ELCA Youth Help Clean up Shelter for Homeless People

EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. (ELCA) -- Youth from two congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. John Lutheran Church, Eustis, Neb., and Trinity Lutheran Church, Lewisburg, Ohio, helped clean up the New Life Evangelistic Center's Free Store and shelter here June 29, as a "servant opportunity" at the ELCA Youth Gathering.
The ELCA Youth Gathering "Dancing at the Cross Roads" is meeting at the America's Center in St. Louis June 28-July 2 and July 5-9. The two events bring together some 40,000 Lutheran youth of high school age, who are engaging in worship, Bible study, learning, community service and fun.
The participants painted and scraped walls and picked up trash during their time at the shelter.
Dave Bean, St. John, church council and the youth committee member, was excited for his group. "The kids have been working all year long doing mission work like lawn mowing, road work and helping the elderly. They've been practicing all year long to help people," Bean said.
Leslie Howley, Trinity, accompanied her daughter. She said that for many teenagers, service opportunities can open their eyes to other people and what is going on around them.
Steve LeBlanc, volunteer at New Life Evangelistic Center, was appreciative of the youths' efforts.
"These kids coming out here and helping us out shows that service work can help break barriers," LeBlanc said. "For kids from Nebraska and Ohio to come and do service in a city that is one of the poorest in the nation is great."
Claudia Harper, ministry assistant at the center, agreed. "These kids are a blessing from God," she said. This means a lot to the women who stay here and the people who shop here, she said.
The youth themselves seemed fulfilled.
Andrew Lehman, Trinity, said the group felt good about serving other people.
"It gives me some culture shock, coming from a town of 450," said Logan Bean, St. John. "We're glad to help those who need it," he said.

[*Michael Hoffman is a junior at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan. This
summer he is an intern with ELCA News and Information.]

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html

Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 14:33:23 -0500
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<ELCANEWS@LISTSERV.ELCA.ORG> From: News News <news@elca.org> Subject: ELCA Youth Hear There Are No 'Strangers' with God Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Title: ELCA Youth Hear There Are No 'Strangers' with God
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 1, 2000

ELCA YOUTH HEAR THERE ARE NO 'STRANGERS' WITH GOD
00-YG08-FI

ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- "I greet the Christ within you," Sunitha Mortha told 22,000 teen-age Lutherans gathered June 30 for a morning Bible study in the Trans World Dome here. "Dancing with the Stranger" was the theme of the program filled with music, dancing and Mortha's message.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Youth Gathering is meeting here June 28-July 2 and July 5-9. The two events bring together some 40,000 Lutheran youth of high school age who are engaging in worship, Bible study, learning, community service and fun.
Mortha pointed out many of the cultural differences between India, where she was born and raised, and the United States, where she is studying cross-cultural ministry at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Women dress differently; dancing is an artistic expression in India; and most people in India do not date because their marriages are arranged by their parents, she said.
In spite of cultural differences, Mortha said young people in both cultures share common emotions. "We laugh at some of the same things, and we cry at some of the same things," she said. "We each ask, 'Am I beautiful?'"
In India, Mortha said, people with lighter skin are considered more beautiful than those with darker skin. "I'd like to tell you my story as a dark-skinned woman in India," she said. "It made me feel like a stranger in my own country."
While she was a girl, she would often hear people ask her parents, "How are you ever going to find a husband for that girl?"
"Each time I heard the words 'black' or 'dark,' I got darker inside," she said. Mortha would feel smaller and smaller, until "all they saw was a black dot."
Frightened and humiliated by the opinions of others, Mortha's father lifted her from her gloom by telling her she was beautiful. "When I looked into my father's eyes, I knew he was telling me the truth," she said.
"Every time we look at the cross, God is telling us He loves us and that is why He sent us His Son," said Mortha. "God looks into your eyes and tells you, 'You are beautiful. You are loved.'"
God's love is not based on a person's appearance, said Mortha. "It is a free gift from my God to me," she said. "No one can take it away from me."
Mortha gave the gathering a demonstration of semi-classical Indian dance. "Dancing is an expression of my joy," she said. "Even though I was a black dot, I would find joy and dance."
The program included two songs which were commissioned especially for the gathering. Todd Zielinski and Well of Hope, Charlotte, N.C., performed "Dance of Life." Dakota Road, based in Sioux Falls, S.D., presented "All Are Welcome."
Ken Medema, San Francisco, and James Ward, Chattanooga, Tenn., directed the musical portion of the program. April M. Barfield, Inglewood, Calif.; Becky Gulsvig, Moorhead, Minn.; and David Scherer, Minneapolis, were masters of ceremony.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html