Exciting news! While I am still fundraising and working hard to meet my budget goals, I do know that I will be in Belgium in April...whether that is a permanent move is yet to be determined. Due to the need for a female leader, I will be traveling to Thessaloniki, Greece via Brussels. This is for Young Life International's yearly Service Project...one of the most exciting parts of international ministry. I will be joining over 200 kids and leaders from Belgium and all across Europe for a week to serve the community of Thessaloniki.
Why a Service Project?
Several reasons:
1) Because many families travel to their home country during the summer, there is not a typical 'Young Life Summer Camp Trip' and a trip in April allows more kids to come during their spring break.
2) Many of the international schools across Europe require service hours, and this helps the kids fulfill them!
3) It brings the name of Young Life to areas with the intent of serving the community, as well as the potential to start a Young Life ministry there. (Thessaloniki has the largest student population in Greece and will be the European Youth Capital in 2014).
4) What better way to tell kids about the sacrificial love of Jesus, then to have them experience it with their own hands...
Most kids will be leaving for Greece on a Friday night, but I will be traveling with a new volunteer leader and four kids on Saturday morning across the borders into Greece...quite the exciting first experience! We will be building playgrounds at schools, painting, cleaning, building, teaching and coaching, all while kids get to hear about Jesus. Pray with me for this exciting time; thank you for supporting me in God's mission in Brussels, which has a direct and tangible impact across the WORLD. I cannot wait to report back to share with you what God has done in the lives of kids!
