“I can no longer look at countries in Africa as a series of statistics and problems,” said Ryan Geleynse of Hamilton, Ontario. The young man recently spent six weeks traveling from Nairobi, Kenya to Durban, South Africa as a representative of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). He was joined by 180 other young people from a variety of Christian backgrounds. “Now I see African countries as the homes of many of my friends.”

The 180 youth were part of the We Have Faith Caravan that brought petitions from thousands of people across southern Africa to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Geleynse and two other CRC young people were sponsored by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) and the CRC Office of Social Justice as they participated in this event.

“Livelihoods of everyone in this world are in some way affected by the physical environment,” said CRWRC-Kenya staff member, Stephan Lutz, who met with the CRC delegates in Nairobi. “In more developed countries, people are better able to cope with changes in their physical environment, but in lesser developed countries people are much more vulnerable.”

This is why CRWRC decided to sponsor Ryan Geleynse, Ruth Terry, and Karmen Meyer as they participated in the We Have Faith caravan.

“A large percentage of the people that CRWRC works with globally depend on farming as their source of livelihood. For these people, their environment is literally their sustenance for life,” Lutz explained. “This is the reason why CRWRC supports and advocates for programs that restore soil, water, and tree life to the way God intended. In terms of creation care, CRWRC encourages conservation farming, the planting of appropriate tree varieties, and initiatives to bring greater environmental awareness to church leadership and laity.”

It was that kind of awareness that the caravan hoped to accomplish. As the 180 young people travelled from Nairobi to Durban in safari trucks emblazoned with the “We Have Faith” logo, they stopped in numerous towns to collect signed petitions from community members. They then brought these signatures to a faith-based rally outside of where the UN Convention was taking place. Geleynse, Terry, and Meyer captured the event with video, photography, and written updates on a website.

“My six weeks was spent filming concerts, collecting interviews, and capturing some of the day to day activities of the caravan,” said Geleynse. “The caravan attracted widespread media attention everywhere it went. It's impossible to miss 180 youth travelling over 4500km in the name of climate justice, much less youth from countries all over the world. Many different faiths were represented on the caravan, but to see everyone work together for a common goal was a humbling experience.”

While critics have had mixed reviews of the decisions made at the UN Convention on Climate Change, the experience of participating in the We Have Faith Caravan had a deep impact on the young people involved.

“I heard it said that Africa contains the soul of the world, and I believe there is a lot of truth to that,” said Geleynse. “I experienced a generation of youth that is God-fearing, ambitious, hardworking, and loving.”

“Being home for a couple of weeks has given me a small chance to reflect upon the journey and what it meant to me. The experience was unforgettable. Those 6 weeks have simply been some of the best of my entire life, and I have to remind myself of what a privilege it is to be a small part in the CRC's action towards climate/human justice,” he added.

To find out more about the Christian Reformed Church’s stance on Climate Change, click here.

To learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities being offered by CRWRC, contact the Global Volunteer Program.