SOS report 2019

SUMMER OF SERVICE 2019

DEAR FRIENDS, It is my privilege to offer this Summer of Service (SOS) report to you. For nearly four decades, Northwestern has sent our students around the globe to serve with mission partners. These partners express deep gratitude for SOS students’ meaningful participation in their work; in turn, our students are deeply impacted by these life-changing experiences. As the director of missions, I am humbled to work with remarkable students and mission partners each year.

Our goal for students is to help each grow as a follower of Jesus Christ. As they come alongside ministry partners to serve sacrificially, participate respectfully and learn humbly in communities culturally different from their own, students more fully understand God’s heart for the nations. They see how God is at work in the world and more fully embrace the role they can play in that work.

Thus, the SOS program is one significant way we fulfill the college’s mission of enabling students to “pursue God’s redeeming work in the world.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

C O V E N A N T

Your support enabled 19 students to serve in 11 countries this summer. These students sacrificed summer employment and embraced the challenge and the privilege of serving with our mission partners. They saw God at work in beautiful and powerful ways, but they also saw darkness and tragedy firsthand.

They encountered extreme poverty, refugees fleeing violence, orphans longing for forever homes, addicts who need a hot cup of tea and a safe place to heal, the sick and injured who need adequate healthcare, and many who know very little about Jesus and the hope he brings. They became friends with our amazing mission partners who serve God in ordinary and yet profound ways, as well as with people whose lives have been forever changed by the gospel.

These students are eyewitnesses to God’s redemptive work in the world. Now, in the following pages, they bear witness to that work through shared stories, insights and prayer requests. Thank you for your investment in these students, as well as in the lives of those they touched in the name of Jesus.

Patrick Hummel Director of Missions

M E M B E R

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Adebola Adeyemo

Emily Baxa

Misael Bruzzone

Cassidy Bultena

DENVER | MILE HIGH MINISTRIES

SOUTH ASIA | PIONEERS

IRELAND | DUBLIN CHRISTIAN MISSION

PERU | PIONEERS

Public Relations Lagos, Nigeria

Adebola volunteered at Denver Red Shield, serving as one of the counselors at a summer day camp for kids ages 5 to 12. She planned and hosted activities, games and field trips.

How is God at work at Denver Red Shield?

Denver Red Shield Corps engages and invests in their community through food banks, boxing programs for kids and adults, summer programming, basketball leagues, theatre camps, programs for seniors, cooking classes for kids and so much more.

What did God teach you this summer?

One of the things I learned this summer is the power of stories, love and connection. I worked a lot with kids and learned things that cannot be put into words but that I feel deeply. I learned about being bold and stepping into roles as an unhindered version of myself.

How are you different because of your SOS experience?

I think I have more courage. I’m second-guessing myself less when I’m faced with things beyond my control or understanding. I think I’m also developing a different approach to building connection, love and community with other people—I’m more confident in loving others.

PRAY for a continued outpouring of the things we all need: love, grace, mercy and growth.

Elementary Education Sartell, MN

Economics Asunción, Paraguay

Emily and her teammate lived with an American family that operates a coffee shop in a country closed to the gospel. She spent time with the couple’s 8- and 11-year-old daughters, freeing the couple to invest in their shop and the employees there, all of whom are Christians.

How does a coffee shop do ministry in a country closed to the gospel?

The family we lived with desires to make their coffee shop a place where people walk in and notice not only that the shop is clean and well-run, but also there is something different about the employees’ attitudes, conversations and lifestyles. As shop owners and employees, they greet customers and provide a level of service and hospitality most people in the country have never experienced.

What impact did the summer have on you?

God showed me his heart for the nations and fueled a spark in me.

Since returning to the U.S., I feel restless and uneasy, like my heart is still tugging for the people and culture I experienced. I know I am being called to live a life that is not “normal” or comfortable, but I’m not sure yet exactly where God is leading me.

PRAY for the family I served with. Language and cultural barriers make ministry confusing and difficult, and they are struggling with how to disciple people who don’t readily receive or understand the gospel. Their children are lonely and feeling lost in their new home.

Pray for the region they are serving, especially for people in the small mountain villages where human trafficking is common.

