Global Encounter 2013: opening eyes and ears to the love of God

A
P U B L I C A T I O N
FALL 2013
Page 3 Mission accomplished though collaboration
Page 6 Fostering self-sufficiency in small-scale farming
Global Encounter 2013: opening eyes
and ears to the love of God
T
Caroline Zinz meets a guinea pig from
Gaudencio Guerrero Flores’ farm. With your
support, Gaudencio farms sustainably and
trains other farmers to do the same.
Photo: J. Letourneau
hey came together as a group for
the first time during May of this
year at Pearson International Airport
in Toronto. They came from across
Canada and now they, along with
three Canadian Lutheran World Relief
(CLWR) staff, were about to board a
flight for Lima and take part in a lifechanging 10-day journey through
Peru. They were the 20 participants
selected for CLWR’s Young Adult
Global Encounter.
The Global Encounter experience is
not new to CLWR. For many years,
CLWR has offered opportunities to
visit project areas overseas and
experience how lives are saved and
changed through the work of CLWR
and its partners. What distinguished
this latest opportunity from previous
ones was the participants it recruited:
Lutheran young adults aged 18-35.
The trip was a tangible
demonstration CLWR has begun
living out its board decision to
develop programs and initiatives that
will foster an intentional connection
between the agency and the youth and
young adults of our Churches.
Applicants were chosen for more than
just their age. Each was involved in
their own congregation, each
demonstrated an interest in
international development and a
willingness to share talents during the
trip, such as leading prayer and
offering reflections. Equally important
was their commitment to sharing their
experiences within their local
communities post-trip.
We’ve dedicated this issue to
presenting some highlights of the
trip. Through words and
photographs, we hope you gain a
sense of both the important work
being accomplished with our local
partners and the imprint the trip left
on these young adults. We also bring
you an update on other ways CLWR
is reaching out to youth and young
adults in our Churches.
As CLWR executive director Robert
Granke notes in his regular “View
from Here” column, there is no
shortage of reasons for CLWR to be
proactive in engaging youth and
young adults. As Jesus related in the
parable of the sower of the seeds, “Let
anyone with ears listen,” (Matthew
13:9). By telling the story to all, in
different ways so that all can hear
regardless of age, we pray that future
leaders and champions will be
inspired by God’s love for humanity,
so much so that they continue to
challenge the causes and respond to
the consequences of human suffering
and poverty.
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PA R T N E R S H I P FA L L 2 0 1 3
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O F
The view from here
A year ago, the CLWR Board
adopted an initiative aimed at
engaging children, youth and
young adults with the vision
and mission of CLWR. There
were many good reasons to do
this, not the least of which is to
‘turn on’ younger members of
our Churches to the relevant
and life-changing work of
CLWR.
Since then, we have engaged the Rev. Tyler Gingrich as the
lead person in implementing our strategy, and you need look
no further than the success of the Young Adult Global
Encounter to Peru, which you will read about in these pages,
to see how this is playing out to the benefit of CLWR and the
Churches.
All Canadians should be provided with an opportunity to
support our mission, to respond to the consequences and
challenge the causes of poverty. It is through this strategy that
CLWR works with Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
and Lutheran Church–Canada youth and young adults in
ways that speak clearly to their interests and in methods that
resonate with their aspirations and visions for mission and
ministry around the world.
CLWR wants to ensure that young people can share their
gifts and passion for global justice and experience the joy of
being Lutherans who live out their faith, in part, through
service to others.
And from a practical point of view, what organization
today is not concerned about succession planning. Who
knows? Perhaps some of those we encounter in our youth
and young adult programming will develop into future
leaders for CLWR.
Please join me in our quest to encourage young people to
join CLWR and our partners as we work towards a ‘world
where people live in justice, peace and dignity.’ Encourage
youth and youth leaders in your congregations to contact
Tyler and learn how he can help you.
Robert Granke
Executive director
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Who you
support in Peru
A
fter an hour and a half hike up a
winding mountain road in the
Peruvian Andes, you will reach the
farm of Vicente Muñoz Rosales and
family. A sign in Spanish reading
“Welcome to my diversified garden”
greets you. You will be impressed at
the variety of vegetables they have
cultivated on the steep slopes of the
mountainside. Vicente and his family
started out growing potatoes only.
But, following agricultural training
made possible by your support, they
have doubled their income selling
produce at the market. Vicente will
proudly show you the sprinkler
irrigation system he designed himself,
and with a strong entrepreneurial
spirit, is now planning on selling it to
other farmers. Two of his children are
studying agronomy at university.
