Thursday, October 31st over dinner, LSC students and others had a chance to learn about the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program and meet Kaleb Sutherland who served last year in South Africa!
Each year, YAGM volunters visit campus to share their experiences and let you know about the options available through this ELCA program. A different young adult will be touring the region this year, so come hear about their time in another country, serving and accompanying the people there.
From Kaleb:
Hi there! My name is Kaleb Sutherland, and just a few months ago, I returned from a year of service in South Africa through the Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program. This past year, I lived in a small rural town called Umphumulo, where I played with kids, cooked with Lutheran church ladies, weeded gardens, and tried (with mediocre success) to learn how to dance. In many ways, South Africa is my home, and the people of Umphumulo are my family.
Before my year in South Africa, I grew up in Missouri and went to school at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Now that I’m back in the U.S., I’m serving as a short-term recruiter for ELCA Global Mission. That means I get to travel throughout the country to share stories from my time in SA and to tell other young people about some amazing opportunities to live and serve internationally through the ELCA!
Young Adults in Global Mission participants serve in a variety of fields in one of more than 10 countries, and they experience the transformation that comes with a year of international mission service. Volunteers serve in the spirit of accompaniment—walking together with global companions in mutuality, solidarity and interdependence.
To learn more, contact me at Kaleb.Sutherland@elca.org, or visit www.elca.org/yagm
If you’d like an email letting you know when the YAGM visit is this year, please contact Alicia at ara2@psu.edu.
More info from the ELCA – YAGM website here!