Misael worked in DCM’s Taste and See Café, helped with youth ministry and outreach, and served guests at the mission’s shelter for people who are homeless.

How have you changed since this summer?

I guess I am different in the way I approach my faith and the way I see God in my life. I feel as if my faith is stronger now, not because I feel God closer but because I felt God even when I was so far away. I have grown in my understanding of faith itself—that it is way beyond just “believing” in something. And inevitably, with that new understanding come direct implications for the way I should live my life and behave spiritually.

How has your faith changed?

My personal faith grew and changed a lot in my first year of college, and my SOS experience felt like the culmination of the process—or at least the first part of it. It stopped being this scholarly idea or notion of faith and became something I could, for the first time, truly call my own.

PRAY God continues to be faithful to Dublin Christian Mission, providing what they need through donations of food, equipment and clothing as well as through greater numbers of volunteers, especially in the winter.

Picture unavailable for Misael

Social Work Webster City, IA

Cassidy and her SOS teammate Karli Lang interned alongside missionaries living with tribes in the Amazon rainforest. From a base in Pucallpa, she traveled to tribal communities to help with farm work or construction and talk with the missionaries living there. She also spent a week living with a Peruvian family.

What is life like for the missionaries you met?

Before going out to a tribe, a new missionary will spend a year or two learning the culture and learning Spanish (using a style that is easily replicated when learning a tribal language). Challenges these missionaries face start with the simple fact that many of the tribes are remote and physically hard to reach. Missionaries who move to tribal communities are far from any city or development, far from support, and often far from any other Christians. Interacting with the missionaries I met, I learned not only the challenges facing them but also ways to overcome those challenges so one can remain abroad long term.

What did you experience when you traveled into the rainforest?

I come from a culture that does not always value the lifestyles of other cultures—especially when they seem simple and basic to us. But the people I met challenged my perspective; they don’t want to live like we do. They’re content with what they have and don’t understand why Americans feel sorry for them. The people in Peru showed me patience as I slowly learned their ways of doing things. They let me inconvenience them and showed grace when I made mistakes.

How have you grown?

Since returning from Peru, I think I am more aware of who I am and how I affect those around me. I’m more aware of how I respond to others and ways that I might be growing. There was a lot of time to simply be during my SOS experience. Though challenging, it forced me to look at my life and what causes me to grow and what stunts my growth. How does my desire for control affect someone who is also trying to lead? How can I serve without expecting anything in return?

The Lord renews our thoughts and actions, and we can find freedom in acknowledging when we fall short and surrendering to him.

Adebola A deyemo

PRAY for the missionaries I served with, who aim to reach 10 new tribes in the next decade. This will require more people willing to travel into the Amazon rainforest and become part of tribal cultures and communities. Pray God will call those additional missionaries.

Pray those who respond to God’s call will experience his faithfulness through provision for their spiritual and material needs.

Cassidy is pictured on the cover.

Emily Baxa (right)

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Hayley Carlson

Ben De Boer

Emmalyne Farwell

Noah Gritters

GHANA | PIONEERS

GREECE | HELPING HANDS

SPAIN | WORLD TEAM

MEXICO | LUKE SOCIETY

How is God at work through Helping Hands?

What is World Team accomplishing in Spain?

How is God at work through the ministry you served?

Nursing Rochester Hills, MI

Religion Orange City, IA

Hayley and SOS teammate Shelby Van Den Berg served in the communities of Banda and Cape Coast. Hayley spent part of her time in medical settings, assisting nurses, midwives and physician assistants with basic medical care and lab testing. The rest of her time was spent out in the community, playing games with children, participating in door-to-door evangelism, and helping lead evening worship services.

Who inspired you in Ghana?

Uncle Kobi obediently followed God’s call to minister to unreached villages. Two decades ago, Kobi didn’t own a car, so he had to walk miles to get to these remote villages. Once there, he would share his faith and recruit people to help start a church. Fast forward, and Uncle Kobi has started seven churches and is training younger leaders to take over and guide the congregations.

How was your faith impacted?

What I experienced this summer made me ask God a lot of questions—like “Are you truly good?” and “Why did you allow this to happen?” I came to realize how little I know about God, and that it’s OK! That’s why I have a faith. Before my SOS experience, I never asked all of the serious questions that could push me deeper in my faith. Now I feel like I have more respect and love for God than I did before. I am motivated to ask more questions and explore them, even while knowing that I won’t find all of the answers.

