Young Adults in Mission Caribbean Work Camp planned for late July

18-to-30-year-olds encouraged to apply for short-term mission in Curaçao

by Tammy Warren | Presbyterian News Service

Young Adults in Ministry Work Camp participant Taylor King (right) with a young friend, pictured in 2015. (Photo by Sanya Beharry)

LOUISVILLE — Young adults in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ages 18–30 can now apply to serve during a Young Adults in Mission (YAM) Work Camp July 23-31 on the island of Curaçao in the eastern Caribbean Sea.

The eighth YAM Work Camp, sponsored by the Caribbean and North American Council for Mission (CANACOM), will bring together young people from a dozen Caribbean and North American countries to experience a Caribbean culture in mission, rather than as tourists.

“This opportunity only comes around every three years,” said Jo Ella Holman, World Mission’s regional liaison in the Caribbean. “CANACOM’s member churches, of which the PC(USA) is one, each choose two participants. It’s a fantastic opportunity for young people to get to know others from various churches in Caribbean countries, Canada and the U.S.

“These young people serve together in local projects, learn from one another, worship God in many languages and build community. Our PC(USA) participants have always come home enriched from sharing their gifts and receiving inspiration through the gifts shared by others.”

Jennifer Martin, CANACOM’s secretary for mission, leads a group of YAM Work Camp participants. (Photo by Sanya Beharry)

Miguel Rosa Morales, North American young adult representative on the YAM Work Camp planning team, served as a meeting services program assistant in the Office of the General Assembly during the 223rd General Assembly in St. Louis (2018). He said he always encourages young adults to expand their horizons culturally and theologically through ecumenical opportunities like this one.

Rosa Morales said the camp will be divided into three core parts: learning about the people and culture, taking part in mission work and reflecting on the impact of the mission experience in the lives of the participants. “The ecumenical movement is the place where we all come to the table regardless of our confessions and governance structures and profess that Jesus is our Savior. It’s where we profess that we are brothers and sisters regardless of our backgrounds,” he said. “These types of events create everlasting bonds with people who share similar core beliefs.”

Yammers will be asked to create action plans for projects to be implemented on their return home and to share their experience with their home churches.

The theme for this year’s camp is taken from Micah 6:8: What Does the Lord Require of Me? Current mission priorities are to promote church growth and renewal, eliminate gender-based violence, address the root causes of poverty and inequality and eliminate human trafficking.

Young Adults in Mission work camp participants and friends as pictured in 2015. (Photo by Sanya Beharry)

CANACOM’s YAM Work Camp offers an opportunity to:

• engage in cross-cultural ecumenical ministry with other young adults.
• explore the church in the Caribbean region and Caribbean/North American joint mission.
• share your God-given gifts.
• learn from our global brothers and sisters in the faith.

If selected, participants are asked to fundraise a mínimum of $500, plus at least half of their airfare. Member churches of CANACOM will subsidize the remaining cost.

Application forms and a letter of reference must be received by the Rev. Dr. Jo Ella Holman at joella.holman@gmail.com and Miguel Rosa Morales at marmpr21@gmail.com by March 20. Contact Holman or Rosa Morales for application materials.