Youth Ministries
CONFIRMATION SUNDAY
JUNE 12, 2011
YOUTH SERVICE
'Under the Bridge"
Middle or High School Youth Yakima Nation Misson Trip
* Cost: $225
* Full and partial Scholarships are available.
* Length: 6 days, 5 nights
* Dates: July 15-20th
$75 deposit due by Jan 30
We will begin our mission on Sunday evening, joining other youth from all over the country at our YouthWorks (www.youthworks.com) mission site. The Yakama Reservation is located in south central Washington, to the East of the Cascade Mountain Range and Mt. Rainier National Park. It covers 1,300,000 acres and is home to the 12 tribes that make up the Yakama Nation. At present, there are approximately 8,455 enrolled members in the tribe. In stark contrast to other reservations, Yakama is located in a verdant valley region, with lush vegetation and rich farmland. However, extreme poverty is prevalent in the midst of these economically thriving farms. A growing number of Mexican migrant workers are settling here in search of a better life. This brings a greater demand for work, with increasing numbers of people seeking viable, sustainable employment. More and more people are struggling on a daily basis for their economic survival bringing. Special note: Yakama is a junior / senior high mixed site. This means that the Youthworks staff is geared specifically to serve both your high-energy junior high students and your senior high aged youth.
We will focus on several areas of ministry: children, home improvement and local ministries. Our work with children consists of a partnership with a government and tribally funded program that provides summer learning and enrichment opportunities for underprivileged children. Our focus is on relational ministry as we shower love and encouragement on often-neglected kids. Also during the week, our group will have the opportunity to do home improvement. Oftentimes families experience poverty through the struggle to provide bare necessities of life. Maintaining a home takes a back seat when it is difficult to put food on the table. Participants will do two days of house painting, and two days of ministry with children combined with the projects of local ministries. Adult leaders will separate youth into ministry groups, and the youth in your group will be mixed with the youth from other groups for their week of service.
Our goal with evening activities is to provide an exposure to the unique offering of the week and community. A list of evening/cultural activities we have done in the past include: Tour the Imperial’s Garden – a local fruit tree farm; Visit Yakama Nation Cultural Center; Swim at Wapato Swimming pool; and Cookout at Ft. Simcoe State Park.
Susie Tollefson