PRAY for continuous spiritual leadership for the communities of Banda and Cape Coast. Pray God will call and equip more young people for leadership roles in their churches, helping spread the gospel from one generation to the next.

Social Work Palos Heights, IL

Ben and SOS teammate Devin Vander Werff volunteered at the Helping Hands center in the Omonia district, which serves refugees from area camps.

He helped the center provide meals, showers and laundry services, and opportunities for the refugees to socialize and play games. Ben also participated in Bible studies and conversations with new converts to Christianity.

One of the most amazing things I witnessed is how culturally intelligent the Helping Hands team members are. Many of the staff are fluent in Farsi and Dari (the languages of Iran and Afghanistan), and they respect the home cultures of the refugees. Even more important, however, is how Helping Hands builds up the refugees to be disciples themselves. When the gospel is presented to a group of refugees, it is almost always done in their native tongue by someone of their same nationality. New converts are then equipped and encouraged to share their faith and become leaders in their community.

How did your summer experience impact you?

God humbled me, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I went into my SOS trip believing I was a pretty good Christian, only to realize I still have a lot of room for growth. There are always more questions to ask, more wisdom to seek, more prayers to be prayed.

PRAY for new opportunities for refugees, like vacant apartments or extra cash for a plane ticket to a new country. Pray for Greece’s leaders as they struggle with how to handle the influx of refugees. And pray for the refugees and the countries they come from—that the oppression, persecution and violence causing their displacement will end.

Ben De Boer (left)

and Devin Vand er

Werff (right)

Biology–Health Professions Pella, IA

As a World Team volunteer, Emmalyne served in a variety of ways. She hosted an English teatime in a Marbella nursing home, taught English to basketball campers in Madrid, served in a hostel for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, and helped plan and host an event at an English academy in Cáceres.

The missionaries we met and worked with are all building amazing relationships with people in their communities. One of the missionary couples is working with African refugees in Málaga, and they have seen people become more and more interested in learning about the gospel.

Several of the missionaries help teach in an English academy that is run by two of the women on the team. English teaching is very much in demand in Spain, so the academy is a phenomenal outreach and is helping create relationships with the students and their families.

What did you learn this summer?

God taught me (and still is teaching me) a lot about his kingdom in different parts of the world. Serving at the hostel where pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago would stop for rest, I was able to meet people from many different countries and ethnicities. I was also able to learn more about what the church is like in different cultures. It was beautiful to see people who are incredibly different from one another come together in the name of Jesus.

PRAY for the missionaries in Spain—that the relationships they are building will lead to opportunities to share the gospel. In addition, some missionaries are experiencing health issues, so pray for their healing. Pray also for the English academy as they spend another year serving the children of Cáceres.

Picture unavailable for Emmalyne

Noah Gritters

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son Hayley Carlt) h g ri t n (fro

Noah helped in each of the areas Vida en abundancia de México (VAM) focuses on: health, education, nutrition and values. He checked patients’ vital signs in medical settings, taught English lessons to children, helped organize and deliver food to kitchens in the community, and attended Saturday School of Values where children sing, play games and learn about God. Because of VAM, people in an underserved neighborhood of Xalapa are getting inexpensive quality healthcare from doctors who care for them and love them like Jesus would. Another exciting thing is children who would not usually have access to education and proper nutrition are receiving both. Nutrition and education are instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty.

How did God surprise you this summer?

Going into my SOS experience, I really did not know what I was going to be doing except that I would be working at a clinic. When I got to Mexico, I was shocked to learn that one day a week I was going to be teaching English to children. I felt completely underqualified for this role, as I had not worked much with kids, and I especially hadn’t taught them. I was also unsure if I spoke enough Spanish to communicate with them well. However, this turned out to be one of my favorite days of the week. The kids were so full of life and joy, and they loved to play and teach me all of their favorite games.

PRAY VAM will continue receiving the financial support they need as they venture into ways of creating their own revenue, such as catering and selling secondhand clothing. Pray the ministry of VAM will grow so they can bless more children, families and whole communities.

