Lily Jacoby, Pepperdine University, LA International Church of Christ:
On June 14th, 2013, a group of 24 campus students gathered in the living room of Brian and Lauren Hinkle to prepare for a month of serving the historic city of London. Students came from Australia, the USA, and around England all with a purpose to become “lights of the world,” based off Matthew 5:14-16. It was an incredibly faith-building time to spend each day on three different campuses -- University College London, King’s College and London School of Economics -- having Bible talks and reaching out to people from every background. London is a city of eight million people and within the masses there are many who are earnestly seeking to know God. It was inspiring as the month progressed to see our number of visitors and Bible studies grow! Our minds were sharpened as each week we were blessed to be a part of lessons taught by Mohan Nanjundan, Mike and Terrie Fontenot, Cory and Angela Stuck and Mike Desouza, to name a few. Going out and putting into practice the lessons we were taught helped us see the awe and power of God. It was humbling when we would find ourselves walking up and down the street for hours talking and truly listening to the questions that so many had. In London, people are looking for peace and an answer to their question, ”Is there more to life than this?” Many are looking to be part of a family.
We also had an amazing time as a group and spent most of our evenings picnicking in parks, playing frisbee and building human pyramids. We were a funny bunch to onlookers, but our games of Ninja, Capitalism (a card game) and Mafia left us with cherished memories of jokes to laugh about for a long time. We had fun trying to smash our American, Australian and British cultures together, showing the power of Christ that unites us all.
Joanna McGuirk, Radford University, Roanoke Valley Church of Christ:
My experience on the London internship was an absolute dream come true and produced more dreams than I could have ever imagined. Going out on campus each day and sharing the good news in a culture much different than my own challenged and built my faith. London is what many call the "melting pot" of various nationalities and religions. It also has been noted to show a steady increase in those who claim to have no faith in a God at all. Venturing on campus each day truly felt like a mission, because with every conversation came a witnessing of a longing for truth that has been set on the hearts of all mankind, and a clear view of the ways Satan raises opposition to finding that truth. I have never felt so humbled and grateful to have a hold of the truth, and so urgent to share what God has graciously given me.
God provided us interns with countless opportunities to share our lives with others and to get glimpses into the lives of those who were truly seeking out a relationship with their Creator. There were many times that we gathered to share good news and could hardly contain the excitement at what we so clearly could see God doing on our campuses and in the great city of London. While the pouring out of our hearts and energy each day was rewarding and inspiring, it also came with its share of trials and testing. This is where the unity of internship members, the blessings of an impressively supportive church, the wisdom of leaders, and the spirit of our incredible God came in. Continuous prayer was a focal point to our time together. We often prayed before, during and at the end of each day. It created unity and inspired faith so that when we met for Bible discussions or evening activities, I was able to witness a unity and love for one another spread to those who curiously came to see what we were all about.
God moved powerfully in every individual blessed to be a part of the internship. He provided lasting friendships and partners in the faith, and He also increased our awareness of Him as he brought fruit from the most unexpected places. Walking away with a harvest list of around 200 contacts and several Bible studies set up, I and my fellow interns felt refreshed, excited to apply what we had learned back home, and full of God’s grace and love in our lives. The city of London is vastly entertaining with rich history and loads of great ways to have fun and to make memories. We took advantage of the opportunity to learn in a wonderful place with wonderful people and God took advantage of our time to show us, in so many ways, how good He truly is. Always.
Read more about the London International Church of Christ.
We also had an amazing time as a group and spent most of our evenings picnicking in parks, playing frisbee and building human pyramids. We were a funny bunch to onlookers, but our games of Ninja, Capitalism (a card game) and Mafia left us with cherished memories of jokes to laugh about for a long time. We had fun trying to smash our American, Australian and British cultures together, showing the power of Christ that unites us all.
Joanna McGuirk, Radford University, Roanoke Valley Church of Christ:
My experience on the London internship was an absolute dream come true and produced more dreams than I could have ever imagined. Going out on campus each day and sharing the good news in a culture much different than my own challenged and built my faith. London is what many call the "melting pot" of various nationalities and religions. It also has been noted to show a steady increase in those who claim to have no faith in a God at all. Venturing on campus each day truly felt like a mission, because with every conversation came a witnessing of a longing for truth that has been set on the hearts of all mankind, and a clear view of the ways Satan raises opposition to finding that truth. I have never felt so humbled and grateful to have a hold of the truth, and so urgent to share what God has graciously given me. God provided us interns with countless opportunities to share our lives with others and to get glimpses into the lives of those who were truly seeking out a relationship with their Creator. There were many times that we gathered to share good news and could hardly contain the excitement at what we so clearly could see God doing on our campuses and in the great city of London. While the pouring out of our hearts and energy each day was rewarding and inspiring, it also came with its share of trials and testing. This is where the unity of internship members, the blessings of an impressively supportive church, the wisdom of leaders, and the spirit of our incredible God came in. Continuous prayer was a focal point to our time together. We often prayed before, during and at the end of each day. It created unity and inspired faith so that when we met for Bible discussions or evening activities, I was able to witness a unity and love for one another spread to those who curiously came to see what we were all about.
God moved powerfully in every individual blessed to be a part of the internship. He provided lasting friendships and partners in the faith, and He also increased our awareness of Him as he brought fruit from the most unexpected places. Walking away with a harvest list of around 200 contacts and several Bible studies set up, I and my fellow interns felt refreshed, excited to apply what we had learned back home, and full of God’s grace and love in our lives. The city of London is vastly entertaining with rich history and loads of great ways to have fun and to make memories. We took advantage of the opportunity to learn in a wonderful place with wonderful people and God took advantage of our time to show us, in so many ways, how good He truly is. Always.Read more about the London International Church of Christ.