ELCA’S YOUNG ADULTS IN GLOBAL MISSION PROGRAM ATTRACTS ALUMNI AS IT REDEFINES COMMUNITY SERVICE.
BY LEIGH HALL ’13
For Kelly Mack ’13, holding hands with strangers was a normal part of her daily commute.
“Every morning when I walk to work, I always seem to run into a mother or
gogo (grandma) walking with her child to the crèche,” she blogged during her
year in Limpopo, South Africa, where she volunteered at the local youth center.
“When we cross paths, I watch as they take their child off of their back or let go of their tiny fingers and then I know that it is my turn. This simple action says to me, ‘I recognize that you are a part of this community now, and I trust you with my child – the same way that I trust the people of Masealama.’ The next thing I know, the little child’s hand has slipped into mine, and we are on our merry way.”
Reflecting Wittenberg’s Lutheran heritage and mission-driven call to serve, young alumni like Mack annually embrace the opportunity to walk alongside global companions through the Evangelical Lutheran Church In America’s (ELCA) Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) Program. During a year of international service, volunteers work and live in the spirit of accompaniment and in a manner that practices mutuality, interdependence, and solidarity, focusing on the people at the heart of service and the community at the heart of the experience.
“While there is value in direct service, there is also something so much more rewarding when you are intentional about getting to know the people around you,” Mack, a psychology major from Park Ridge, Ill., says. “These deep relationships have inspired me and taught me the importance of taking the time to listen to people and understand who they are on a deeper level.”
Through YAGM, volunteers build deep relationships and community around the world. While Mack learned about the strength of communities led by African women, Katharine Ritzi ’13 chose “to live intentionally in God’s community” in London, England.
“There is a notion that in order to serve globally, you have to seek out the third world countries. But I learned how God is already at work in every corner of the world and that there is no correct location of mission,” Ritzi, a psychology major and sociology minor from Beavercreek, Ohio, says. “I encourage students to consider stepping outside their comfort zones to discover the importance of slowing down to walk side by side in mutuality with another person. YAGM teaches us about the power of service in relation to the stories we all carry as individuals, connecting us to the greater love of humanity.”
No matter where they’re placed, many alumni volunteers feel that they get more from the experience than they give.
“This is an incredible opportunity to live and work side by side with people from totally different cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs – and to learn from them,” explains Zachary Stewart ’11, a history major and education minor from Vincennes, Ind., who spent a year in Mahajanga, Madagascar. “This program completely changed my outlook on missionaries and made me realize how awesome service can be, even with its challenges.”
Despite the challenges of global citizenship, YAGM continues to be a popular program for Wittenberg alumni as collaboration among the campus community equips them with the skills and confidence to join and impact the world in which they live.
“From coursework, community service opportunities and service-learning trips to special mentoring relationships with faculty and staff and community engagement both on and off campus, Wittenberg fosters in students a strong sense of calling to make a positive difference in the world, to live in the communities where they serve and to build bridges across nations and communities,”
Matevia Endowed University Pastor Rachel Tune says. “These alumni often return with stories of how they grew, what they learned and how their faith grew. For some, the program has become the launch of their careers.”
That certainly was the case for Andrew Steele ’10, whose course in life was changed forever following a summerlong trip to the South African Kingdom of Lesotho.
“After serving in Lesotho with Dr. Scott Rosenberg in 2009, my life took on a whole new path. I felt that my direction in life was about to have purpose, something that Wittenberg allowed for and nurtured,” Steele recalls, reflecting on what motivated him and several classmates to launch BLOOM Africa, a nonprofit that works to strengthen African communities. Even as BLOOM gained momentum, Steele still felt that he needed to be in Africa.
“I knew I wanted to pursue service after graduation,” Steele says. “I talked with my parents, who are both ELCA pastors, and they told me about the ELCA’s Young Adult in Global Mission program.”
After graduating with a major in sociology and minors in business, Africana studies, and urban studies, Steele left his home in Moorsetown, N.J., for Bloemfontein, Africa, where he worked at an orphanage, a homeless shelter and a daycare center.
“I walked hand in hand with my family and those I was serving, and fell in love with the Southern African way of life of Ubuntu, which means ‘I am because we are.’ I never before witnessed so many selfless acts of kindness and generosity, and my heart was constantly full. My host family, the Monamas, allowed me to explore my faith, discern my future and ask questions about the harsh past of Apartheid in South Africa. I never imagined I’d learn so much,” Steele explains.
“Wittenberg helped me discover myself, and YAGM helped me discover my calling. As time progressed, I began to see how my presence here impacted those around me – I began to see how accompaniment was a powerful tool and a way to break down cultural barriers.”
Following his year of service, Steele began working as a major gift officer in the development field for non-profits. Today, he works from the ELCA headquarters in Chicago as the Manager of Donor Relations for the Campaign for the ELCA, a five-year $200 million campaign that includes raising funds to grow the YAGM program.
“Having come full circle, I now have the chance to quite literally pass it on to others and make a lasting impact in the program that changed my life,” Steele says. “YAGM allows for intentional vocational discernment and gives you the opportunity to challenge and be challenged, to develop as a servant leader, and to see the world through a new lens. Being vulnerable in a foreign land is not a bad thing; it strengthens your resolve and shows you the importance of faith and community. Returning as a more globally formed and informed person has no downfalls, and will make you someone whose experiences set you apart and whose spirit is alive.”