Arnaud Tran

Arnaud Tran

MS ’24, Energy Science and Engineering School, Doerr School of Sustainability

“I found Fr. Bob who suggested that I try the Spiritual Exercises, a nearly 8 months adventure, which lasted beyond my time in Stanford and also accompanied me during my 3 months trip back home: between Shanghai and Paris on the Silk Road. The amazing thing about this retreat was how the reflections suggested by Ignatius were incarnated in my daily life.”

CC@S has had a profound impact on my experience at the Farm. I am a recent MS graduate in Energy Sciences. After a transformative pilgrimage at WYD in Lisbon, I wanted to engage in spiritual direction when I returned to campus in September, and it was there that I found Fr. Bob who suggested that I try the Spiritual Exercises. As it is a nearly 8 months adventure, it lasted beyond my time in Stanford and also accompanied me during my 3 months trip back home: between Shanghai and Paris on the Silk Road.

The amazing thing about this retreat was how the reflections suggested by Ignatius were incarnated in my daily life. For example, I truly felt in the apostles' shoes after Pentecost when I was able to communicate warmth and love with a toothless old muslim man who was my neighbor during a 24-hour train journey in the Karakalpak desert. Although we had no common language, Adilkhan and I shared a real moment of communion. There were times when I had doubts and felt abandoned, for example when I was exploring the Kirghiz passes by bike after two days of rain and wind against me. But like the time when, after two days of walking alone in Montenegro, I discovered a shelter with no one but myself and the innkeeper, who was like an angel put on my path by Providence, God has always come to me in unexpected ways. My lesson? Take the risk of meeting God, he'll come to you!

I also had the opportunity to make unique friends with the graduate men's small prayer group. In the image of our church, we were very different people, which was a real source of fruitfulness for our interactions, whether it was during a Lectio Divina, a hike or a raclette dinner (typical French dinner based on melted cheese).

Through these unique experiences and the new relationships built, I truly met Jesus and God as I never had before. So I am truly grateful to the Catholic community, staff and donors who made this journey possible.