Sunday, January 18, 2009

Outreach Program: Center for Young Adults

This new year brings us some new responsibilities and opportunities. We started preparing for the Outreach Program or Center for Young Adults on Saturday the 10th by attending 5 hours of training on how to establish and run a center. It was very valuable training which was conducted by Elder & Sister Meng from the Area Office in Germany. We enjoyed a nice Chinese dinner afterwards with them and the Stake President, Jelmer De Jonge, and family. His wife Jennifer is an American and a Dutch returned missionary, and their children are bilingual. Last Thursday we had our first dinner for the Young Adults, prior to the Institute class. Which will now be a regular event. We will be at the Center (part of the Rotterdam North church building)on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 3 to 9 pm. On Monday evening we will have a family home evening. Friday night is activity night. The Young Adult Council plans the events and we coordinate them and staff the Center. This is the first Center in our mission. This program started in Germany and has been a huge success in Europe. We have heard some great stories from friends in Germany and Hungary about their programs. This program has become the greatest missionary tool in Europe. It provides a safe place for the young people, member and non-member, to gather and mingle. We are excited to be involved in it.

1 comment:

Gudgell said...

I am so glad you are up and running now. You will love this part of your mission. We were also trained by the Mengs. Our current CES couple are just getting ready to leave, and we will have a new one arriving in about five weeks. We join with them whenever we can, which is only when we teach a class for them, or attend a Fri night activity. Usually the Friday night activity is Waffle Night. They love it.

In Debrecen where we were the Outreach couple, there is now a member couple running it. We are out of their loop now. I think it is going well.

Happiness in this new venture!!

Sr. Gudgell