Twenty-three from across the Mesoamerica Region joined youth from across the globe at the event Third Wave, held Jan. 8-13 in Hyderabad, India.
The event is focused on leadership development for emerging leaders from every field in the Church of the Nazarene. Every four years youth leaders meet and connect across cultural lines for training, fellowship and collaboration. They also have a chance to develop their leadership in a global setting.
The event focused on the core strategies of NYI: Be (evangelism), Do (discipleship) Go (leadership development). They addressed other themes, including Coaching in Youth Ministry, led by Dr. Milton Gay, who serves as the Mesoamerica Regional NYI Coordinator. They also had a significant focus on Creative Access areas.
The Regional NYI Council shared with the other representatives from Mesoamerica their commitment to accompany each of them in their ministerial development. “They have been challenged to serve the youth in their contexts in the coming years,” said Odily Diaz, who serves on the Mesoamerica Regional NYI Council.
The youth representatives came from: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica.
Matheo Cañas from El Salvador, Daniela Solano from Costa Rica, and Yesica Franco from the Dominican Republic also participated in a mission time in Delhi.
“It was not easy for any of the 23 (participants) to make it to this event. They literally needed to travel to the other side of the world, but we confirm through every testimony that when God calls us, he provides what we need. Now everyone returns home and we trust that the Word and the call will be visible in every one of them,” added Diaz. She also thanked everyone who, in one way or another, helped the participants attend the event. She encourages the church to continue to pray for every young leader.
We will share testimonies from our Third Wave 2019 representatives in the coming days.
Source: Odily Diaz, Youth Ministry Academy Administrator