John Buterbaugh Joins YASC

John's mission in Sri Lanka ending in March 2023!

John Buterbaugh is doing a sermon dialogue on May 21, 2023 during all services. There will be a presentation about his mission trip to Sri Lanka with pictures in the Parish Hall after all services at 12pm. And a light lunch of Sri Lankan food.

Bill and Corinne Buterbaugh’s son John has been on a mission in Sri Lanka, through the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) since March 15, 2022. YASC is a foreign mission program for service-minded Episcopalians aged 18 to 30. John initially applied for YASC in January 2020 and attended a YASC discernment retreat the following month. However, with the onset of COVID-related lockdowns, all new missions were postponed until further notice. With a slow and steady return to normalcy, the program began to prepare for new missions starting in January 2022.

YASC coordinator Elizabeth Boe invited John to be the first YASCer in Sri Lanka, an island nation just south of India. Dushantha “Dushy” Rodrigo, Bishop of Colombo, discussed the possibility of John teaching in local schools and/or providing mental health support. A handful of parishioners and their relatives have come out of the woodwork to share fond memories of Sri Lanka with John.

A Little About John

JOHN BUTERBAUGH is the first YASCer in Sri Lanka. His home parish is St. James Episcopal Church, Skaneateles, in the Diocese of Central New York. As an active member of his church’s youth group, he participated in retreats with other youths in his diocese. He also played bass guitar for his parish’s contemporary service. After receiving a B.A. in Geography and a Master’s degree in Special Education, he taught for five years at an inner-city middle school. Seeking a fresh new start, he applied for the YASC program in 2020. With COVID delaying YASC activities, John took time off to explore America (As of this writing, he has visited 49 of 50 states and 48 of 63 national parks.) He is looking forward to coming home in March 2023 and sharing his experiences!

A Little About Young Adult Service Corp

The Young Adult Service Corps is a ministry for Episcopalians ages 21-30 who are interested in exploring their faith in new ways by living and serving in communities around the worldwide Anglican Communion. Applicants must have a high degree of maturity and possess a faith commitment, the willingness to be a humble guest, and the ability to be an authentic companion. Below is more information about the program, application process, and blogs of current YASCers..

Seek

Serve

Be Transformed

About Sri Lanka

Want to know more?

SRI LANKA FAST FACTS

Capital: Sri Jayawardenpura Kotte
Largest city: Colombo
Population: 23 million (similar to Florida)
Area: 25,332 square miles (similar to West Virginia)
Climate classifications: Tropical (rainforest, monsoon, and savannah); temperate (no dry season, warm summer)
Climate of Colombo: Average temperature stays around 80F; relative humidity ranges from 69% to 79%; rainfall is heaviest in spring and autumn; 6.5 to 9 hours of daily sunlight
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese (75%), Sri Lankan Tamils (11%), Indian Tamils (4%), Sri Lankan Moors (9%), Sri Lankan Malays + Burghers/Eurasians (<1%)
Religions: Buddhist (70.1%), Hindu (12.6%), Muslim (9.7%), Christian (7.6%)
Independence: February 4, 1948 (from the U.K.) Also colonized by the Netherlands and Portugal.
Most common surnames: Perera, Fernando, de Silva
National sport: Volleyball (de jure); cricket (de facto)
Top exports: Tea, rubber, clothing and apparel, precious stones, and spices (especially cinnamon)
Top imports: Refined petroleum, textiles, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment
Literacy rate: 95%
Life expectancy: 77.75 years
Exchange rate: 201.85 Sri Lankan Rupees = 1 U.S. Dollar