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Youth-to-Youth links the hearts of young people
In 1999, the ELCA Virginia Synod began a
program called "Youth-to-Youth Projects." The goal has been to
connect Virginia Synod youth of junior and senior high school age to
brothers and sisters around the world so that they might both learn and
about their situations and make contributions for support.
 Since that time several projects have been
undertaken. These include a constructing a grain mill at the Agape
Lutheran Junior Seminary (high school) in the Kilimanjaro region of
Tanzania; funding for the digging of wells and the purchase of solar
pumping equipment for the St. Barnabas Agricultural School in Haiti; and a
current project, called the "PNG Boat Project," which seeks to
raise $28,000 for the purchase of four fishing boats and fishing and
safety equipment for the use by youth of the Islands District of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG).
 The rebuilding of Martin Luther Seminary
Elementary School was one of these projects. This came after the Virginia
Synod youth heard that the Papua New Guinean government was going to close
the school if the toilet block and classroom facilities were not upgraded.
"When Virginia Synod youth were asked
to help the young people of Papua New Guinea save their school, there was
an immediate and positive response," said the Rev. Dwayne Westermann,
pastor of College Evangelical Lutheran
 Church in Salem, Virginia, and
synod Youth to Youth Projects Coordinator. "Youth groups from all over
our synod set to work raising funds to rebuild the MLS Elementary
School." This was achieved through car washes, congregational
appeals, youth giving a part of their allowances, fund raisers of various
sorts. "These made it possible for us to raise the $25,000 that made
the rebuilding of the school a possibility," said Westermann.
Dozens of letters have been received from
the children who attend the MLS Elementary School. "They are
decorated with drawings of the new school and express their enthusiastic
thanks." According to Westermann, these letters,
 together with
pictures from the opening of the school have encouraged the synod youth to
take on their next project to assist other young people who may live in
circumstances much more difficult than their own.
As for youth in Virginia, "Fund
raising for the elementary school project in PNG helped me realize the
awesome ability we youth have to help others who need us. This is really a
big part of what the church should be all about," said Katie (Age
18).
The benefit to the young people of the
synod has been enormous. "Youth groups around the synod eagerly ask,
‘What will this year’s Youth-to-Youth Project be? Where in the world
do we get to help youth next?’" comments Westermann.
For more information about the Virginia
Synod Youth-to-Youth Projects, check www.vasynod.org
(click Youth-to-Youth). A video has also been distributed to all ELCA
synod offices. Additional copies of the video are available by e-mailing
Pr. Dwayne Westermann at
dwestermann3@home.com
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