Exposure Trip for the students or Cross visit to IDP camps and villages in different parishes in the diocese activity is one of the regular academic extracurricular outdoor activities at St. Luke’s College. During this exposure, the students usually spare their time with their parish priests and villagers in the assigned places and practice their social and pastoral knowledge.

In this 2022 and 2023 academic year, the first-year students were sent to Mohnyin, Momauk, Chihpwi, Nam San Yang, Lawa, Shadau, Tang Hpre, Namti, Mansi, Mai Ja Yang, Zau Bung, Ding Sing, Sinlum Shwegu, Mai Hkat, Laiza, Pang Hkak , Banmaw, Nanhlaing, Namlimpa and Prang Hkudung on 6^th October 2022. . Some of them were assigned to do their tasks in the villages near St. Luke’s College. They all came back to College on 3^rd November safe and sound. On the 4^th and 5^th of November, they all gathered and shared their individual experiences and reflections.

Main activities in the assigned places

• Teaching songs and catechism to children
• Leading prayer services in a family gathering on Sundays
• Sharing reflection on the Gospel messages
• Visiting IDP camps and families
• Staying with the people and listening to their stories
• Conducting Para-liturgy on Sundays when the priests cannot regularly visit
• Visiting the sick people
• Organizing youths for sports and other social activities.

Benefits

• Improved their socio-pastoral skills by engaging the people in service
• Got the opportunity to share their knowledge by leading people in worship and teaching catechism to children.
• Get motivated to be better servants of God and His people by experiencing the local situation.
• Learned the awfully lacking condition of the Church in different places, especially in remote villages, and the need for socio-pastoral care.
• Improve their self-confidence to share, teach, and lead people after performing the planned activities.
• Experienced the daily life of Catechists as grass root community faith leaders.
• Came to know what they need to prepare themselves for good, helpful community leaders.

Challenge

• It was a risk for St. Luke’s College to send the students to different villages in this very unsafe and unstable political situation.