Youth in Asia
I work part time at CCC with the youth ministry. I also have a much broader vision for ministering to TCKs across Asia. TCKs are Third Culture Kids - children who spent a significant part of their growing-up years in a foreign country. All the youth at CCC are TCKs. Beijing has a lot of resources for TCKs - youth staff and volunteers, regular youth groups and big annual events. Beijing is also a hub of financial and skill resources. For international churches and families serving in other places, there are far fewer resources. I travel regularly to south east Asia to build up ministry to TCKs in other places. In 2011 I visited international churches in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. My ministry is mostly funded by personal support.
A grant from CCC helped fund a two week ministry trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in January 2011. In this time I assisted a youth pastor there to run a 3-day high school camp for TCKs, serving as a worship leader and administrator. I led workshops on leading worship and singing attended by members of three international churches and two local churches. I ran worship and singing trainings for TCKs, and preached at two TCK youth groups. I also led worship at two international church services, leading a team of musicians from within the congregation. This was the first time this church had ever had a full band.
Another grant was used to help fund a retreat for TCK workers. This was the first of what will hopefully become an annual event. Grants subsidized the cost, so that the participants paid their travel to Bangkok, and some "tourist" expenses. Their transfer to the retreat (3 hours away), housing and food, was covered. 6 youth leaders working with 5 different international churches met together for fellowship, discussion, and retreat. There were times of meditation and prayer, and a series of discussions on the theme of preparing TCKs now for their long-term needs. One of the participants herself grew up as a TCK, and was very touched that youth leaders were taking the time to understand their TCK charges and prepare them for the uncertain futures they face. The exchange of ideas was beneficial to all, which each leader at some point exclaiming "That's a great idea! I want to try that!"
I returned to Phnom Penh in January of 2012 to help run EPIC, a conference for TCKs in south east Asia. This was also the first of what will hopefully become an annual event. CCC gave grants to help cover airfare costs for myself and two student leaders from Beijing to attend and help run the conference. 50 TCKs attended, coming from the Philippines, Thailand, and various parts of Cambodia. This was by far the largest gathering of TCKs to ever happen in Cambodia. the 3 day conference was a rousing success, an encouragement to students and leaders alike. Many students came who had never attended youth group, and kids came from isolated parts of the country where they have little access to youth ministry. Testimonies from the event can be found on the event website: http://epictck.com/testimonies