N I C O L E
After the completion of Nicole’s placement and her return to Canada, I was reviewing her placement with the Director of YFC Ukraine. While Nicole was in Ukraine, she volunteered at many different youth camps, school programs, and drop in centres, teaching English and loving on the youth and families she met. The YFC Ukraine team estimated that in her 9 months there, she volunteered at over 30 YFC programs and interacted with over 1,000 young people. Not only did she impact these youth but many parents commented to the YFC staff that they could not believe someone cared so much for their kids that they would come from another country to serve them. Her service in Ukraine was a great testimony to how much God loves and cares for the youth of Ukraine!
J E F F
With his multitude of skills and extroverted personality, Jeff has found himself working on many different projects in Cyprus! Though the tempo of Cypriot life is a bit different than he’s used to, he has been involved with multiple ministries of YFC Cyprus (including their coffee shop and drop in programs), started a youth band, made friends with local skateboarders, and connected with the large expat community.
K A T I E
Katie landed in The Republic of Ireland earlier this month and has been thrown right in to the active YFC ministries there! Katie will be spending 2-4 days a week right in the local high school; YFC staff run courses on world religions, lunch clubs, bible studies, and act as mentors for struggling students.
H A N N A H
Hannah is our newest ENGAGE recruit and she is planning to serve in The Gambia in 2020. Hannah came into the ENGAGE Program not knowing exactly where her skills or interests would fit; hoping to volunteer with children younger than the typical YFC age bracket and with an interest in health services. Little did she know that YFC The Gambia is very actively involved with local elementary schools, orphanages, hospitals, and a medical clinic; what a perfect fit!
C O M I N G S O O N ?
I am currently talking to three different individuals about what the ENGAGE Program could look like for them. Though each of them are at different stages of the application process, I pray that they continue to pursue an opportunity to serve with ENGAGE and can’t wait to see what that will look like. Since each ENGAGE placement is 100% custom, there are so many possibilities!
Yes, ENGAGE international volunteers do go into this program hoping to serve, love, and impact the youth they encounter in countries that are very different from their own. However, the biggest impact ENGAGE continually has is on the ENGAGE participant themselves – as it changes their vision of the world and what God might want to do in them and through them. ENGAGE is such a great opportunity for young adults, at a pivotal point in their lives, to see the world through God’s eyes. Thank you for partnering with us!
C O L O M B I A + E C U A D O R
In last month’s newsletter I shared about my hopes and plans to visit a couple countries this year in an effort to grow partnerships and expand the ENGAGE Program. I am so excited to share that I have officially booked plane tickets and will be travelling to Colombia and Ecuador at the end of April. I am so looking forward to spending some time with Mayra, the Latin America Regional Director, and the YFC staff/volunteer teams in both countries. It will be an amazing opportunity to learn more about what YFC looks like in South America and to see more ENGAGE volunteers sent and received in the future.
If you would like to make a financial contribution to this trip or other similar ENGAGE Projects, you can do so HERE, by selecting “Engage International Volunteer Program” as the designation.
F I N A N C I A L U P D A T E
I am still short of my goal to be able to work FULL TIME in this ministry.
Would you consider partnering with me at $25/month?
Ashley Stromenberg 