Kaitlyn Hassman

Sophia Holt

Karli Lang

Cole Mills

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | LUKE SOCIETY

JAPAN | PIONEERS

PERU | PIONEERS

JAMAICA | ROBIN’S NEST

Nursing Spencer, IA

Kaitlyn and her SOS teammate Anna Teigland assisted Dr. Johny and his nurse, Anto, at a small clinic in the community of Rafey. Kaitlyn assisted with wound care, administered injections and checked vital signs. She also helped host free medical clinics in outlying villages underserved by medical care, weighing and measuring children and distributing vitamins.

Describe Luke Society’s work.

Many people around Santiago are unable to seek healthcare due to lack of transportation, lack of money or insurance, or lack of citizenship documentation. The Luke Society goes to the places and people that have the least access to healthcare. It was inspiring to see the heart of the ministry for serving people’s physical needs and then using that as a way to love people and point them to Christ.

What impact did this summer have on your call to a career in nursing?

The night before we left, Anna and I met with Dr. Johny and reflected on the summer. He pointed to a quote on his office wall about the importance of Christian healthcare professionals. It said something about the great opportunity we have for ministry because so many people who come to hospitals and clinics will never show their faces in a church.

PRAY more people will feel called to minister through the Luke Society in the Dominican Republic and others will feel called to support the ministry financially. Pray Dr. Johny and his staff will be given strength and stamina as they are often stretched very thin. Pray organizations like the Luke Society will continue to improve access to healthcare for the communities they serve—especially for the Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic as they have barely enough money to buy food, let alone afford healthcare.

Spanish-English Translation & Interpretation Omaha, NE

Sophia and her teammates attended English classes at Fukuoka University, where they met Japanese students, exchanged phone numbers and then met up for coffee or lunch to practice speaking each other’s languages. They also taught each other about their respective cultures as they toured Fukuoka and had fun with karaoke. In addition, Sophia attended a Bible study at the university and prayer meetings at the Fukuoka Bible Church.

How were you ministered to this summer?

Through the missionaries we served under, I learned a lot about the importance of commitment in cross-cultural missions. They have been living in Japan for a decade and have committed themselves to being fully present there. It can take many years to be able to see God working in that setting, yet they have continually trusted that God is working and have been faithful to him and the people he’s called them to serve.

What did you discover about your Christian calling?

The way I share my faith in daily life changed significantly this summer. I have known for a very long time the importance of living out my faith, but I began to do that more fully in Japan. Many people we interacted with had never heard much, if anything, about Jesus. This caused me to be even more confident and bold in declaring my faith. I learned to step out in my faith and share honestly whenever I felt God giving me the chance.

PRAY God will strengthen the church members and other Christians we met—that they will stay strong in their faith even though they are surrounded by people who do not believe what they do. Japanese people are “good people” in general—they are kind and generous. But because of that, they do not realize how much they need a Savior. Pray God will open their eyes and hearts.

Elementary Education Orange City, IA

Karli and her teammates—including SOSer Cassidy Bultena—partnered with Pioneers missionaries. They visited two different tribes in the Amazon, attending church services, visiting and eating with other believers, helping with agriculture, and doing projects for the long-term missionaries. They also participated in jungle survival training and a weeklong homestay with a Peruvian family.

How is the gospel faring in the Amazonian jungle?

It was so encouraging to meet believers in the remote tribes we visited and get to worship God with them! It was exciting to see their passion for the Lord and the way native people are reaching out to other tribes to spread the gospel. We met a couple in a community called Nuevo Paraíso who run a Bible institute to train up believers to learn how to study Scripture and then share the gospel in their communities.

How did God challenge you?

On our first trip to a tribal community, we spent most of the week doing work projects for the missionaries that had just moved to the village: digging a plumbing system and trash pits and trenching the area around the house for rain drainage. This taught me a lot about humbling myself and learning to do the “unimportant” tasks with joy, because even the smallest things are kingdom work.

PRAY God’s light shines in the communities of the Amazon jungle where there is real spiritual darkness. Also pray more missionaries— foreign or local—will be called to live in the tribes and become part of tribal life so the gospel can be shared.

