April 20, 2008

Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.
Matthew 5:13a, The Message, Eugene Peterson

Celebrating Young Adult Volunteers!

When Sue got off work at St. Thomas School one Thursday afternoon she was greeted by the warm hugs and bubbly smiles of four Young Adult Volunteers assigned for the past year to different communities in Kerala, South India. They came through Delhi on a three-week break to travel and learn more about other regions of India.

YAVs assigned to serve in India from August 2007 to July 2008: Rob, Beth, Kat, and Laura.

With backpacks and eight months of stories to tell, they arrived during our daughter Mary’s spring break and stayed for five days. Beth, with a major in film from Middlebury College in Vermont, is assigned to a college community where she lives with girls in the hostel. Laura, a graduate of Pacific Lutheran College, works with the elderly. Katherine (Kat), who finished her undergraduate studies at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, works in a school for young children and will begin graduate school at American University in August for a degree in international studies and sustainable development. Rob, who majored in Religion and English Literature at St. Olaf College, works with students of varied ages in Kerala.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Young Adult Volunteer program offers exciting opportunities in Christian service for young adults (19 to 30 years of age). YAVs serve in communities of need. Their job descriptions depend on the needs of our Christian partners and the skills of the YAV. They work within a church or organization to develop Christian community and meet together once a month for prayer and Bible study.

YAVs go through orientation in the United States before they arrive and then receive further orientation when they reach their assigned countries. The Rev. Thomas John has been the coordinator of this program in South India and serves as their mentor in Kerala. His son Binu, who is studying for a Ph.D. in Delhi, has befriended this group of YAVs and given them exposure to the university where he studies. Binu joined us for dinner one night and described some of his research about Christianity in northeast India. He plays guitar and leads a fellowship group for Indians from the northeast at his school.

David and I began our ministries through a similar program with the PC(USA) when we were in seminary several decades back! We started out on a seminary campus in Seoul, Korea. After completing seminary, we returned to mission service as fully funded and appointed mission co-workers to the same location.

It is encouraging to see God calling and equipping a new generation of cross-culturally sensitive Christians. According to Thomas John (and from our observations in north India) the door is open for more Young Adult Volunteers in India and around the world. The funding for the program is shared by the PC(USA), supporting congregation(s), presbyteries, and you, that is, people who feel passionate about giving hands-on, supervised mission opportunities to gifted young people in our churches. See the YAV India Web site for more.

One of the YAVs told us:  “I wish my year was not going to end in three months, I’m not ready to go home!”  They had just returned to Delhi from several inspirational days in Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama, where they took a cooking class. We sampled their Tibetan momos the last night they were here. Rob chopped vegetables while the women rolled out the dough to wrap them. All four shaped the small dumplings. During their travels they have visited the deserts of Rajasthan, the Taj Mahal, key landmarks in the capital city of Delhi, and have had opportunities to trek in the north. They have logged many hours on Indian trains and buses.

YAVs visiting the historic Red Fort on Monday, when it's closed.

Currently recruiting is going on for a new group of YAVs for sites in the state of Kerala, an area where there is a strong Christian history and presence. Volunteers work in Christian-based agricultural communities that minister alongside those considered “untouchables” by society. Placements are also available in administration, on the campus of a Christian college, and in health-related ministries at elderly care centers.

We’ve enjoyed meeting Kat, Laura, Beth, and Rob. One afternoon we led them on a tour of Old Delhi, where we ate one of the most delicious north Indian meals we had ever tasted. The rotis (bread) were cooked in old-style tandoori ovens. We also stood inside the top of the minaret at the largest mosque in India and looked out over the city. Riding bumper-to-bumper on bicycle rickshaws through one of the most crowded areas of the Old City was a highlight of our shared adventure.

Part of our role as regional liaisons means being here in South Asia to meet and greet Christians coming in and out of Delhi for various reasons. Getting to know these YAVs has been fun and inspirational! We’ve laughed a lot. The young women (just like Mary and Sue) have to be careful about hugging too much, so that they don’t give the wrong impression. It was a joy to have three more adopted daughters and a very loving adopted son for short time. We loaded them up with plenty of hugs for their trip back to South India.

Thank you for your prayers and continued financial support.

Grateful to be your partners in Christ’s service,

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 87