Editor's note: This is a letter from the executive director of the General Assembly Mission Council, Linda Valentine.

A national television audience learned this week what many of us have known for a long time — our Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program changes lives. One of our recently returned YAVs, Shelvis Smith-Mather, shared his inspiring story during a CNN interview Sunday morning (watch it here). He told CNN that his faith was strengthened by seeing the African church at work in the face of poverty, conflict and other pressing problems. “It’s important to know that in the midst of the tragedy there’s a whole lot of hope,” he said. “There are a number of people who are doing amazing work for God there and engaging in these issues, and that’s encouraging.”

Shelvis was ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in July 2008. Not long after his ordination he and his wife, Nancy, who is also a PC(USA) minister, went to Kenya through the YAV program. While in Kenya, Shelvis contributed to and edited a contextual Bible study manual aimed at fostering discussion around four critical issues — ethnicity, politics, land and religion. These issues are the source of much conflict in the Horn of Africa and the continent’s Great Lakes region. The manual includes a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“My hope in going was to see how the church was working globally, to see how the church is engaging issues, and to learn and grow,” Shelvis said on CNN. His experience of learning, growing and seeing the church engage issues is repeated over and over again in the lives of our Young Adult Volunteers. They are between the ages of 19 and 30 and commit to serve for one academic year in communities of need in the United States or abroad. This experience can inspire a lifetime of service to the church in a church-related vocation or as a lay leader.

I had tje opportunity to meet Shelvis when he was a worship leader along with YAV leader in Kenya, mission co-worker Phyllis Byrd, at the All-African Conference of Churches in Mozambique in December 2008. Several hundred people were spellbound as Shelvis sang "There is a Balm in Gilead" a cappella in a deep, clear voice as he walked slowly down the center aisle from the back of the assembly hall. Shelvis spoke compellingly then of his experience as a YAV. How wonderful that he is able to share his witness in this widely broadcast interview.

My own daughter, Christie, was a YAV in San Antonio, Texas, last year, working with refugees resettling in the United States. She, too, testifies to this being a transformative experience, and she has many stories to share about lives so unlike her own, yet so inspiring in their hope and determination.

YAV applications are being accepted for the 2010–2011 year until January 20. I believe that growing this program can help us meet our goal of growing God’s church deep and wide. It enriches the lives of the volunteers, the lives of the communities where they serve and the life of our church. Please invite young adults you know to visit the YAV website and consider this life-changing opportunity.

Linda

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