Bienvenidos a Youthlinc!!

Brush up on your Spanish – we’re going to Palmeras! Congratulations on being chosen and can we just say how excited we are to meet you? We’re so happy to be a part of the 2011 Peru team and look forward to working with all of you over the course of the next year. We know that you all are the cream of the crop and will make great Youthlinc volunteers.

We hope that as you volunteer in your chosen location, you get to know the people you are serving. Your volunteer time will not only help them, but help you to grow so much as a humanitarian. While it may seem impossible to get to know everyone in our group simply through monthly meetings, we promise that before the trip is done, you will have made lifetime friends.

Mikaela - I traveled to Palmeras in the summer of 2010 as a student on the cross-cultural committee. While nervous at first, I enjoyed every minute of it and was very sad when the time came to leave the village. I can’t wait to return with all of you and complete some amazing projects while there. Our fearless leader, Jeff Daun, was a mentor on that trip and I can promise you that he will do a great job taking us through this year

Jeff - I started my involvement in the Youthlinc program in 2010. I participated in the Peru program as a Mentor. The trip to Palmeras was a life changing experience for me. It was not too long ago that Mikaela and I were in your position preparing for the Peru trip so this will allow us to relate to any questions or concerns that you might have.

We hope that our recent experiences and familiarity with the program and Peru will allow us to better serve you as your Team Leader and Alumni Leader. We love service and believe that service is a huge part of what it means to be human in this world today.

Since we have been before, don’t hesitate to come to us with any question, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We are going to do our best to make sure you feel completely prepared when entering the Amazon jungle!

We know this will be a life-changing experience for all of you and we are grateful to be part of it. See you at the meetings!

Jeff Daun

Peru Team Leader

Sá-wát-dee (Hello)!!!

Welcome to the Thailand team! I first want to congratulate you on being accepted to the program, that says a lot about you. I can assure you that not just anybody is accepted to this program and that the admissions team took a good deal of time considering you! I personally have been involved with YouthLinc for over 2 years now. The experiences I have had and people I have met have changed my life. I can assure you that if you put forth a good effort that you too will have amazing experiences.

As a part of the YouthLinc experience you will have the chance to contribute to all our committees, which are: medical, educational, vocational, cultural and social work. Your skills and commitment to serve will be great assets in making all these committees successful. I can promise you that as do your best and devote your heart and energy to the projects we will plan together, that your experience serving in the Thai community will be one that changes your life.

Please come prepared for some exciting and collaborative monthly meetings where we will plan our trip and prepare for our projects. These meetings will be very informative, so bring any questions and ideas you may have to share or please feel free to contact me at any other time.

This experience will allow you to strengthen you character and give you skills that you will use the rest of your life. This experience will give you back so much more than you can imagine. I cannot wait to get to know you and more importantly I cannot wait to serve those in our community and those in Thailand alongside you. Be prepared to have one of the best experiences you’ve ever had or will have! I am here to help so please never hesitate to ask any questions.

Welcome,

Pete Frost

Team Leader, Youthlinc-Thailand

Welcome to the Youthlinc Mexico 2011 Team!

We’re excited that you are part of this group, and hope you are ready for an amazing life-changing experience. Over the past 5 years, we have been involved with Youthlinc in a variety of capacities, and have watched as these trips have helped our own children grow into better world citizens.

As your team leaders, our responsibility is to ensure we all have a safe and meaningful trip. The most important thing you can bring to the team is a positive attitude and a desire to work hard. If that is your approach, you’re almost guaranteed to have a wonderful time with this team.

As a reminder, the Youthlinc program is not just an international service trip. The purpose is to help make service a permanent part of your life. During this year, you will be giving extensive service in the community to organizations of your choice. Don’t look past this aspect of your Youthlinc experience.

Then, in June, we will be traveling together to a small village in southern Mexico called Bautista Grande. We had the opportunity of traveling there on another Youthlinc trip last December. We hope to make it as wonderful a trip for you as we experienced firsthand.

To make sure all goes well throughout the year, it’s important for you to follow these guidelines:

• Plan to attend ALL monthly team meetings. They will be held the first Saturday of each month at 1:00pm. Unless you are notified otherwise, these meetings will be held at the Youthlinc office.

