RICHMOND — This summer Virginia Baptist Collegiate Ministries was directly involved in sending over 47 students to do various summer mission projects.
You may have heard about the 3 GO (Global Outreach) teams that went to London, Italy and South Africa. These were short term immersion experiences that lasted about two weeks.
We also invested in students that wanted to serve in BGAV churches as interns for the summer. These are students who work with youth and children. Eric Reiber, a student at Virginia Tech, worked with international students on the Tech campus under the supervision of Baptist campus minister Darrell Cook. We feel it is a way to give back to BGAV churches through ministry to them in the summer in ways they could not afford otherwise. It also serves to raise up one of our students through leadership mentoring and development.
A number of students assisted in the leadership of Impact Virginia teams as they have for a number of years ,providing much needed help to our young people who are serving in disadvantaged areas.
BCM has made it a priority to assist those that the Virginia Baptist Mission Board has designated as “partners” through glocal missions teams work. This year teams have traveled to the Czech Republic, South Africa India and Italy.
A variety of ministries are taking place in South Africa.
Alyson Taylor and Katie Stewart are working at the Door of Hope orphanage. They are scheduled on a rotating shift to be responsible for providing care for babies in the orphanage.
Erin Rourke and Russell Ames are working with an organization called the Touch Life Centre along with Carol Seeley and Amber Williams, both of whom are Virginia Baptist Venturers. The Touch Life Centre is based out of Troyeville Baptist Church, where Cheryl Allen is pastor. TLC is a daycare and Erin and Russell are helping to provide programs and care for the children during the day.
Those who went to Eastern Europe have provided a sampling of some of their activities and how God is working in their lives. They are Brittany Krantz and Mattie Patterson from the College of William and Mary and Dreama Montcrief from the University of Virginia.
“God has been doing amazing things in and through us thus far,” wrote Brittany. “While in Moldova, we stayed with an absolutely amazing family: Tantsi, Sergio and their gorgeous 4-month old daughter, Laura. In the mornings, we helped teach English and in the afternoons, we did a VBS in the village where we lived, Speia. The kids stole our hearts — we are in love with each and every one of them. Believe it or not-, we also fell in love with the lack of running water and plumbing. We had a very hard time leaving Moldova. Please pray for Speia, the children we worked with and the family (Sergio and Tantsi) as they continue to share Christ with the people of Moldova. While we aren't there anymore, we know Christ continues to work.
“We arrived in the Czech Republic on June 30th. It was a bit of a culture shock: they have running water and plumbing here! Our host family, Vilma and Roman and their three children, Sam, David and Naomi, are wonderful and very welcoming. However, they do not speak English. Our acting skills have been put to the test after just a few days.
“We have begun to teach English at a church in Lovosice. This is challenging for us as neither of us are English majors. Please pray that God will use us despite our inadequacies with English and inability to communicate in Czech. Please pray for the upcoming English lessons and youth camp. We pray God will use us in a mighty way.
“In just the few weeks we have been gone, our relationships with Christ have grown in ways we never could have imagined. Please continue to pray for safe travels and our ministry here in Eastern Europe.”
Lastly we have assisted 12 students who wish to follow God's leading in creative ways that are not necessarily on our intentional list of sites. These students have served in Lake Placid doing children's ministry. In Venezuela, Terah Boy from UVA-Wise did evangelistic work among youth in public school settings, where he saw over 700 decisions of some sort made in the three weeks he was there. One of our students went to a Middle Eastern country to study Arabic at one of their universities. A student of Middle Eastern studies and Arabic at the College of William and Mary, she is using the opportunity to advance her studies and develop intentional relationships.