The journeys with and by the Short-Term Mission office have taken volunteers, podcast guests and subscribers to all corners of the world.

What have we learned these past twelve months?                                                                                                  The IM sponsored in-person trips have been put on pause since March 2020. During a period of discernment, the STM staff started to re-imagine the meaning of connection and bridges. How and what do bridges do? They make visible and invisible pathways possible.

We pondered and reflected upon keeping these pathways, these important connections alive between volunteers and global servants and partners. These decades of formed relationships through Christ could not go into dormancy, could not be abandoned. A key question kept coming to the surface:

How do we keep serving and be true to our call while waiting? How can we do both?

How do we recognize growth and new buds of spring in what may appear to be stagnant?

As countries closed borders, God encouraged us, the STM Staff, to cast our nets of outreach even wider. As a result of deep listening, prayer and vision casting, let me share what has surfaced. Here are examples of what came to life, undergirded by this scripture from Ezekiel 37:5 “..I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” God breathed new possibilities into us with:

• Bridges For Mission, B4M podcast was launched in September 2020 and has now reached over 1,100 subscribers and downloads from all continents. https://bridgesformission.buzzsprout.com/
• The publication of a new training manual for team leaders, entitled Short-Term Mission Essentials – Together On The Journey. https://www.amazon.com/Short-Term-Mission-Team-Essentials-Together/dp/1098334833/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Sandra+dorsainvil&qid=1618562501&sr=8-1 was made available through Bookbaby, Amazon, Christianbook.
• An article entitled Walking a new walk – Engaging in practices that build bridges, break barriers was published in the Christian Citizen Journal, Volume 1, 2021.
• An article entitled Devotion and honor, not violence was published May 18, 2021 in The Christian Citizen.
• Virtual experiences lasting 60 to 75 minutes were scheduled on a monthly basis. Global servants ministering in the Dominican Republic, Hungary, Thailand, Japan, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Colombia shared about ministry in their contexts to over 200 people.
• Virtual Discovery Mission Express short-term trips lasting 3 days or 5 days began to form unique cross-cultural bridges between states and countries. Intentional visits and ministry immersions to learn and experience ministry in the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and Israel/Palestine engaged over 70 people to live ministry and discover Christian life on the mission field with God’s beloved, like the Roma people and displaced refugees.
• Six volunteers responded to requests for help from global servants and partners in Spain, Honduras, Asia, Liberia and Hungary. Some of them served hard to reach communities. All of the volunteers renewed hope in their own hearts and in hearts who might have been strangers on day 1 but became siblings in Christ during the 14+ weeks they served virtually.

While “In the waiting” we have been intentional in the ways we have accompanied, mentored, been in co-discipleship mode with the group of young adults, The Trailblazers, who have been waiting to serve overseas in-person for six to eight weeks alongside designated global servants, since February 2020. Walking an Emmaus path with the group has been renewing for everyone.

We delved deeper into the understanding of God’s mission as we facilitated a watch party and discussion about the movie “Silence.”  Sarah McCloy, Special Assistant to STM facilitated a 3-part workshop series on Missiology – Theological Foundation, Biblical & Cross-Cultural Impact with the group. We are now preparing to facilitate a weekend retreat this summer with these young adults. The focus will be on lessons learned and planting seeds for lessons yet to be understood. Our guests preachers will be Rev. Sharon & Rev. Dan Buttry, retired IM global consultants.

God shattered the concept of “thinking outside the box” because the confining and restrictive box is no longer present. The use of technology catapulted all of us involved in being part of Kingdom building on earth as it is Heaven, to a heightened dimension of living the Great Commission.

May we wake up, break silences and let the eyes of our hearts be immersed in hope!

Thank you for your continued support, prayers and encouragement from near and far. If you are interested, curious and/or feel called to serve on virtual or in-person short-term missions, do not hesitate to contact us at volunteers@internationalministries.org

We will be happy to assist you.