Young People's Division

Who doesn’t like to travel? Being in the YPD, you get to travel to a lot of different cities, states, and even countries. The YPD stands for Young People’s Division, it is an organization for young Christian missionaries from ages 2 to 26.This organization is not just about traveling, but more importantly,  it is about learning who God is and learning more about yourself.

We have mission projects. They are basically us providing for the less fortunate. Mission projects are very important, because it is giving back. I  think of mission projects as a way of being blessed by blessing others. One of our meetings was held in Dallas, Texas. While there, we had a pajama party. In order to get into the party, we had to bring a pair of pajamas and a book. This project was to help deal with the fact that some children are never read bedtime stories and maybe don't even own a pair of pajamas. Also, we went to a nursing home and sat with the elders to talk to them and sing hymns. It was a great experience. It made me feel good inside that I got to make someone smile, especially elders that live in that  type of environment. You can tell by their faces and by the way they kept thanking us that they enjoyed us and was thankful that we came. Every year we go away, we have to bring something whether it's soap, deodorant, or toys.

In Atlanta, we went to visit Martin Luther King’s grave site. This was very informational, and I really enjoyed my time at the grave site. We also went to the Ebenezer Baptist Church which is where Martin Luther King Jr. and Sr. preached. It felt good to be in the same place MLK once was. I felt like he was right there with me when we went in the church. Lastly, we had a moment of silence as we experienced visiting the Lorraine Motel where MLK was assassinated. This experience was a scary one. Before we arrived there, I really didn't know what to expect. I actually felt like at any moment there was going to be a shoot out. As I stood where Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, I honestly didn’t know how to feel. There was so many emotions flowing through my body but overall it was a nice museum.

My favorite place of all was Bermuda. In Bermuda, it was more of a fun trip than a church trip. We had a lot of free time to go sightseeing and do a lot of activities. Our usual annual meeting is just for the weekend. Friday night is opening service, Saturday morning is workshops then we have a couple hours of free time. We have a banquet on Saturday night and then we have a social which is just like a party. We have a closing service on Sunday morning. We stayed an extra day in Bermuda to do some fun activities. We had a clear bottom boat where you could see the fish and every other animal in the ocean. Also, there was jet skiing, zip lining and parasailing. I would love to go back to Bermuda and make many more memories. I really enjoyed my time in Bermuda.

The YPD is a great organization that teaches the young people of the AME church  how to please God and others by helping those who are less fortunate. It provides us the opportunity to travel, meet new people,  and have a good time while doing the work of missions. I am so glad that I am a part of this organization, and I am excited about what the future holds.