Ngu Wah, Beatrice and Sina, three young women from Myanmar, Sudan and Germany participating in the WCC internship programme 2007, share their first impressions of this intercultural experience and tell you about their background and their visions for the church.
All: When we first met, we found out it wasn’t that difficult for us to communicate and to help each other. Coming from different continents though, we also face some difficulties. Therefore, we are seeking to discover what the visible unity of humankind and church is practically. During our first month, we visited local churches from our three denominations together. It was a great experience and challenged us to accept our differences. We have also taken part in worship with other organisations here in the Ecumenical Centre. Sometimes, we have lunch with colleagues and learn from them about their work. All of these experiences build our minds and concept towards ecumenism.
Ngu Wah: In my home country, I actively participate in ‘Kyi Myin Dine Baptist Church’. I served as treasurer, group-leader, secretary on youth, Sunday school teacher from 1997 to 2006 and youth executive member in the Myanmar Baptist Churches Union and the national YMCA from 2002 to 2006. Together with ecumenical brothers and sisters, I helped villagers to build and repair roads and churches, educated poor children and took care of the old and weak people in remote areas of Myanmar.
Beatrice: My church is called ‘All Saints` Cathedral’ in Khartoum. I am a choir mistress and a secretor of the drama group. As part of the youth network, I really enjoy my work with young people who love to serve the lord with all their hearts. It even encourages me more to be in God’s mission in Sudan. Every year we prepare several events for our youth activities, like annual celebration of the Drama group, Ladies Group, Discipleship Group, Youth Fellowship, Praising Concert and Christmas Carol. We also have youth and sunday school conferences that take place every year.
Sina: I worked in different groups with and for the church. But my faith was mostly shaped by the experiences I have made in Africa when I worked, among other things, for a Catholic diocese on HIV/AIDS issues. Since then I also participated in an ‘Ecumenical Leadership Training’ for young adults, offered by the ‘United Evangelical Mission’ in Germany.
Beatrice: I thank God for giving me this opportunity as a WCC Intern, especially as a ‘Southerner’ from the southern region of Sudan. Working on spirituality and worship in an ecumenical context is what we need to learn and have workshops to teach young people how to work together as one church in Christ. I hope that with this chance it may open more opportunities for the young people of Sudan.
Sina: Due to my previous experiences I am attracted to work with people from different countries and cultures. I also hope to see and understand what churches worldwide can do together to achieve justice and equality. At the same time I want to see this internship as a ‘year of learning’ in order to discover and renew my faith by paying attention to my own and to other people’s spirituality.
Ngu Wah: I’ve always been interested in working for an organisation such as the WCC that responds with compassion and effective practical action when people are suffering and that works towards Christian unity.
Sina: My working hours are divided 50% with the visitors’ programme and 50% with the projects on HIV & AIDS issues. For instance, I spent some time working on the ‘Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa’ (EHAIA) programme, which works with regional offices in Africa for an ‘AIDS competent church’. In the visitors’ programme, I am in contact with people who would like to visit the WCC and other organisations based in the Ecumenical Centre here in Geneva. This entails preparing an interesting programme for each group or individual.
Ngu Wah: I work closely under the leadership of William Temu in the directorate of Finance Services and Administration (FSA). I have had practical hands on experience in the following teams under FSA: accounting and treasury and human resources. I have learnt a lot about management, organisational stewardship and the work of the WCC and related organisations in the Ecumenical Centre.
Beatrice: I am working with the programme 'Unity, Mission, Evangelism and Spirituality'. Within this programme, there are different projects and activities. Our team project is called Spirituality and worship in ecumenical context. Part of our activities is to prepare worship for the executive committee meetings. My other task is to collect materials for the Week of prayer for Christian unity 2008. To facilitate my task, I research common books of prayers and books from the assembly meetings. I also write letters to churches and individuals to contribute with prayers, hymns, artwork and poems.
Ngu Wah: Today, Myanmar youth are more talented than ever before. They are strongly driven to pursue their education and work very hard. But the main barriers they face are lack of freedom of speech and expression. They have limited job opportunities. Many Myanmar youth migrate to ‘greener pastures’ outside the country to pursue a better education, life and job - even my close friends and cousins. I really miss those who live and work in foreign countries.
Beatrice: Generally in Africa, youth are the heart of every church. Back in my country despite political or social issues, we always seek to spread God’s word among his people. That’s why you find many young people are church members who dedicate themselves in Christian mission.
Sina: Many young adults struggle to reach a good status in society. We need a well-working social network and support that also allows us to ‘fail’ from time to time. The church could be one of those support backings.
Sina: Church gives space for youth and supports them. But also the youth see and use the given space and resources to act on local and international levels towards a mutual support between people.
Beatrice: At first it was difficult for me to understand how the WCC staff members work together to fulfil WCC’s vision - the call to be one church. Then I found out that the staff and the churches do not look to what separates them but more to what unites and encourage them to overcome their differences. Not only from a denominational perspective but also cultural and traditional dimensions. With such spirit we can make a difference and nourish our churches. That is why I am willing to share with young people back home.
Ngu Wah: I want to plant and nurture the ecumenical spirit within all children and seek to become an ecumenical mother and great-grandmother in Myanmar. The better they know each other, the better they live together and my love for the ecumenical spirit will never die.