Through CLWR, you help train
small-scale farmers in Peru to make a
better living by bringing their goods
to market. Vicente is one of those
farmers. The community
development agency of the Lutheran
Church in Peru, called DIACONIA,
and local farmer trainers partner with
us to accomplish this important work.
Vicente Muñoz Rosales is a successful
farmer and budding entrepreneur thanks to
your support for Peruvian farmers.
Photo: CLWR /A. Aguillon
A Mission of Hope
We asked Young Adult Global Encounter participants to share some of their thoughts and reflections on the experience.
Stephanie Bohl, a member of Holy Cross Lutheran in Guelph, ON, shared the following.
T
he Young Adult Global
Encounter was about learning
and experiencing. We began with
visits to established projects along the
Pacific coastline supported by CLWR
and its Peruvian partner DIACONIA.
The purpose of these projects was to
train native farmers in areas of
organic farming practices, safe water
infrastructure development and the
use of organic biocides. Training, we
learned, is available to all who require
help, regardless of association with
Lutheran or Christian faith.
I came to realize that these projects
were almost entirely locally driven
and work towards establishment of
sustainable practices rather than
short-term results. Projects are
collaborative. They serve the realistic
needs of communities as opposed to
what outside organizations and their
Western-driven philosophies may
perceive those needs to be. One way
we saw this principle in action was in
how farmers who had received
training from DIACONIA would then
train others to also become experts in
ways that would improve their quality
of living.
We also had the chance to spend
time with youth groups in and
around Lima. Martin, a youth worker
at the Lutheran Church in Marquez,
impressed on us the importance of
making a connection. He said, “it is
so important for these kids to get to
know you because most of them
don’t know that there is a world
outside of Marquez and almost all of
them won’t leave.” This moved me to
maintain communication and
relationships with the youth, even if
the only thing that I can bring to
them is a bit of perspective.
A youth group in Márquez, Peru, enjoyed soccer and crafts with the Global Encounter
participants. It was a great opportunity for cross-cultural exchange. Photo: A. Peterson-Perry
Early mornings, long traveling days
and sensitivity to altitude were all
worth the amazing opportunity to
connect with people in such a real
way. I was overwhelmed by how God
was humbling me through this
experience, and how he was already
working to help the Peruvian people.
“I WAS OVERWHELMED
BY HOW GOD WAS
HUMBLING ME THROUGH
THIS EXPERIENCE ...”
I learned far more from the local people
than I could have ever given to them. I
felt that the Canadian mission was
ultimately a mission of bringing hope.
I am extremely blessed and grateful to
have had the opportunity to experience
first-hand the impact that CLWR is
having in developing countries. This
work is worth supporting.
Stephanie Bohl (left) feels blessed to have
connected with farmers and inner-city
youth in Peru. She’s pictured here with
fellow participant Kimberly Heald.
Photo: CLWR / T. Gingrich
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Global Encounter Peru 2013
Experiencing first-hand God’s love for humanity
The beauty of creation in Peru. Half the group hiked up this mountain to visit the farm of Vicente Muñoz Rosales (see pg. 2).
Photo: CLWR / T.Gingrich
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C A N A D I A N LU T H E R A N W O R L D R E L I E F
The whole group met DIACONIA staff in Lima. DIACONIA partners with us to help small-scale farmers in Peru
improve their livelihoods. Photo: CLWR / T.Gingrich
Joanna Munholland and Annalise Peterson-Perry
receive their own farming training, planting seeds at
Gaudencio Flores’ farm. Photo: Jill Luyo / DIACONIA
Allison Matthews learns to make a purse from a girl in the
youth group at Iglesia Luz Divina Márquez, a Lutheran
church in Lima, Peru. Photo: J. Letourneau
The group learns how to make compost on the farm
of Juan Bautista Chauca Coral (blue cap). Since Juan
learned about composting, he went from two crops a
year to growing a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables. Photo: Julie Letourneau
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Hope for a
bright future
Megan Kish attends Trinity Lutheran in
Estevan, SK. These are some of her
reflections on her participation in the
Young Adult Global Encounter.
I
n May 2013, I was fortunate
enough to be chosen to participate
in Canadian Lutheran World Relief ’s
Young Adult Global Encounter to
Peru. It was an invaluable experience.
I learned about the importance of
improving the role of women in
Peruvian society. CLWR partners with
DIACONIA, its Peruvian equivalent,
which in turn provides support, tools
and skills to farmers in outlying areas
of Peru to become self-sufficient
through sustainable organic
agricultural practices. We were able to
visit the farm of Rosa, a female farmer
trained through DIACONIA, who has
since become a leader in her
community. Rosa was extremely
proud of her farm and the fact she did
the work of a “man and a woman.”
