On being an Ethnic Young Adult Summer Intern

Diaz, 18, attends Camino De Vida United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. An Hispanic/Latina, she was among 12 persons who worked as Ethnic Young Adult (EYA) Summer Interns in Washington, D.C., this summer.

The annual internship program is coordinated by the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) in cooperation with the five ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church.

I have learned about God’s big love and sacrifice.

Diaz’s internship was with the National Council of Churches of Christ-USA, which strives for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States.

Each summer, interns travel to New York City to visit GBCS’s United Nations ministry, which is in the Church Center across the street from the U.N.

“The trip helped my understanding of God in the world,” Diaz said. “I have learned about God’s big love and sacrifice. I had the opportunity to see how God has been working throughout the United Nations by helping the oppressed in Africa and other poor counties.”

Diaz said she is “really grateful with God and with the people who made this great experience possible.”

Editor's note: More information about the EYA program can be obtained from the Rev. Neal Christie at (202) 488-5611. Application details are available at Internship Program.