Jason recently returned from an international journey, witnessing firsthand how YMCAs across the globe positively affect this world. During his travels, Jason spent a week in Romania, seeing the sights, and working with YMCA staff and volunteers from YMCAs in Romania, Ukraine, Finland, Lebanon, and Thessaloniki. Then it was off to Germany to work with YMCA Europe, spending a few days in Berlin prior to participate in Campacity, the third annual camp capacity building conference held in PerspektivFabrik Camp near Brandenburg. Read more about Campacity.
A special thank you to the YMCA of Baia Mare, Romania for the invitation and hospitality.
About a Wall:
I’m standing at the base of a wall, on a field of grass just beginning to turn green with the spring. Winter’s chill blows through me pushing white fluffy clouds through the rays of the late afternoon sun. The sounds of a bustling city are muted by the hulking mass before me, creating a distinct feeling of isolation. The imposing grey concrete, crumbing with time and colored by graffiti, is now incomplete. This segment of the Berlin Wall is now only a memorial that can easily be walked around, and a reminder of a time when you couldn’t. When the Berlin Wall was fully in use, the concrete barrier included guard towers, and other defenses, built by the German Democratic Republic of East Berlin to prevent it’s citizens from fleeing to West Berlin.
The Berlin Wall memorial, and many other sites I saw in Berlin (such as the Checkpoint Charlie Museum) lay out, in detail, the history of a city wrestling with the darkest corners of humanity. It was striking to witness the care to which the people of Berlin have gone to ensure the stories of these times of division, and hate, and fear are remembered.
About a Bridge:
I’m standing on a non-descript street in Sighetu Marmaţiei, Romania. Walking with a group of Volunteers from the YMCA of Baia Mare towards a historic wooden bridge over the river Tisza that connects Romania and Ukraine. As we walk they share their stories of what it was like along that street in the days and weeks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The tents crowding the street. Journalists with camera equipment poised to capture the heartache and pain of a people in crisis. NGOs, aid workers, and volunteers trying to find solutions to assist thousands of people as they flee the only home they have ever known.
As we walked the bridge I thought about the feelings of those ordinary people whose lives were upended by war. I sought to find some part of my own lived experience that could help me to better understand theirs, and finding only glimpses of reflection.
• A camp director, used to helping kids conquer home sickness, struggling to understand the feeling of home loss.
• An American, privileged by the safety and security that our country’s place in this world has established, following the footsteps of those who have not known that security.
• A human, hoping to share what I saw and heard on my trip so that others may come to understand the roles that we play in the hard work of building peace.
Through my travels I saw YMCAs show up in that hard work of building peace. I thought about the work that we do at YMCA Camp Kitaki, and how that fits in to building a more peaceful world. How having new groups of kids come together each week to practice the skills of living in community, of learning in kinship, and of working towards a better understanding of self and others creates people better prepared for the herculean effort of peace.
What I realized, standing at the foot of a wall, is that hate and division requires sacrifices.
What I realized, standing on the planks of a bridge, is that love and acceptance requires sacrifices.
What I realized, traveling through this world is that the sacrifices of love and acceptance, of reaching out instead of dividing, of building bridges are more powerful. Those sacrifices are more durable. Those sacrifices are more worthy.
This summer, when we teach kids about honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility at Camp Kitaki, I know that we do so in faith that those kids will build a more peaceful world.
Thank you to the YMCAs of Baia Mare, Romania, Thessaloniki, Lebanon, Finland, and Ukraine for sharing with me the bridgebuilding and peace building work you do. Thank you to Nat, who worked tirelessly to ensure that camp always builds bridges. Thank you to the YMCA of Lincoln, and YMCA of the USA for supporting this opportunity. Thank you to Alexandra and Vlad, who were such gracious and incredible hosts. Thank you to all I got to share this journey with, you have touched my life forever, and thank you to the Camp Kitaki team who keep making the magic happen and allowed me this space to travel.
Thank you to you, for believing in a better world.