Rosa is a big personality who clearly
puts a lot of heart into her work and
the pride in the literal “fruits of her
labour” was evident when we were
encouraged to pick and eat the fruits
and vegetables she had grown. She
stressed over and over how grateful
she was to DIACONIA and CLWR for
the support and opportunity she had
been given.
I learned about faith and the power
of Lutheran worship in another
culture—it’s the same in Spanish! And
as Pastor Pablo said at the end of a
Pentecost worship service at Cristo
Rey Church in Lima: “I am so proud
to be Lutheran!”
I learned about mission through
the voices and experiences of
Carmelle Mohr and Pastor Dana
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Farmer Rosa Carapo (right) prepares the traditional Peruvian dish pachamanca with
vegetables from her own farm. Photo: A. Peterson-Perry
“THE OVERWHELMING
MESSAGE WAS ONE OF
GRATITUDE”
Nelson, fellow North Americans
residing in Peru. They spoke of the
beauty of the Peruvian culture and
the warmth they have felt from the
people there. They also spoke about
social issues that we as a church have
a call to address: domestic violence,
poverty and devastating
environmental practices by North
American mining companies.
I saw the beauty of creation in Peru,
from the desert to the jungle to the
snow-capped peaks of the Andes. I also
saw how CLWR is attempting to
preserve this creation through its work.
The overwhelming message sent
from the farmers we visited was one
of gratitude. CLWR is not “getting in
and getting out” of Peru. With their
partner organization they are creating
sustainable projects that can maintain
environmental integrity and support
community development. The
farmers and trainers we visited
reiterated how their lives had
C A N A D I A N LU T H E R A N W O R L D R E L I E F
improved thanks to the support of
CLWR. In return, this experience has
enriched my life and those of the
other participants on the Global
Encounter. The hope and enthusiasm
of the other amazing participants on
this adventure are an illustration that
our Church and the work of CLWR
have a bright future
Megan Kish heard again and again from
Peruvian farmers how grateful they are for
your support. (Here Megan’s drinking
Peruvian coca tea for altitude sickness!)
Photo: A. Peterson-Perry
Making the
connection
Y
outh and young adults in our Churches are becoming
more aware and connected to the work of CLWR thanks
to the efforts of the Rev. Tyler Gingrich, CLWR’s first-ever
Youth Engagement Coordinator.
It’s been about 15 months since Rev. Gingrich arrived in
Winnipeg to assume his new duties. During that time, he has
been busy breathing life into CLWR’s priority to develop a
formal network of youth and young adults knowledgeable in
international relief and development issues, and committed to
alleviating poverty and achieving positive social change.
Wherever Canadian Lutheran youth gather you are likely to
encounter Tyler, whether at a CLWR information booth,
leading workshops, presenting a sermon or sharing his musical
talent; Tyler’s presence is always evident.
In the coming months, CLWR is developing plans to bring
together young people to learn about the organization and
how we work at forming relationships to foster global justice,
peace and dignity.
Youth at the LCC National Youth Gathering prepared kits of donated
school supplies for children overseas. Photo: CLWR / T. Gingrich
A privilege to serve
by Tyler Gingrich,
CLWR Youth Engagement Coordinator
I
t is a privilege to provide opportunities for
youth and young adults to gain first-hand
knowledge and experience the impact CLWR
programming has on the lives of marginalized
people. What an honour it was to be one of
the principle organizers and leaders of the
Young Adult Global Encounter journey to
Peru that you have been reading about in the
pages of this issue. Experience like this makes
the work of CLWR come alive for
participants, letting them see God’s love for
the world being lived out.
It goes without saying that technology is a
very important tool in modern
communications. I want to use current and
developing technologies to expand networking
with youth and young adults within our
Churches and in the general public.
You can view a number of video updates on
CLWR’s YouTube channel, at www.youtube.com/
CLWRvideo, and you can follow updates and
pictures of events as they happen on Facebook,
whether or not you have a Facebook
account—www.facebook.com/CLWRyouth.
Whether you are a youth, young adult or
church leader, I invite you to join the youth
engagement network. All it takes is an email:
[email protected].
CLWR Youth Engagement Coordinator Tyler Gingrich
and Heidi Beck reunited at the ELCIC Eastern Synod
Youth Gathering this August. Heidi was on the trip to
Peru. Photo: CLWR / T. Gingrich
C A N A D I A N LU T H E R A N W O R L D R E L I E F
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“Let anyone
with ears
listen”
Introduce youth in your
congregation to the
mission and vision of
CLWR. Confirmation
program resources
including PowerPoint
shows and leader guides
are available at
www.clwr.org /GetInvolved /confirmation_
resources.htm
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