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Los Angeles Summer Staff Team 2006
LA Summer Staff in Pershing Square (l to r): Chris Lyons, Amy Dopita,
Valorie Smith, Maricatherine Penny, Rebekah Bolin
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Rebekah Bolin
Rebekah graduated from the University of
Wisconsin, Madison with a major in Spanish. She plans to continue
this fall at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. She was
an active member of the University of Wisconsin Gospel Choir
throughout college. She has organized mission trips for junior high
and high school students in North Carolina, Minnesota and Juarez, Mexico.
Besides gospel music, she loves laughing, playing cards, roller coasters,
turtles, Reese's peanut butter cups, taking pictures, reading, deep
conversations, soccer, and watching her favorite TV shows while eating
nachos. "My goal this summer in working for CSM is to see God in a new
light and to build lasting, meaningful relationships with those I encounter in LA."
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Amy Dopita
Amy is from Island Lake, IL, which is
a small suburb of Chicago. She will be a senior at Hope College
in Holland, MI. She served for a week with CSM in Washington DC in 2004
and LOVED the urban setting! She has also served in Hollywood,
Panama City, and Milwaukee. She is a student leader for the
Social Work Organization at Hope College. Amy enjoys exploring
new places, going to the beach with friends, and listening to
music ALL of the time! While at CSM, Amy hopes to learn more
about what God is doing in the Los Angeles area, how different
ministries are meeting needs, and how much she can learn from
the fresh outlook students have. "I am hoping to grow closer to
God through this experience and to learn more about His plans
for my life."
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Chrisopher Lyons
Chris is from Johnson City, Tennessee.
He graduated from Judson College in Elgin, Illinois, with a degree in
Youth Ministry with a concentration in Multi-Cultural Ministry.
In high school he participated in Worldchangers, going
to several places in the US. He has also been on a mission trip
to Paraguay in South America. Chris likes the outdoors and hiking.
He hopes to minister to kids either overseas or in an urban center.
After hosting groups in Chicago during fall 2003, spring 2004,
and summer 2004, Chris is looking forward to hosting again this
summer in Los Angeles.
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Maricatherine Penny
Maricatherine is a senior studying
Lutheran Elementary Education at Concordia University in
Irvine, California. During her free time she enjoys being
part of the theatre on campus. She has been onstage and
behind the scenes and loves seeing a great show come together.
During high school, she served with CSM in Toronto, San
Francisco, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. Originally from
Little Rock, Arkansas, her experiences with CSM have had quite
an effect on her decision to move to California. "Through the
work of the Holy Spirit, these trips blessed me with a heart
for the inner-city, especially Los Angeles." Maricatherine
plans to teach and eventually hopes to open her own early
childhood development center in downtown LA.
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Valorie Smith
Valorie was born a Texan but her family moved
to Southern California when she was in junior high, to work at a
Christian camp. Her family still lives at The Oaks Camp, while she
attends Fresno Pacific University. Valorie is studying Christian
Ministry and Intercultural Studies, because of her interest in
working with inner-city youth. Her last two years at FPU have provided
her with opportunities to be a part of CSM trips to San Francisco and
Los Angeles. Her perspective and heart have been stretched toward
the urban poor through these experiences. Other missions experience includes trips to
Mexico to build houses and work in orphanages as well as Guatemala to
build a church and lead a Vacation Bible School. For the last three
summers she has been a camp counselor at three different camps, which
has had a huge impact on her life and helped developed her heart for
inner-city youth. This past year, Valorie has been working with a
junior high youth group at a multi-cultural church. "I am so excited to work this summer with
CSM because God has given me a heart for the city of LA. I know I can learn
from the staff and people I’ll interact with this summer. I desire to
encourage and provide opportunities for students to see people through God’s
eyes, in the same way that I have been challenged on my trips with CSM. As
much as I hope that I can teach others what I have learned, I know that I
will leave changed the most."
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