Friday, July 04, 2008

Palau #4 - Youth Ministry

One of the two PIBC missions teams for this summer was sent to Palau to do a month of youth ministry (the other team is doing university evangelism in Thailand) led by PIBC faculty member and Liebenzell missionary Ned Farnsworth. They have been working together with an "Impact Team" from Liebenzell Mission Germany. During the month of June they have been traveling around the villages of Palau leading children's and youth ministry. Groups have ranged from just a few kids to about 60. It has been a great cross-cultural experience for everyone as our PIBC students have an opportunity to work with the German team. The Impact Team also shared that they have learned a lot from the PIBC students. I think the future of missions will be based on this kind of Western-Nonwestern cooperation.

Joyce's main role in the Gospel Days was to work with these teams during the week-long Gospel Days in Koror and to do some training of children's workers. I heard that the leader of the German team told his people that they really needed to listen to this American lady because she knows a lot about kid's ministry (sorry, you have to permit me to brag a little about my wife!) and can teach them a lot. She has so much fun with the kids that it is pretty much impossible to drag her away. It is especially gratifying to do ministry with our current PIBC students and our former students from Palau. In the picture Joyce and Elilai (3rd year PIBC student) are teaching the motions to an action song.







A lot of ministry in Micronesia is done before and after the program (I think this is really true everywhere) as the leaders take time to talk and get to know the kids. We do a lot of ministry here by "hanging around" or as we ride the bus with the other workers as pictured below. As we go beyond the program and get to know the young people, not only do we get to share Christ with them but as Paul says "our very lives." Of course the other benefit is that we make new friends who contribute a lot to our lives. You know, overall, we really do enjoy living and ministering in Micronesia.

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