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Bolivia
In August 2007 Hull YFC organised our first overseas mission trip for local teenagers aged 17-19 to go to Bolivia in South America. The team volunteered with an organisation working with homeless children living on the streets. The team spent time on the streets, engaging the children and young people, establishing relationships, meeting basic needs but also encouraging them to leave the streets to live in two rehabilitation homes. The team also worked in these homes by organising and leading activities in the young people's 'free time' and helping them with school work and their practical chores. Our team also repaired and re-varnished 30 of the bunk-beds in one of the homes and gave them new mattresses to help improve the quality of life.
The aims of the trip were:
- To give the young people the opportunity to help some of the world's most neglected and deprived individuals.
- To broaden the young people's horizons as they experience being on the other side of the world, immersed in a very different culture.
- To give the young people the opportunity to encounter those facing extreme hardship so that they, in turn, would gain a fresh perspective on their own struggles and those of their community. We hoped that they could then return and not only change their lives but also be a positive influence in their community.
- To offer the chance to experience God's love in action. We hoped that they would be challenged by seeing Christians expressing God's love and hope for everyone of us, but especially for those who have absolutely nothing.
The 2007 trip was an incredible experience for everyone involved. It was exciting to witness the change in the characters and outlook on life of those who took part.
Originally we assumed that the trip would be a 'one-off' experience; due to the expense and huge preparations needed. We also were not convinced that, for the majority of the group who would be returning, there would be much to be gained from repeating the same experience. However, upon reflection and from conversations with the young people, it became apparent that the biggest challenge on the trip was acclimatising to Bolivia; adjusting to the foreign landscape, language, people and customs. Coming to terms with this culture shock monopolised all of their thinking and meant that they weren't able to consider in depth many of the other social issues they were confronted with.
Therefore in August 2008, we returned to Bolivia with a group mainly made up of those who went in the previous year, but also with two new young people.
Hull Daily Mail wrote articles before and after the 2007 trip. To read the article published once the team returned click on the link below:
To see a review of the 2008 trip, including testomonies of two of the young people who took part, click on the link below:
Click here to view Hull YFC's other work taking place on the Boulevard
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