When I worked with Young Life back in Northern Baltimore, one of the biggest needs was always volunteer leaders. It is never an easy task to find people to volunteer hours of their time let alone good, solid, Christian leaders who already have so much going on. I have always been so impressed how leaders and people just seem to show up and come out of the woodwork.
I guess there is hope and confidence in asking for workers for the harvest. Through word of mouth, at the Saturday morning soccer camp, we will have about 5-12 adult, Rwandan, Christian leaders who come to just volunteer their time and reach out to the players. I am so thankful for these leaders and I am always so amazed at how solid, fun, and great they are. They really do love the players and they really do just want to love and serve the Lord. Since leaving Baltimore Young Life, one of the things that has stuck with me the most was what my Regional Director Gary Wilmer told me before I left. He said, Jenny no matter where you go, no matter what you do, you are doing Young Life even if it is not labeled Young Life. He was so right. I think one of the biggest things I have learned and noticed since I have been in Rwanda is exactly that.
No matter where I go and no matter what I do, I still have a calling to reach out and love people, to build relationships with them for Christ. I love that! I love that all I was taught back in Baltimore still applies to Rwanda. Yes, I am in a different country, with a different language, and a different past and heritage, but no matter what Jesus still applies here and my life still has the ability to impact here. No matter where I go the rules still apply and never change. One of my biggest prayers is to actually see YL come to Rwanda.
YL and youth organization really do need to come to Rwanda, because even though there is many NGO's (non-governmental organizations) and money being poured into this country, there literally is no organizations specifically reaching out to the youth, the ones most impacted by the genocide and the largest of Rwanda's current population. Part of that prayer has already been answered with my friend George being brought on YL staff just last month! In the next year or so, if all goes well, he will begin to be trained through YL and learn more about how to reach out to youth for Christ. As for me, it just excites me to know that George will be getting involved in Young Life Africa. I just look forward to being apart of that no matter what my roles looks like. What is also kind of neat is that even before George was considered for staff, one thing was true about him, he was already doing Young Life without even knowing it. Kind of like what Gary said... He was already building relationships with youth and through that he was sharing his life and the life of Christ. So, maybe it is more appropriate to say it wasn't YL he was already doing, but more so he was already being Christ to the youth he was working with. He has been and will continue to be the hands and feet of Christ to those players and so will the rest of the leaders who show up each week to just hang out with, coach, and love on those players.
I guess there is hope and confidence in asking for workers for the harvest. Through word of mouth, at the Saturday morning soccer camp, we will have about 5-12 adult, Rwandan, Christian leaders who come to just volunteer their time and reach out to the players. I am so thankful for these leaders and I am always so amazed at how solid, fun, and great they are. They really do love the players and they really do just want to love and serve the Lord. Since leaving Baltimore Young Life, one of the things that has stuck with me the most was what my Regional Director Gary Wilmer told me before I left. He said, Jenny no matter where you go, no matter what you do, you are doing Young Life even if it is not labeled Young Life. He was so right. I think one of the biggest things I have learned and noticed since I have been in Rwanda is exactly that. 
No matter where I go and no matter what I do, I still have a calling to reach out and love people, to build relationships with them for Christ. I love that! I love that all I was taught back in Baltimore still applies to Rwanda. Yes, I am in a different country, with a different language, and a different past and heritage, but no matter what Jesus still applies here and my life still has the ability to impact here. No matter where I go the rules still apply and never change. One of my biggest prayers is to actually see YL come to Rwanda. 
YL and youth organization really do need to come to Rwanda, because even though there is many NGO's (non-governmental organizations) and money being poured into this country, there literally is no organizations specifically reaching out to the youth, the ones most impacted by the genocide and the largest of Rwanda's current population. Part of that prayer has already been answered with my friend George being brought on YL staff just last month! In the next year or so, if all goes well, he will begin to be trained through YL and learn more about how to reach out to youth for Christ. As for me, it just excites me to know that George will be getting involved in Young Life Africa. I just look forward to being apart of that no matter what my roles looks like. What is also kind of neat is that even before George was considered for staff, one thing was true about him, he was already doing Young Life without even knowing it. Kind of like what Gary said... He was already building relationships with youth and through that he was sharing his life and the life of Christ. So, maybe it is more appropriate to say it wasn't YL he was already doing, but more so he was already being Christ to the youth he was working with. He has been and will continue to be the hands and feet of Christ to those players and so will the rest of the leaders who show up each week to just hang out with, coach, and love on those players.
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