Jayden Remias
I had everything that I could ever want. I was 19 years old, my college tuition and lodging were free (thanks to my mom). I was on track for a successful job after my four years of education, working for a worldwide brand [ESPN]. Working in media was everything to me.
But when the Lord spoke to me the words, “I have given you the adventure that you have always wanted, it’s your choice to choose it” while serving as a summer counselor at Damascus.
The words of Saint Pope John Paul II came to life: “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.”
The Lord invited me to a life of adventure during COVID, and I decided to drop out of college after my second year at Virginia Tech to become a full-time missionary at @damascusmission !
This wasn’t an easy decision for me. My grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines, my parents were told to live the American dream. The pressure to please my family and be successful was almost unbearable. Focusing my gaze on the Lord was the only thing that kept me going. I am not called to live the American dream. I am called to live God’s dream!
Through this leap of faith, I recognized that God didn’t take my desires for media away. Instead, He transformed my gifts for His kingdom.
Fast forward to now, the Lord is calling me to another adventure. At the beginning of 2024, God invited me to take another leap of faith and leave Damascus. Although I was doing God’s work I felt deep down inside of me that I wasn’t doing His will.
At Damascus, we were affecting millions through social media but I realized that God just wanted to affect my heart. This is how personal Jesus is.
Today, I am now trailblazing this call for Catholic missionaries to be on social media. I know He’s asking this of me. The USCCB discussed 13 years ago that, “If the Catholic Church isn’t on mobile devices then it doesn’t exist.” Two-thirds, 4.6 billion people, of the world population have a social media account. The Catholic Church can’t afford to be old and outdated.
We are living in a time and age where God is raising up new saints to preach the gospel in ways that the saints before us have never seen. That sounds like an adventure to me!
I don't want a script for how my life goes because it's not my life to live.
I am casting my nets, Lord! Send me!
I am only 23 years old. If I can trust God, so can you. Check out my mission on page!