SPRING 2008

Loving the Locals: Students on mission around the globe

By Tracy Batchelor

Passport – Got it.
Bible – Packed.
Willing spirit – Check.
Heart for service – Yep.

Glancing over the packing list, she took a deep breath and re-read the trip description for the 50 th time. “Mission service is real life discipleship. It’s hard. It’s tiring. It takes a servant’s heart and a sacrificial spirit. It will be one of the greatest experiences of your life, but it is not about you .”

Had the time finally arrived? Was she ready? Did she really want to use her break to serve people in a foreign country?

Zipping her suitcase shut, she stepped out in faith and into a life of mission work.

No, this is not the story of one specific individual. Instead, many Shorter College students and alumni recall similar moments when they packed their bags for one of the college’s mission opportunities.

As one student describes it, “Sign up for a mission trip. The rest is history.”

Destination: Ghana In partnership with the Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu, Ghana, eight Shorter students and BCM campus minister David Roland had the opportunity to care for the physical and spiritual needs of others in June 2007. “I am never able to adequately articulate this experience in words,” said the Rev. Roland. “This trip really stretched our students because they ministered in so many different settings – caring for the sick at the hospital, leading worship services, distributing school supplies to children, and traveling to villages with Ghanaian college students.” The team visited a country that deals with malaria, typhoid and AIDS on a daily basis. They saw malnourishment and true poverty.

However, they also found a group of people quite hungry for a relationship with God and ready to soak up interaction with other Christians. “The students were also energized by the non-believers’ openness and genuine willingness to listen to us share the gospel,” said the Rev. Roland.

“Our students loved on the people at the hospital. It’s amazing how balloon animals, pipe-cleaner glasses, songs and simple prayers can brighten a patient’s day.”

Destination: India

Erin Miller knows no stranger. Her addiction to missions began early in her time at Shorter when she traveled to Uruguay during spring break. Since that time, the Rockmart, Ga., native has served in six state-side mission posts and built relationships in India during the summer of 2007 through work with the Georgia Baptist Collegiate Missions Program.

“For some time, God had placed a yearning in my heart to know more about Asia,” Erin recalled. “While I worked in India, I met a girl named Sarah. Our conversation was a divine appointment that ended with her asking for my prayers for her to more fully know Jesus.”

Back on campus in Rome, Erin reflected, “I’m so blessed that the Lord has given me friends at Shorter who share my passion for missions. As I seek to understand how to minister here on campus, He has used our shared mission experiences to deepen our relationships so that we serve more effectively.”

Destination: New Orleans

“Fewer groups are going to New Orleans these days, but there are still so many people hurting,” explained the Rev. David Roland, BCM campus minister. “The need continues to be so great that Shorter will return to the city to help them, encourage them and rebuild lives for years to come.”

 Destination: Western Canada

During the same week, other Shorter students will join the Rev. Roland and Dr. Alan Hix (’82), assistant professor of religion, to build relationships in western Canada. In addition to getting to know many area youth, the team will participate in prayer walks and campus activities at a local college.

Destination: Prague

Bonnie McNulty conquered many firsts during the summer of 2007 when she was assigned to the Czech Republic through the Georgia Baptist Collegiate Missions Program. This was her first time out of the United States as well as her first time on an airplane. However, the senior English education major was not a newcomer to her responsibilities in Prague, where she provided conversational English to elementary schools and led sports camps in the afternoons. “I fell in love with the local children as we played soccer,” recalled the Lady Hawks soccer player.

“When my time in Prague concluded, I became very convicted that my calling to show love to people did not end when I got off the plane. I realized that my perspective on mission work had changed,” said the Ringgold, Ga., native. “As believers, we are supposed to show hope to those around us because our home is a mission field as well.”

Destination: Kentucky

December 2007 set a record for Shorter mission work in Covington, Ky. Campus minister David Roland has carried students to his home church of Southside Baptist since 2003, but the most recent visit was by far the largest. Eighteen volunteers including recent alumni Josh Pilgrim (’07) and Peter Faile (’07) helped the church’s inner-city ministries.

“This type of service builds on-going relationships,” said the Rev. Roland. “The church members know Shorter students very well.”

During their time at Southside, students helped distribute food and toys to the poor of the community. Some of the students assisted with a construction project renovating a daycare and a nearby ministry house. They also sorted clothes, led evening worship and ran a lock-in for the area youth.

Destination: The World

Those assigned to Georgia Baptist positions this summer include Alex Compton serving in Indianapolis, Ind.; Renee Glenfield in Prague, Czech Republic; Bonnie McNulty in Nicaragua; Erin Miller in Thailand; Anna Peyton in Orlando, Fla.; Ashleigh Tatum in Helen, Ga.; Monique Watson in Alberta, Canada; Kaitlin Wood in British Columbia, Canada; and Lisa Yu in Hawaii.

“Missions is more than just a trip,” continued the Rev. Roland. “It’s about discipleship, God’s word, prayer and being involved with God’s people. It’s about sharing God’s love. As students see that it is a lifestyle instead of a single experience, they will reach people when they invest in their lives.”

ONLINE EXTRA!

Click here to see more photos from Shorter mission trips in the Mission Gallery.