Preparing to leave for a service experience can stir a mix of excitement, gratitude, anxiety, and hope for young people and their families. This guided prayer adapts the Ignatian Examen to help young people reflect on this important threshold moment before departure. Through prayerful reflection on gratitude, awareness, struggle, accompaniment, and hope, participants are invited to notice God’s presence in their preparation, their relationships with family and caregivers, and their hopes for the journey ahead.

This resource helps young people grow in spiritual awareness, name the emotions that accompany leaving home for service, and embrace their role as companions to those who support them. It also encourages trust in God’s guidance as they step into experiences of mission, service, and discovery.