By: Tochukwu, Youth Ministry Intern
It has been a sincere pleasure and opportunity to be returning back to East Toronto Chinese Baptist Church and serving again as the Youth Ministry Intern. I served as the Youth ministry intern in the summer of 2018, and I can say with a great deal of confidence that it was one of the most fun-filled, eye-opening, relationship-building experiences that I ever had. In addition to all the excitement, were the lessons learned at the end of the program. My greatest takeaway from last year’s internship was the importance of service to the community. I never fully comprehended the impact of our service to the community until I returned this year and met the same faces I worked with last year, with the same spring in their steps and eagerness to play a small but vital role in the community.
Unfortunately, this year, due to some of the cuts by the Provincial government, some of the numerous programs I participated in last year have either been eliminated or drastically reduced. The Toronto City Missions Sonshine Camp happened to be one of my major highlights from last summer. However, there are still numerous daily activities, Tasks, and projects for this year that will keep us busy both within the church and around the community. Working with the youth last year was also a joy for me. Working with youth, I have discovered, is a way that keeps me young and curious. There are additional programs planned for the Church youth that I am so glad and fortunate to be directly involved with. At the end of the program, I expect to take a look back at the two months that I would have spent with the Church and around the community, and know that I alongside my Co-interns have played a role and had an impact in the lives of the children, youth and members of the community that we shall be working with.