Participant Profile ~ Charlie Schindler

Charlie Schindler is a rising junior at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, VA. In high school he is active in swimming and pole vaulting. He also works as a lifeguard in his off time. He plans on attending college in the future possibly studying Psychology or Pre-Med. He is a parishioner at St. John's Episcopal Church in Lynchburg, VA, and is very active in the youth program there, serving on their youth group planning team.  He is a member of the Youth Mission Team (YMT) for the diocese where he also helps plan and facilitate diocesan youth events throughout the year. About the upcoming Leeds Exchange he says "I am looking to strengthen friendships and make new ones in a different country as well as strengthen the ties between our dioceses."

Participant Profile ~ Abigail Cairns

Abigail Cairns is a 2019 graduate of Glenvar High School and will be attending George Mason University in the fall. While in high school she was a member of the Honor Society, Nature/Hiking Club, and Key Club. She was active in basketball, volleyball, swimming, and running. She is a parishioner at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Salem, VA, and serves as an acolyte and was a youth representative on the vestry there. She also regularly attends youth group at St. John's Episcopal Church in Roanoke. She is a member of the Youth Misson Team (YMT) for the diocese where she helps plan and facilitate youth events. Her hobbies include reading, being outdoors, hanging out with friends, and listening to music.

Travel Info and more to come.

30 days and counting......

Below is travel information. The youth are getting very excited, and the trip will be here before we know it! Be on the look out for profiles on all the youth participating in this years exchange. We will be also be traveling via train from London to Leeds on Saturday, July 20th.

Ready, Set, .......

Six youth and two adults are getting ready to head to England this summer. Youth from St. Paul's ~ Salem, St. James ~ Roanoke, St. John's ~ Roanoke, St. John's ~ Lynchburg, and Trinity ~ Arrington will be participating in the Leeds Youth Exchange. The Leeds Youth Exchange is a link between the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia and the Diocese of Leeds of the Church of England. The program has been going on for over 35 years, as youth from each diocese alternate making yearly summer visits to each other's diocese. The exchange started out as the Bradford Youth Exchange, however with the merger of the Bradford diocese with four other diocese's, that diocese was renamed the Diocese of Leeds several years ago. This year our youth will being flying to London, England on July 17th (arriving July 18th) and spending two day's touring the sites. Then they will head by train to the Diocese of Leeds (which includes the former Diocese of Bradford). The youth will spend two weeks visiting the sites in and around Leeds and Bradford, meeting other youth and adults from the parishes of that diocese. They will be doing some outreach service work, and building on the continued relationship between the two diocese.
  We will be updating this v'blog with pictures, video's, and stories of their adventure and hope this will serve as a platform for people of both diocese to stay informed on what is going on. Please stay tuned for further information that will be posted.


Brian Loop ~ LYE19