Oppportunity for youth to serve in China coming

By the Rev. Steve Ray, executive director, chinaconnect

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you and your congregation’s youth team to let you know of new developments with our youthconnect culture and service project. I’ve just returned from three weeks in China working/building even stronger relationships with our partners at an orphanage outside of Beijing and our youth partners in the city of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.

With most ELCA Youth attending the New Orleans Youth Event this summer 2012, I want to alert you to the opportunity for a youth service option in China for the years 2013 and beyond. Our partners at the Nanchang Institute of Technology are excited to be working with us in this joint project for Chinese and American youth to exchange ideas, friendships, and build lasting relationships while learning about each other’s culture and, at the same time, coming together to serve the less fortunate.

Our schedule for each summer youthconnect Culture and Service Project revolves around a strong service component by engaging youth to serve at an orphanage in the Beijing area for two to three days of service and then traveling down to Nanchang to serve in a disability center and school for deaf children.

Mixed in with this is the opportunity to work with local Nanchang area high school and college age youth to learn more about one another’s culture, families, religion, language and history.

The program normally begins with sightseeing in and around Beijing for the first three days and then traveling to the orphanage to serve for two to three days. We then will pack up and travel to Nanchang (southeastern China) to begin the cultural exchange portion of the visitation and, with our new Chinese friends, will serve, explore, and learn about Chinese culture.

Our 2013 program will be for a total of 15 days. Departure from the United States will be July 10 and return to the United States on July 25. If you would like more information about this project for this summer (July 11-26) or next, feel free to contact me at 253-225-5989 or my email address sray@chinaconnectonline.org.

Again, thanks for this opportunity to share with you the work of chinaconnect and may God bless you during these most important days of our lives as Christians.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Steven Ray