NZ youths arrive to help our young people

SIXTEEN youths from New Zealand are in Papua New Guinea for the youth leadership development and cultural youth exchange programme organised by New Dawn Ministry youths for Christian Brethren churches of PNG.
The theme of programme is “empowering youth development” which is aimed at creating opportunities for young people to meet and learn from each other through spiritual, social and economic developments,
according to New Dawn Youths team leader Daniel Agiru.
Mr Agiru said the exchange programme should see more interaction between the NZ youths and Southern region youths in terms of sharing different cultures, talents through visitations and sporting activities in Port Moresby.
Team leader for the New Zealand youths, Geoff Liddle, said the exchange programme was the initiative of a recent conference which was held by leaders in Auckland, New Zealand, early this year The youths from Howick community church in Auckland were accompanied by three adults, among them Pr Gary Carr,
youth pastor, and Helen Espie, a teacher.
The visitors were greeted with cheers and a few young Huli men dressed in traditional regalia posed at the entrance to entice the visitors whom after a few exchanges wasted no time to give the crowd a taste of the famous New Zealand haka.
The visitors were whisked off to Mapang Missionary home at Boroko were they will stay for the next two weeks visiting schools, settlements participating in youth programmes in churches and visiting market places to talk to people on spiritual, social and economic aspects of life.
Mr Liddle, who spoke fluent tok pisin, was born and raised in Wewak in the 1950s where his
parents were missionaries and returned in the 1990s to visit.
He said the important message to share to young people was about God, choices and the experiences that they have to made in life.
The group will be in PNG for 13 days before returning to New Zealand on Dec 7.