{"id":3348,"date":"2018-08-03T14:30:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-03T20:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/disasterresponse\/?p=3348"},"modified":"2018-08-03T13:17:10","modified_gmt":"2018-08-03T19:17:10","slug":"the-youth-gathering-dans-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/disasterresponse\/the-youth-gathering-dans-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"The Youth Gathering: Dan’s Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"

ELCA Youth Gathering:\u00a0 Reflections from a volunteer<\/h3>\n

Before my arrival in Houston, my\u00a0plans for attending the Youth Gathering were minimal.\u00a0 I came to Houston to take some long overdue vacation time and I only really planned to\u00a0go to the convention center on the day before the hall opened to help my wife Marie Anne Sliwinski\u00a0(ELCA Program Director, Disaster Response and Sustainable Development) with her Lutheran Disaster Response\/AMMPARO\u00a0booth and build a replica of a Rohingya refugee camp due to the my experience handling many proms and setups as\u00a0a school facility director.\u00a0 During the build that day, I worked mainly with Chandran Paul Martin (ELCA Regional Representative for Southeast Asia) and Joseph “Joe” Chu (Program Associate for Lutheran Disaster Response-US) and really started to learn more about the Rohingya\u00a0 camp and the perils that go with it. I could not believe that the situation was that dire with over 700,000 refugees crammed into about 5 square miles of space with minimal water and resources to survive.\u00a0 It is unfathomable to think that the UN is referring to it as ethnic cleansing and investigating that it could also be considered genocide; terms used during World War II.<\/p>\n

As everyone gathered at the end of the night, it was determined that there may not be enough volunteers to help with the booth the next day.\u00a0 Always being one that wants to help out and knowing “the show must go on,”\u00a0 I threw my hat into the ring and became one of the 2-3 revolving presenters in the refugee camp section of the LDR exhibit each day of the event.\u00a0 Chandran’s wealth of experience from visiting the camp allowed him to give me a sample of how the tour should look.\u00a0 My first few tours through our model camp\u00a0were\u00a0a little rocky as I had very minimal background in this topic, but my past experiences as an educator as well as nightly research in my hotel room allowed me to improve and give each passing group a more informed and unique perspective than the previous ones.\u00a0 I ended up giving almost 50 tours through the camp and\u00a0the Rohingya refugee crisis has become a topic\u00a0that I follow on a weekly basis.<\/p>\n

For a gathering of youth,\u00a0I was very surprised that just about every group I walked through was very attentive and engaged in a time where a lot\u00a0of\u00a0children their age\u00a0will tune out and be glued to their phone.\u00a0 This speaks volumes about the foundation\u00a0of Lutheran values instilled in these young people.\u00a0 While not a Lutheran by faith,\u00a0 I now have an enhanced perspective of the religion, its mission,\u00a0and the\u00a0thousands of youth that will carry the\u00a0church for years to come.\u00a0 \u00a0Most vacations are about rest and relaxation.\u00a0 This one\u00a0became over 40 intense hours of learning and\u00a0teaching,\u00a0but one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in a long time.\u00a0 I look forward to possibly helping out in Minnesota in 3 years!<\/p>\n

Dan Sliwinski, ELCA Youth Gathering Volunteer with People on the Move: A Refugee and Migrant Experience.<\/h4>\n
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Be a part of the response:<\/em><\/h2>\n
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Pray<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Continue to pray for all those impacted by conflict and forced migration.<\/p>\n

Give<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Thanks to generous, undesignated donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe, including the Rohingya refugee crisis.\u00a0Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response<\/strong><\/a> will be used where there is the greatest need.<\/p>\n

Connect<\/strong><\/h4>\n

To learn more about global migration and what Lutheran Disaster Response is doing:<\/p>\n