Psychology Hinton, IA

Cole and SOS teammate Emily Van Gorp volunteered at Robin’s Nest, an orphanage. While there, Cole supervised work projects around the Nest such as painting, raking rocks out of the yard, and maintaining the road. He also helped the Robin’s Nest “Moms” care for the 27 kids who live there.

Who did you meet at Robin’s Nest?

I spent most of my time with the maintenance workers at the Nest.

Two people I remember the most are Gladson and Eddy. These two guys are amazing. Gladson is the most patient and kind man I have ever met. Through him I was able to experience those attributes of God—patience and kindness. Eddy was a great friend while I was there. He and I were able to have long, deep conversations about God, the children and our struggles.

What did God teach you?

This summer God taught me that I have no idea what it is like—or even what it means—to live within his grace. He brought me to a place where that question was asked often. My SOS experience instilled within me real and true confidence—confidence not only in myself, but also confidence that God is active throughout the world.

PRAY for the kids and their development. Also pray for the workers and directors at Robin’s Nest—that God will fill them with endurance for their tough job taking care of all of those children. Also pray Robin’s Nest’s utilities and equipment needs will be met (e.g., water, steady electricity, and reliable cars and trucks).

iddle) ssman (m a H n ly it Ka

Sophia Holt (sec ond

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left)

Karli Lang

Emily V an and Cole Gorp Mills

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Anna Teigland

Liesbeth ten Hoeve

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | LUKE SOCIETY

SPAIN | ONE COLLECTIVE

Nursing Council Bluffs, IA

Along with SOS teammate Kaitlyn Hassman, Anna volunteered with a doctor and nurse in a Santiago clinic. After helping meet basic medical needs during the week, on weekends they traveled outside Santiago to offer free clinics for the children of Haitian immigrants, many of whom were malnourished. Anna and Kaitlyn also welcomed children to their apartment in the evenings. They made friendship bracelets and colored pictures, and the children taught them dances.

What did God teach you this summer?

My Summer of Service experience was extremely humbling since I am not nearly as fluent in Spanish as I thought, and many times I got laughed at by the kids and even adults. This really hurt my pride at first. I desperately wanted to be able to connect with the people there. Selfishly, I wanted people to think I was smart and capable, and I wanted them to know my true personality. However, I learned that communication goes beyond simply being able to speak the language.

I learned that service is not always about being capable; sometimes it’s just about being available.

What did you learn that you can apply to your future as a nurse?

I will always need Jesus. There are so many injustices in this world, and I will never be able to provide basic medical care to even a small amount of people who don’t currently have access to it. However, this is not my job. I am called by God to serve his people, not save them.

That is his job. Since, as a nurse, I will have the opportunity to come into contact with so many people, I can share the gospel through my actions. Getting to know Dr. Johny and nurse Anto and seeing the way they selflessly serve their community helped me envision the kind of nurse I want to be.

PRAY Dr. Johny gets the rest he needs—that in addition to pouring into all his patients, he also gets time to be with his own family. Our last night in the clinic, Dr. Johny shared a saying about there being many more people who come looking for medical care in a clinic or hospital than go to a church. So pray that everyone who steps foot in a clinic will be shown the love of Christ.

Picture unavailable for Anna Teigland

Accounting Waverly, IA

Along with SOS teammate Lexi Van Surksum, Liesbeth started her Summer of Service experience with a nine-day hike of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage made by people from all over the world. After experiencing what the hikers do, Liesbeth became a volunteer at the Pilgrim House, which offers a place for pilgrims to rest and reflect as well as attend to practical needs like laundry.

Describe the ministry of Pilgrim House.

The Pilgrim House does an amazing job of welcoming every person who walks through their door and treating them with love, respect and grace. The Pilgrim House workers meet the needs of the pilgrims who come in after their long and difficult journey without expecting anything in return.

Who did you meet there?

I met a woman named Isaura. She was born in Mexico, but after meeting a Dutch man, she moved to the Netherlands and married him. Isaura spoke Spanish, English and Dutch. When she found out I speak Dutch too, she got really excited and asked if I could debrief with her and help her reflect on her pilgrimage. She wanted to practice expressing her emotions and feelings in Dutch for when she went back home to her family. By the end of our talk, both of us were crying and hugging each other. I went into the conversation expecting to encourage her and help her, but it became a reciprocal effect where she encouraged me as well.

What did you learn about ministry this summer?

How I think about ministry has changed. Ministry is not always simply sharing the gospel verbally. Ministry is listening to people, making them feel heard and loved. It is walking alongside people, not pushing them from behind or pulling them along from in front. Ministry can be being present and available, like just eating a meal with someone as Jesus did.

PRAY that volunteers will continue to feel called to serve at the Pilgrim House and that the ministry’s financial needs will continue to be met through donations. Pray for the health and stamina of the Pilgrim House leaders. Pray also for the many pilgrims who stop there—that they experience it as a place of refuge and peace where they can be rejuvenated for the journey back home.

Lexi Van Surksum and Liesbeth ten Hoeve

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Shelby Van Den Berg

Devin Vander Werff

Emily Van Gorp

Lexi Van Surksum

GHANA | PIONEERS

GREECE | ONE COLLECTIVE

JAMAICA | ROBIN’S NEST

SPAIN | ONE COLLECTIVE

Biology–Health Professions Sioux Center, IA

Along with SOS teammate Hayley Carlson, Shelby served at clinics in Banda and Cape Coast. Most exciting for Shelby was assisting with a birth.

In addition to getting healthcare experience, she also evangelized through door-to-door ministry and participated in leading children’s ministries and delivering sermons when invited to do so.

How did God challenge you this summer?

I have always been a planner. When I heard that we needed to prepare sermons, I immediately set to work and prepared five sermons. Once I arrived in Ghana, through various experiences with the children and adults I met, I realized God wanted me to preach about other things. I ended up re-writing every single sermon.

What surprises did God have for you?

Isaac, a little boy from Banda, could hardly read or speak English, and he had only held a Bible in his hands a few times in his life. As we were walking back from children’s ministry, he asked me if he could read me a verse. As we sat down under a tree, he found the table of contents and proceeded to look up Job 1:21. Then he began sounding out the words very slowly reciting, “The Lord gave, and the Lord takes away. Let his name be praised through it all.” Later, after we’d moved on to Cape Coast, God placed on my heart that my final sermon in Ghana should be on Job 1:21. When I finished, a man approached me to say the sermon was a comfort to him. The congregation sang “It is Well With My Soul,” and it was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever been a part of.

PRAY for the Ghanaian spiritual leaders, who are so on fire for Christ and have such a passion for sharing the gospel. Sometimes they have to walk 30 to 40 miles a day in order to reach all the churches. I ask for prayers that more of their material needs can be met so these on-firefor-God spiritual leaders are able to carry out their missions.

Business Administration–Finance Urbandale, IA

Along with SOS teammate Ben De Boer, Devin volunteered with Helping Hands at a refugee center. Refugees came from the camps to the center for showers and meals and to do laundry and receive basic medical care. They also heard a gospel presentation and socialized with other refugees from their home countries. Devin and Ben helped clean, prepare meals and watch children so missionaries fluent in Farsi could interact with the refugees.

What did God teach you this summer?

I learned a lot about prayer. The refugees have never had the opportunity to pray to a God who hears them and transforms them. Now that they have this opportunity, they pray all the time. Any time a prayer request was made, we would pray right then and there; we would never wait to pray later.

To what is God calling you?

I am trying to discern how to live missionally here at home. There were a lot of comments made about how America is post-Christian and that mission efforts are dying in America. Before I left, I was afraid I would be called to missions cross-culturally, but now I am excited to take on the challenge of living in a place where people think faith is dying.

PRAY for the Helping Hands missionaries. Many feel inadequate for ministering to refugees who come with deep emotional and spiritual needs. Some refugees are contemplating suicide; others are stuck in the camps or detention centers and need help figuring out what to do next.

Listening to the refugees’ stories is emotionally and spiritually draining, and the missionaries feel helpless. Pray both the refugees and the missionaries will experience God’s sustaining grace.

Psychology Pella, IA

Emily and SOS teammate Cole Mills volunteered at Robin’s Nest, an orphanage. Emily helped organize donations from the U.S. and distribute unneeded items out in the community. She also supervised short-term mission teams from the U.S., orienting them to the ministry and overseeing their work projects. Most importantly, she helped care for the children who call Robin’s Nest home, feeding them, reading to them, playing games and going swimming.

