John 4:35 – 38 speaks of the fields being ready for harvest. Our teenagers and young adults are ready to harvest what has been set before them. They are ready to be there for others and make an impact in communities God sends them as His instruments of peace, mercy and love.

This past summer, Boyden Myers, Ben McCloy, Nola Merlino, Juanita Bryan and a team from Michigan called “Michigan Servants for Christ” have made imprints in Bolivia, Haiti, Honduras and Japan. Here are excerpts of reflections they sent to the Short-Term Mission Office of experiences they have had and deeper connections they have made: “I have been able to shadow a couple of different doctors at a local hospital and attend a seminar on the different uses and importance of ultra sounding machines. I have also been able to help with some clinics,” by Boyden Myers (Missionary Kid) who spent a few weeks in Bolivia to focus on health and wellness. This short internship for which he received college credits was made possible by J.D. Reed, a global servant. It has strengthened Boyden’s desire to make strong impact in the health care field in developing countries.                                                                                                                                                                              

Juanita Bryan, from North Carolina, started teaching English in Japan this past summer, and will be there for a year. Her daughter Laura has been able to accompany her on this assignment. Nita is grateful to God that “He sees Laura in detail, and sees her needs. I am grateful for chance encounters with new friends we have made, cute dogs to pet in the park,.. These little things add up to a package of joys. In this season, I choose to trust the Lord for her. I let my vulnerability highlight Christ’s power. I am grateful to be this sensitive vessel for God’s good use.”                                                                            

Ben McCloy, from the West Virginia region, reports that he met many missionaries where he was in Japan, which brought the reality that “God’s network is immense and He is constantly working everywhere and reaching everyone.” In some of the gatherings and interactions with other young people, he realized that “there are some parts of Japanese pop culture that I enjoy a lot and there are many parts of American pop culture that they enjoy, so it was easy to find a place where we had similar interests.” Ben might not have been part of a group of volunteers sent by IM, but “people around me who were already doing God’s work in Japan were my team.” Ben was profoundly impacted by the deep sense of hospitality he was blessed by in Japan. The doors of his heart were opened because others were willing to build relationships with him, the stranger in their midst. He was able to be a witness and share his faith.

Nola Merlino, a high school student from West Chester(PA), was part of the 2017 Discovery team who went to Honduras. She went knowing no one on the team. She worked through the apprehensions and kept her focus on what God had called her to do “to be a better friend to smiling faces in Honduras and be the light of Christ for a moment.”

The team of Michigan Servants for Christ, came from seven churches from Michigan. They spent time in Cap Haitian installing clean water filtrations with FBC Cadillac Haiti Clean Water, lead VBS sessions, clean a local beach, work at a couple of construction projects at Bethel and Bethany Houses. They state that they have a greater understanding of “what it means to be a community, live humbly in the name of Christ and grasp the meaning of patience.” The image of hands clasped together as they taught each other new songs, spoke of the deeper connection that was formed this past July with twelve hearts. As one member of the team said “I poured my heart, soul and body in the name of Jesus” in Haiti. 

Our teenagers and young adults are ready to impact many communities as instruments of peace, hope and love. They harvest what has been set before them. Others will harvest what they plant today.

Volunteers interested in Short-Term Missions range in age from 9 to 70+ years young. If God has been nudging you to use your skills and talents in support of a ministry outside the US or Puerto Rico, please feel free to contact us at volunteers@internationalministries.org or 610-768-2245. We will be happy to walk with you.