Since I began middle school I have been involved in Northland: A Church Distributed youth ministry; beginning in 6th grade as a student being discipled by older students and adults. I have had many opportunities to serve in my community, including working in food banks, cleaning downtown Orlando, and volunteering at recycling centers. Now, as a high school student, I have the opportunity to serve in my local area and the global community with Northland. At home, I help lead the middle school youth group every Saturday night, and enjoy my Tuesday evenings co-leading a 7th grade girls’ Bible study that is sponsored by Northland.
The students I have met through Northland are a big part of my daily life. Even at my school, Lyman High, I see many of them during daily breaks between classes. I’m a sophomore at LHS and am due to graduate in 2008. My current focuses are Spanish, history, and music (I have now been studying voice for 4 years). As for college, I would like to stay in the south near my family, and I currently am considering Furman, Bellmont, and Montreat.
In addition to volunteering and maintaining a 4.0+, I have become keenly interested in the AIDS pandemic and how it is affecting sub-Saharan Africa specifically. Ironically, I first began thinking about this subject at Spanish Camp this past summer. After discussing topics related to the AIDS crisis and Africa’s well-being in my AP Human Geography class, I knew that I wanted to be a part of Northland’s student team to Swaziland and South Africa this summer.
Because of Swaziland’s situation, I feel that my gifts and abilities could best be utilized for this country’s children. It has recently been announced that Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world with 38%-42% of their population being infected. This high percentage has left over 120,000 Swazi children orphans without the means to obtain food, let alone attend school. My team will be working in Siteki, Swaziland, with one of the many makeshift “schools” for orphaned children. In a country where 66% of the people make less than 45 cents a day, it is not surprising that when the school I will be working with began, it provided lunch for all students. However, the school found that when it did not serve lunch, the children simply did not eat that day. The school now operates 365 days a year serving 3 meals daily.
Because of Northland’s priority of building relationships, this trip will focus on showing practical compassion through giving people the ability to care for themselves and their community. To better understand the people’s needs, Northland has partnered with Vredelust Church (based in Cape Town, South Africa). My team will be assisting with tutoring, helping children with their English, teaching hygiene, playing sports, educating about AIDS, nutrition, sexual purity, and anything else that we are capable of doing that will better this community. The school also has a choir program, which I am excited to have the opportunity to help with.
So here’s the bottom line, I need help to go on this trip and have it be successful. Whether you can contribute through prayer, financially, or by other means, I sincerely appreciate your generosity. The total expense for my part of the trip is over $3100. My team will leave June 23 and will return July 7. Prayer will definitely be a need before, during, and even after our journey. If you are in a position to participate financially, please mail your checks by June 10 to my home (or give them in person), payable to Northland: A Church Distributed. Please mark “*my name*, South Africa” on a separate note attached to the check, my name should not be anywhere on the check.
Thank you so much for allowing me to share this with you,
Amy L.
I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:9-10
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final world in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
–Martin Luther King Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment