Connections July 2025

“I learned about struggle and learning to heal. Healing is possible.”
“The power of being present.”
“How to be joyful even if you don’t feel like it.”
“God doesn’t see ‘the other’ like we do, and loves us all the same.”

This past fall, youth from the 2024 Elevation Experience reunited to reflect on their time in Rwanda. During post-trip programming, they began writing their lessons on a large whiteboard.

Gratitude. Joy. Humility. Strength in Community. Quickly, the whiteboard was completely filled. Though each of the eight youth had unique takeaways, they all agreed: their lives had been changed.

ROOTS OF CONNECTION

The Elevation Experience is GVYU’s flagship, year-long leadership development program for local youth. It combines training and mentorship, culminating in a multi-week trip to Rwanda. As Elevation Experience Manager Chris Hege explains: “It’s an opportunity for youth to step out of their comfort zone, wrestle with big questions, and put learning into action.”

For 17 year old Harveen, the opportunity was one she couldn’t pass up.

Harveen’s first connection with YU began in 2020, when COVID shifted Abbotsford YU’s ICTC program from in-person to doorstep visits and care baskets. 

Her sister Manreet was already connected, and driveway visits with youth workers Greg Sawatzky and Jen Mascardo became vital connections for both girls.

Over the following months and years, Harveen connected more deeply with the Abbotsford team. “Jen and Greg are people I can go to with advice on anything,” Harveen says. “In the past, I experienced confidence issues and they helped me process what I was feeling. They’re both just huge parts of my life.”

A RISK WORTH TAKING

In fall 2023, Greg invited Harveen, Manreet, and their friend, Nimrat, to consider joining the 2024 Elevation Experience. “It felt like an incredible opportunity,” says Harveen. “We talked to our parents, and they encouraged us, so we decided to go for it.” So, in January 2024, the three began the Elevation Experience. According to Chris, the girls fit the program perfectly. “Our hope is to bring youth who are ready to take the next step in their leadership journey,” says Chris, “and from the start, they were.” From February to June, they and six other local youth trained in cross-cultural engagement, communication, and social justice.

Participants got the chance to learn from and build friendships with their Rwandan counterparts.

They also were responsible for fundraising for the trip. “At first, it was difficult to step out of my comfort zone, but I realized just how much support I really have around me,” Harveen says.

NEW COMMUNITY

By the end of June, the group completed training and fundraising, and in July, their cross-continental journey began.

Over two and a half weeks in Rwanda, the youth gained new experiences daily. They learned about Rwandan history, ran day camps, painted school buildings, and even mowed grass with scythes. For Harveen, it was deeply formative. “I absolutely loved it. I learned so much about their culture,” she says. “They’re so community focused. They celebrate the little things, and don’t take what they have for granted. It reminded me to be grateful and present.”

Chris says Harveen’s experience exemplifies the program’s purpose. “It gives youth a chance to be curious and meet people who have grown up so differently,” he says. “Harveen got to learn so much from others. Watching our youth embrace Rwandan values—especially forgiveness and reconciliation—and apply them in their own lives is incredible.”

FLOURISHING IDENTITY

A year later, the lessons learned remain deeply ingrained. “I learned so much about who I am and who I want to be,” says Harveen. “I want to be someone who lives with that gratitude and joy.” Chris hears those same themes consistently echoed by past youth. “The experience works,” he shares. “Youth build so much confidence and develop community. They learn about who they are and what the world is like. It’s a deeply transformational time.”

This fall, Harveen begins nursing studies at the University of Alberta, a choice she credits in part to her experience. “It affirmed my desire to work with kids and people, as well as to use nursing to hopefully provide international humanitarian aid.”

Until then, Harveen continues to volunteer with ICTC, putting her experience into practice while showing up for other youth—just as others showed up for her. Her encouragement to future Elevation participants? “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Step out. You won’t regret it.”

Harveen (middle) met Youth Worker, Jen (right), through Abbotsford program ICTC (I’m Created to Connect).

The first time I went to Rwanda with Youth Unlimited was in 2008. From the moment I stepped onto the tarmac, I sensed that this was going to be a powerful experience. The wave of heat and humidity hit me, along with a fragrance of smoky jasmine—later I learned the smoke came from countless cooking fires throughout the city.

In preparation for the trip, I had read extensively about Rwanda’s history, seeking to understand the context and story of its people. Some of the first young people I met shared absolutely heartbreaking stories of loss.

I remember nineteen-year-old Blaise. When I asked about his family—just casual getting-to-know-you conversation—he told me he had no family left. During the genocide, everyone had been murdered. He was an infant then, passed from person to person for three months as strangers fled the country, saving his life.

Despite this unimaginable loss, what struck me most was the huge smile on Blaise’s face. There was a brightness about him. When I asked how he could have joy after losing everything, his response changed me: “All I have is gratitude. Every day I wake up, it’s a new day. I’m thankful for each day’s breath.”

Coming home to Vancouver, I thought about my healthy family, friends, and all the good things surrounding me. I realized how easy it is to forget what we have, to focus on what we lack, to get bitter when expectations aren’t met. Blaise’s story is one of both gratitude and forgiveness—finding strength through his relationship with Jesus, to love the same way he’s been loved.

If you’ve read this far, I want you to know how much gratitude I have for you. Through your prayers and financial support, you’ve given youth like Harveen (feature story) the opportunity to experience this same transformational journey—to understand the depths of gratitude and walk in forgiveness. You’ve helped make this happen, and for that, I am grateful.

Mark Koop
Executive Director