not afraid to say it:

“I’ve made many mistakes. But because of God’s word and His encouragement, I now believe I can be better—not just for myself, but for others too.”

Those words don’t just reflect personal growth. They echo something much larger: the call to inner transformation that overflows into community change.

It’s not a self-help slogan—it’s spiritual revolution, one healed heart at a time.

“This workshop opened my eyes to the truth in our nation.”

One of the most moving parts of Karen’s sharing is her awakening to her role in society. ICW didn’t just help her heal; it gave her vision.

“This activity made me realize what’s really happening in our country… and it made me see that I can be an instrument of God’s love.”

That’s powerful.

Because when a young woman from a quiet town like Bingawan begins to believe that her transformation can help heal a nation, something divine is already unfolding.

“Whatever path we choose, God’s love stays.”

Karen ended her reflection with a truth that makes your heart pause:

“Whatever path we take, God’s love is still there.”

It’s not a cliché—it’s a whispered anthem of those who have walked through darkness and still found the light. That’s the core of the Lakaran journey. That’s the soul of IPAT-SIAD.

Final Thoughts

Karen’s story is not just her story—it’s ours.
Her question –“Am I worthy?”—is a question we’ve all carried at some point.
And her answer—discovered through pain, through walking, through community—is a gift to everyone who’s still searching:

Yes.
You are worthy.
And you are not alone.