Hello friends, family, brothers, and sisters in Christ!
If you found this blog post you must have heard that I have accepted an invitation to serve as a Young Adult in Global Mission (YAGM) volunteer with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Senegal for 2019-2020!
What is YAGM, you may ask? I hope I can help answer your questions and share why I want to invite y'all along on this life changing journey. But first, a little more about me!
In March of this year, I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a BA in History. I
have always loved learning about and connecting with new cultures and people. As I was
searching for my next steps after college, I wanted to engage in this cultural exchange in real life.
When the opportunity to apply to YAGM came up, I was excited by the opportunity to do so globally and in the context of the church. The YAGM program has been working with the global church for over twenty-years. It sends 70+ young adults (ages 21-29) into a transformative, year-long journey in international service across several country programs including: the UK, Central Europe, Australia, Mexico, Argentina/Uruguay, Jerusalem/West Bank, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Senegal (my placement).
As a volunteer, I will be serving in the spirit of accompaniment, walking alongside our
global partners in mutuality, interdependence, and solidarity. In Senegal, this means being invited by a community to work in a center for women, teach English classes, and many more opportunities. Very soon, I will be finding out my exact placement in the community, and I cannot wait to share this with y’all!
While this opportunity to foster cultural exchange with my host community will be
incredible, I will also be exploring some tougher topics. In the context of the world, the
historical implications of mission work can be hard to grapple with at times. However, I am ready to interact with this in my host community along with other issues such as privilege. How God works in these spaces can often be the most eye opening, and I hope to educate myself and those who follow me on this journey about these topics.
I am truly excited to share my gifts with my host community, grow with them along
the way, and learn humbly from the Senegalese people. YAGM is a unique experience for us all to connect with our Lutheran family internationally, and something I will continue to share with you throughout my year of service.
Wow, a lot of information right? It seems a little overwhelming right now, but as many of my mentors have told me in the past, it is best to lean into this discomfort in order to experience the most growth.
If after reading this information you feel called to support me, your prayers are always appreciated. Or, consider donating to my support page here! All funds go towards sending me on the YAGM program. I am committed to raising $5,000, before I leave in August. Any more questions? Subscribe to this blog so I can connect with you!
That's all I have for now!
Peace and Blessings,
Charlie