• Plan to attend the team retreat on January XX. This will be an important team-building activity to help you get to know everyone on the team.

• Be open to making great new friends and experiencing new things.

• Select your main service site quickly and begin accumulating your local service hours immediately. (Don’t put it off!)

• Begin your fundraising soon to ensure your trip costs are covered.

• Finally, never hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Mike Denison (Team Leader)

Angie Denison (Team Leader)

Welcome 2011 Youthlinc Kenya Team

Dear Youthlinc Kenya 2011 participant,

Congratulations on your acceptance into the greatest humanitarian youth group in the world! You are about to embark on one of the most memorable experiences of your life. You will become lifelong friends with a wonderful group of individuals that share your commitment to service. You will also get to meet a group of people in Kenya that will inspire you.

Your acceptance into this program is evidence that you are someone who has dedicated part of your life to serving others who are less fortunate than yourself. You have demonstrated that you are a leader among your peers and you know how to plan projects and see them through to completion. During this service year you will have the opportunity to improve your leadership skills through learning from the mentors that are part of our group as well as through serving on at least one committee. You will also have a leadership assignment either here in Utah or in Kenya.

I am sure you are looking forward to the international service part of this experience but before we get to embark on this great adventure you will have the wonderful opportunity to serve in your community. Whatever service site you select will provide you with an opportunity to develop relationships with other volunteers but most importantly with those you will serve. I would encourage you to pick a site that has significant importance to a cause you feel strongly about. If you are unsure may I suggest something to do serving children. Most of your time spent in Kenya will be with some of the most wonderful children you will ever meet.

Let me promise you that your time in Kenya will be nothing short of “magical”. It is a wonderful place with some of the most humble and happy people you will ever meet. Their appreciation of the work we do will inspire you to do more than you ever thought possible. I guarantee you will want to return.

You have made a big commitment for this coming year and part of that commitment is your attendance at our mandatory monthly team meeting. At these meetings you will meet with the entire Kenya team and our amazing Alum leader, Jerika Michel. She will be helping you to make sure you get all of your local service completed, all of your required forms filled out and keep you informed of anything else that is going on with our team. She has an amazing commitment to service and is an incredible resource to help with your local service sites. She will also be arranging a monthly service project in conjunction with our team meeting.

Get ready for plenty of hard work and remember that the more you put into this experience the more you will get out. Prepare to be amazed at those you serve and those you serve with. Prepare for the experience of a lifetime. I look forward to working with you but most importantly getting to know you personally.

Welcome,

Scott Bawden

Kenya Team Leader 2011

Chom Reab Sour!! Welcome to the Cambodia Team

Welcome to the Youthlinc trip to Peak Sneng, Cambodia! Congratulations on becoming a member of the Youthlinc team! You are now in a very unique group. There are many students who applied to this program that we could not accommodate. Your acceptance means that you have a remarkable commitment to service, excellent leadership qualities, the ability to work with others and exceptional individual strengths. We have a great team this year. We have specialists in the fields of medicine, education, vocational skills, construction and business. Every person involved has something special to offer that will make this trip a huge success. I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you on a personal level as this year progresses.

We will do everything in our power to make this trip safe, to keep you healthy and to ensure a great time. As team leader, alumni leader and volunteer mentors, it is our number one goal to make sure that everyone has the trip of a lifetime. There will be important information at every one of our monthly meetings so you can be well prepared. If you have any questions at all, make sure that they get answered at the meetings. I also check my email daily and respond very promptly so that you can get information in between meetings.

My first international experience was with Youthlinc to Kenya. I have team lead the Thailand team as well as the Kenya team. I am excited to work with you to open Youthlinc’s 5^th international site. Cambodia is rich with culture, marred by a heartbreaking history, and populated with a kind, humble people. I am honored to lead you to this enchanting place.

Get yourself ready for plenty of hard work. Remember, the more you personally invest, the more meaningful experience you will have. The harder you work and the more you stay involved, the more fun you’re going to have. I guarantee you will gain far more from this experience than you will find yourself giving. So get ready! You are about to embark on a journey of a lifetime.

Welcome,

Britnie Powell

Team Leader, Youthlinc-Cambodia