The International young writers in the Press Service International young writer program with a small number of international young writers who began writing from 2011.
These included two celebrities in the international young writer program
Kandima Awendila - Mozambique who has written numerous times about her home land and how she ended up in Australia. Kandima won the 2018 Over 31s International Basil Sellers Award and has served as a Panellist for the Australian 18-30 years group. Kandima is an IT engineer.
Sharma Taylor – West Indies undertook her PhD in Law at Victoria Uni in Wellington NZ and was introduced to the young writers program by Daniel Jang. Sharma wrote right up to 2019 and has now resumed as a senior writer in the program. Sharma is a Lawyer in Barbados.
Genevieve Wilson – Canada – served with YWAM in Brisbane where she met her husband Tim and eventually after many years, relocated the family to Canada, Then to LA where Tim was at the Masters College and now back in Canada where Tim is serving as a Pastor. Genevieve is now a senior writer.
Long way since
Since those early years the International young writers have grown in that since 2015 have had their own column with so many internationals – there has always been some come and others move on. This is part and parcel of a young writer voluntary program.
Each international young writer has a column once every 5 weeks, they write 10 articles a year. They have an editor which assist in their presentation and the program continues to be highly successful,
This list illustrates those who have been in the program many years – such as these three -
Paul Lewis - West Indies - Campus Ministry
Jason Lalone - USA - Associate Minister
Josh Robbie - South Africa
New adventures
In 2019 the International young writers ‘Stood Alone’ meaning they took control of the program themselves
Coordinator - sending out reminders for their due date
Crystelda Naidoo did this role first up, then Josh Robbie in 2019
Editor - editing the articles
Mussita Ng did this role first up, then Francesca Tavares in 2020
Photo selector for the articles
Josh Robbie
Stand Alone - editor compiles the articles and photos
Jason Lalone receives them and forwards them to Christian Today 2019
Newsy Bits Video
Every 2nd month the international young writers send in their newsy bits about their lives - as we are a distant ministry, no one sees each other – this is our form of fellowship - then Kacy Garvey does a short video highlighting these.
An Entity
An entity is the illusive component where they can take control of themselves as a legal entity. Francesca Tavares a lawyer in the West Indies says that their legal processes does not sit happily with such an idea.
Josh Robbie and Dr Mark Tronson will work on this in 2020 towards a solution as Australia has had such a provision for decades as Australian “overseas Missionary boards” are Australians functioning as a legal entity.
Such an entity would not interfere with the “Stand Alone’ process, rather like all such boards - establish ongoing policy.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand. Dr Mark Tronson’s Press Service International in 2019 was awarded the Australasian Religious Press Association’s premier award, The Gutenberg. In September 2020 Summer Moore presented her commission portrait of Dr Mark Tronson holding the Gutenberg plaque. The above photo is the upper part from this portrait.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at: http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
