YOUNG ADULT SERVICE CORPS
Personal Reflections from Current Missionaries
When asked to reflect on my past year serving as a missionary in Hong Kong , I find it hard to express how transformative this experience has been . It has been a time of personal growth that has reshaped my idea of what it means to be part of the Body of Christ . When you answer the call to be a missionary , you are asked what gifts you have that can be shared with others . But what I have come to learn is that the gifts and knowledge I have received from others far surpass what I have given in return . This might come off as selfish , but I see it as a sign of success in the communion Jesus has shared with every one of us .
My journey with the Young Adult Service Corps ( YASC ) began as I was questioning the next step after finishing my undergraduate degree . During my summers as a college student , I grew very passionate about the work of The Episcopal Church and the relationships that can be created as a summer camp counselor at Shrine Mont . Like any typical International Affairs major , I yearned for something that would push me out of my comfort zone and allow me to explore the world . With my experience working at Shrine Mont as a camp counselor and my dream to travel to far , exotic places , YASC seemed like the perfect fit .
Through a discernment process , YASC chose to send me to Hong Kong to work as the Chaplin ’ s assistant with the Mission to Seafarers , a program that operates in over 200 ports in over 50 countries to provide practical , emotional and spiritual support to seafarers operating large container ships . Before arriving in Hong Kong ,, I had little knowledge of how the maritime shipping industry operates , or how seafarers are treated . Over the past year , I have learned about the sacrifices seafarers make in order for our global economy to operate , and
ANDY CAMERON
how important it is to support them . The conversations I ’ ve had with seafarers have made my work so rewarding . While language and cultural barriers can be obstacles , once I find something that we can both relate to , seafarers tend to open up . I ’ ve learned about their difficulties being away from family , how they struggle with their work and how they can be very lonely . These are all the same struggles that I have had as a missionary on the other side of the world , away from my friends and family . There is something very humbling in finding that others have faced similar challenges . While I am not trying to say my struggles are equal to what seafarers have to face every day , I do think there is something we can all learn from sharing our experiences .
It would be easy for me to visit ships every day , feel bad about the seafarers ’ living conditions , try to help , and then return home to my bed feeling fulfilled in my work . But that ’ s not what it means to be a missionary . Being a missionary means sharing God ’ s love and creating connections with others and the world around us . While it is important to support others when we can , I believe it is more important to learn each other ’ s stories so that we can gain a better understanding of why we are all here . We are all part of the Body of Christ . While we may have different beliefs and practices , we will always be able to find common ground if we are patient and willing to hear each other ’ s stories .
I don ’ t think I will be able to process how YASC and my work in Hong Kong have changed my spiritual journey with Christ until I am home and removed from my current environment and work . What I do know is that I have learned how to stop
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