Local student chosen as GBGM summer intern June 8

United Methodist News Service
New York—Anna K. Troy of the Southwest Texas is one of 15 young people who will live and service in United Methodist community centers, churches and institutions across the United States.
Interns gathered in New York City during the first week of June to meet and learn about the wide range of work of the General Board of Global Ministries. The summer interns set off June 8 for their 10-week assignments around the United States.
“They’re coming from diverse parts of the country and are going to diverse parts of the country,” said the Rev. Edith Gleaves, leader of the Mission Personnel area for GBGM. “We’re excited about the gifts and graces they bring and the opportunities to engage their faith in mission service—witnessing for peace, justice, and in the name and love of Christ.”
Troy will work alongside Meredith Faggart with the Cherokee children’s ministries and the volunteers who come to Cookson Hills Center United Methodist Mission in Cookson, Okla.
“The goal for the summer interns is to be able to engage their faith by addressing social injustices and to witness The United Methodist Church living out its creed of seeking justice, freedom and peace with those who’ve been marginalized,” said Alycia Capone, a young missionary who works in the office for youth and young adult missionaries.
The mission agency, Gleaves said, is excited about this class of interns, the first since 2000. At that time, the mission board changed its priorities to longer-term mission opportunities for young people, such as reviving the mission intern program. Mission interns split their three-year commitment between national and international United Methodist mission and social justice service.
Summer interns are between the ages of 18 to 25. They have completed at least one year of higher education. In exchange for their short-term mission service, they receive a $1,000 stipend, the cost for travel to and from their place of assignment and room and board. They will return to New York City the first week in August to debrief on the adventures of their summer in service.
Throughout United Methodism and other Christian denominations, short-term mission trips have enabled young people from one culture to learn alongside people of another culture.
For information on supporting a young adult missionary through GBGM, visit http://gbgm-umc.org. To see where you could become a mission volunteer, visit http://missionvolunteers.org.