Changing Lives One at a Time - Ministry Work in the United States & China

For the past few days, we attended  a CRRS conference about helping young people who needed help.. One of the highlights of this conference was listening and sharing the best practice of what others are doing in their region. Each group representing their region ( country ) took turn to lead singing and present their local projects.

The Toronto CRRS Chapter shared a presentation at the International Conference held in British Columbia recently

I learned about two excellent projects that have greatly benefited many others.

1. YL -  stands for Young Life - Andrew from the States shared with us about his work with the Young life Ministry.  YL is not associated specifically with any church,

In the YL club, young people get together and are encouraged to have club time. Young people play games, learn and perform plays from the bible such as the story of Good Samaritan,
Teach English, play drama from the bible such as the Good Samaritans, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lions etc.
Andrew informed us that YL programs in Los Angeles have helped many young people and transformed their lives in his city. Having personally experienced the benefits of the YL program, Andrew was very excited when he learned that there would be a Yong Life program starting in China.  He recently quit his job in the U.S. and will work in the YL program there soon.

2. Project Shine  - Charles shared his experience with Project Shine. It is a project  which takes North American young people to China to teach English there for two weeks in the summer. Charles shared with us the impact Project Shine has on its participants and others directly and indirectly involved with it.

Impact on students - After leading a team and spending two weeks teaching high school students in China, some wrote him letters telling that his team gave them hope, open their eyes to their future. Tough these students had been studying hard, they asked themselves why and for what. Some even contemplated suicide, but the Project Shine team's presence changed their lives.

Impact on faculty members - A government officer was embedded with the team. Since her English was very excellent, she experienced, planned and taught with the Project Shine team.
After working and obsrving the team in action for 2 weeks, she asked Charles if he was a Christian and if she could join him in the Sunday Service..

Impact on the local church - Chalres went to visit a local church. When he walked into the church he felt the holy spirit. It was an example of the early church, with little resources. Church members memorized bible scriptures,and bonded together well with the team.

Impact on the police officer - Charles was walking out of the gate of the school one day after class. The police officer guarding the school came running towards Charles, shook hands and welcome Charles back to the school the second year he went back to China.  Though the police officer did not know Charles before, observing what the Project Shine and he was doing, he was touched.

Charles concluded that the work they did in China was not huge but its impact was significant on many people at different levels. Project Shine touched a lot of students and many others in the community.

Melvin shared with us a site for free Christian counselling for students who need help:

skyyin.org

Many people are involved in charitable work in Canada and many other parts of the world, Sometimes we wonder if what we do makes any difference at all..  Listening to sharing by our co- workers gave us a resounding yes and encourage us to keep doing what we can to make others' lives a bit brighter!

R.T.
International Conference
Squamish, British Columbia