THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 21, 1994 TAG: 9407200174
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TRUDY CUTHRELL, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
AS THE HAZY, lazy days of summer roll toward August, five local teens and two adults are packing up for a whirlwind excursion to Germany as youth ambassadors for the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Meredith Darden, Jennifer Jones, Jenny McGahee and Miki Parker, all 15 and Suffolk residents, are members of the Suffolk Christian Church.
Nelva Boone, 15, of Suffolk, attends the Corinth Chapel United Church of Christ in Suffolk.
Two other Suffolk residents, the Rev. Diane Snowa, a minister with the United Church of Christ, and Aubrey Smith, a member of Suffolk Christian Church, will serve as chaperones.
Last year, German youths traveled to the United States, visiting the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ.
The Suffolk group will begin their exchange trip to Germany Sunday, when they rendezvous in Atlanta with another group of 11 teens and two adults from Greensboro, N.C.
The Virginia and North Carolina groups will be together for orientation and the flight to Frankfort, Germany.
When they arrive, the U.S. contingent will travel by bus to a retreat at the picturesque youth hostel, ``Malteserhof,'' near Bonn.
There German and American youths will enjoy educational opportunities and a chance for cultural exchange in a weeklong summer camp atmosphere.
From July 30 to Aug. 4, the German and American groups will be in Berlin for a week of sightseeing. They will stay in a youth hostel sponsored by the German Senate.
On the last leg of their visit, the American youths will be adopted for the week of August 4-11 by the families of German exchange students who came to America in 1993.
During that week, the Americans will learn German customs and, hopefully, form cross-cultural friendships. On Aug. 11, they will begin the long journey home.
The exchange program dates to 1980, when the Evangelical Church of the Union in both the German Democratic Republic and the Federal German Republic proposed ``Full Communion,'' a covenant in mission and faith, to the United Church of Christ.
In 1981, the United Church of Christ agreed.
Jennifer Jones gave up a week of field hockey camp to take part in this year's exchange.
``Now I'm really getting excited,'' Jennifer said. ``I realize it's the chance of a lifetime.''
Meredith Darden, who hasn't traveled further than Massachusetts, is nervous about leaving the country.
``But I'm interested in learning about the German culture and the way they live their everyday lives,'' Meredith said.
Jenny McGahee is also eager to learn about the German culture and religion.
``I'm excited about sharing, to see the things we do different and those we do the same,'' Jenny said.
When Nelva Boone's pastor first told her about the trip, she thought, ``Across all that water?''
But after some serious thought, she decided she was interested.
``I think we can make a closer bond with the Germans as we talk about the Bible and how they understand it and how we understand it,'' Nelva said. ``Our Christian faith will tie us together.''
Since January, the Suffolk delegation has been busily preparing for the mission.
They raised the necessary $1,000 per person through a variety of fund-raisers.
On June 11, the group traveled to Catawba College in Salisbury. N.C., where they were ``commissioned'' by Southern Conference Minister Rawling Russell as part of the closing ceremony of the Southern Conference's annual meeting.
Another meeting in Henderson, N.C., gave the Virginia and North Carolina groups an opportunity to get acquainted and form friendships before their overseas trek.
When Miki Parker first heard about the trip, she was thrilled.
``But then it seemed unreal that this was happening,'' Miki said. ``I hope to bring home a knowledge of the German culture and to share with them how we do things in America.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by FRANK ROBERTS
Nelva Boone, Meredith Darden, Jennifer Jones, Miki Parker and Jenny
McGahee will go to Germany on a cultural exchange program sponsored
by the United Church of Christ.
by CNB