Get SMART, Get Involved As An Intern

by Sean Lunday

Testimonial

The acronym SMART stands for Strategic Mentorship And Reality Training. Recently, we hosted our first intern through the program in Brazil. As a graphic design major, Emaline decided to spend her summer serving Christ on the mission field as an intern for Fundamento Cristão, the Christian school curriculum organization headed by BIMI missionary Bethany Thompson. As an intern, her primary responsibility was to illustrate and design a third-grade reader called Foot Prints to be used next year in the Christian school. This book includes fables, character-building stories, and Bible narratives. Another of her responsibilities was to teach an English class in the Christian school.

During her time in Brazil, Emaline was also able to be involved in a dynamic church with a Deaf ministry and an inner city outreach. She writes the following:

“One of the biggest highlights of my stay has definitely been the church I am attending here Templo Batista de Maranata (Maranatha Baptist Temple). Brazilians are extremely friendly and relational and even more so Brazilian Christians. At church, I’ve learned to greet every man with a firm handshake and every lady with a holy kiss! On the cheek, of course. The congregation welcomed me warmly and let me know they had been praying for me even before I’d arrived. The preaching has been a blessing with Bethany’s translating services for me. A few weeks ago, I sang ‘Rejoice in the Lord’ by Ron Hamilton for Sunday morning special music. The second verse and final choruses I did entirely in Portuguese! This church family has loved me so well, and I am happy for the further opportunities I’ve had to fellowship with them (even if I am still relying heavily on Google Translate).”

Perhaps someone reading these lines is looking for the next step in your missions journey. My recommendation is that you get SMART. As an “intern” you can connect your areas of ministry interest with needs on the field while being mentored by a veteran missionary who has years of ministry experience on the field to share.

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