The 7416th Worldwide Cleanup Campaign

On August 13, 2023, the ASEZ group in Melbourne organized a cleanup at Parliament Gardens. Sixty-five volunteers gathered and collected 300 kg of rubbish within two hours. The group was joined by five members of the cultural mission team from South Korea.

ASEZ gathered at Parliament Gardens at 10 a.m. The volunteers were sorted by age group and gender, and each group was designated to an area in the city. After confirming the streets assigned to each group on the map, they set out and began cleaning. Two types of bags were provided; one for general waste and one for recycling as well as gloves and a special container for sharp and potentially harmful objects.

ASEZ received a handful of compliments by onlookers who were in the bustling city. One resident said, “Thank you for cleaning the gardens. You did a beautiful job. I’m very grateful.” Some even deposited their rubbish in the group’s bags since there were no bins nearby. It was a sunny day, perfect weather for working together in unity to make the city cleaner and a better place to live.

Light blue vests, adorned with the ASEZ logo and text identifying them as members of the University student volunteer group from the World Mission Society Church of God, gleamed in the sunlight throughout the city. The members worked hard to collect all sorts of rubbish and by the end of the event, the group had a decent heap gathered back at the meeting point and everyone had a good work out from collecting it. One volunteer said, “It looks much better! It’s good to see everything clean and organised. We try to do the best that we can.”

The group hopes to set a good example for the world’s youth by taking the lead in creating an environment with the heart and nature of God. ASEZ give thanks to God that it can contribute to this global activity even here in Australia. May God’s glory be shone throughout the whole world.