Karl and Kendra Heimbuck
YAVs in Northern Ireland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Blog: www.belfastbulletin.blogspot.com
Karl and Kendra Heimbuck are from Laramie, WY. They have been active members of the Laramie United Presbyterian Church for the past six years and have been involved in youth and college ministry. They will be serving their YAV year in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Kendra will be serving with Whitehouse Presbyterian Church, which is situated between areas identified with Loyalist and Republican factions in North Belfast. Whitehouse engages in cross-community work with those areas. Her role will include youth ministry (including Youth Fellowship, leadership of Boy’s/Girl’s Brigade groups and plenty of recreation), contact with a cross-community project for older adults, assisting with worship and pastoral visiting, and linking with schools in the area.
Karl will be developing a new YAV link with Woodvale Methodist Church off the Shankill Road in West Belfast. Woodvale is a small, largely older congregation going through a time of revitalization. They have a drum kit, but no drummer – cue Karl! He will also have opportunities to engage in some outreach with at risk youth and support work in local schools. He will also be serving with The 174 Trust, operating a community and youth center in a low-income Nationalist area of North Belfast. This work will include supervising soccer sessions, assisting with an after-schools club, and potentially working with a joint club for physically-handicapped and able-bodied.
Karl and Kendra are very excited about their service opportunities, especially the chances to continue their work with youth. They are also very anxious about the new types of service in front of them. As with any new experience, they are naturally a little nervous about working in these roles, but are open to God’s call and the opportunity to push them past what they “know.”
The Young Adult Volunteer program is a year-long service program for young adults between ages 19 and 30. Read more about the YAV program here