How were you challenged?

My SOS experience challenged so many of my previous ideas. There are so many social issues that seem cut and dried until you step into the situation and actually experience them. It also challenged my understanding of international adoption. I assumed that if you wanted to adopt and could afford it, you adopted. That is such a misperception.

There are so many obstacles.

How have you changed?

An experience like SOS challenges your priorities. When separated from your own home and culture, you quickly realize what is actually important in life. It made me realize how blessed I am to grow up the way I did, but I also realized how, in some ways, the people at Robin’s Nest were more fortunate. The kids were so joyful and full of life.

PRAY for the Robin’s Nest children as a new school year is underway.

Pray especially for the high school age boys who are vulnerable to dropping out of school and other pressures since living at a children’s home is not “cool”. Also pray the Robin’s Nest board will find a strong individual or couple to fill the director role for next year.

Social Work Orange City, IA

Along with SOS teammate Liesbeth Ten Hoeve, Lexi walked 137 miles of the Camino de Santiago in nine days. This journey enabled her to understand other travelers as she served them at the Pilgrim House later in the summer. She did pilgrims’ laundry, printed their boarding passes for the trip home, and visited with them, enabling them to reflect and debrief their pilgrimage.

In what ways did you grow this summer?

I have a lot more compassion for people who come to the United States with English as their second language. Living in Spain for six weeks and not always being able to properly communicate what I needed was incredibly challenging. I also have a deeper respect for pilgrims. Along the way, I had numerous blisters that were miserable to walk with, but so many older, much more experienced pilgrims offered to help me. This experience taught me to show mercy and grace to those around me, and to walk a mile (or 137) in others’ shoes before making judgments.

What did God teach you?

One big thing God taught me through this experience is that his love and message can still be shared even when not explicitly sharing the gospel. God’s love can be shared tangibly through doing laundry for somebody; it doesn’t have to always be preached.

PRAY the Pilgrim House ministry will continue overcoming obstacles—tricky visa issues and inconsistent funding. Pray the ministry is able to continue with the volunteers and funds they need.

Devin is pictured on page 5 with Ben De Boer. (middle) Emily Van Gorp

Berg an Den V y lb e Sh

Lexi Van Sur ksum

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SUMMER LOVE Every summer since 1981, around 20 Northwestern College students have spent 6 to 10 weeks serving as short-term missionaries through Summer of Service (SOS). They have served on six continents and in around 90 countries. They raise the money themselves to cover transportation, room and board, and program expenses, mostly from family, friends, their home churches and on-campus service projects.

They have traveled to countries like Albania, Bolivia, Fiji, Ghana, Haiti, India, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Romania and Uganda to serve with mission partners including the Luke Society, Pioneers, Wycliffe and the Reformed Church in America. They have worked in churches, hospitals, orphanages, schools and refugee centers; taught Vacation Bible School and English as a second language; and served in sports and hospitality ministries. They have milked yak, helped deliver babies, and supported victims of sex trafficking. Sum-

mer of Service alumni often serve as missionaries after graduation— some for a week or a month, others for a lifetime—participating in community development, English teaching, evangelism, healthcare delivery, and translation and refugee assistance.

Christians from around the world welcome Northwestern students into the action of their ongoing ministries. The students return home with questions about God and the world and stories of the surprising ways the Holy Spirit has transformed their hearts and minds. They say confidently that Christ is, indeed, at work in the world—and they’re eager to discover what God wants them to do next.

nwciowa.edu/give2sos

Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission stmstandards.org Northwestern College is committed to Standards of Excellence (SOE) in Short-Term Mission.

The SOE criteria were developed by representatives from many U.S. mission agencies, schools and churches who send short-term missionaries. The common set of standards helps ensure that individuals or teams sent by U.S. organizations are excellent.

Appropriate training, empowering partnerships, God-centeredness and debriefing are all components of SOE membership. As a member, Northwestern is serious about doing short-term mission well—from preparation through follow-up. Northwestern is a covenant member of the SOE. Look for the SOE seal on any mission literature you receive.

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