Intern on Mission
Intern on Mission
by Blaire Boozer
Missions is a concept I have been exposed to since I was a young girl. Growing up, my parents set an amazing example of what faithfulness looks like in a local body of believers. Every Sunday and Wednesday we were at church. One of my favorite parts of church was attending GAs (Girls in Action) on Wednesday nights. Not only did I get to spend time with my friends, but I also got to hear really cool stories from really cool people.
I vividly remember sitting at the feet of a woman from our church who had received a calling to be a missionary in China. She came to GAs with so many amazing stories and pictures. It was fascinating to me that she went to such a place just to talk about God. I soaked up every word she said with awe.
My first foreign mission trip was at the age of 10 through an organization called Family Legacy. My parents had heard about it through a childhood friend of my mom’s. Family Legacy is an organization in Zambia, Africa. It has many programs that serve local Zambians by caring for their physical and spiritual well-being. The program that my family and I participated in is called Camp Life. Essentially, it is a VBS for Zambian children that is held around the compounds that surround Family Legacy. Each volunteer gets to spend a week as a leader for 10 children of varying ages doing all sorts of things.
I had the opportunity to lead my group of 7 and 8 year-old girls alongside two local Zambians. During this week, you are constantly playing with them, loving on them, and most importantly, sharing the Gospel with them. It was truly a transformative experience.
From the moment we arrived, it was easy to see that each of my girls had a joy that was indescribable. I was struck by the fact that they had almost nothing compared to me and yet they still showed gratitude—when I was often ungrateful. Because food was never promised, the children who came to Camp Life were probably eating their only meal of the day. This meal would consist of four pieces of bread and a smoothie because their empty stomachs couldn't handle much more.
One of the most vivid memories I have was when we revealed the gifts they would receive at the end of the week. The items were presented to the kids from smallest to largest, and the first item shown was a single Starburst candy. When the man on the stage held it up for everyone to see, the whole room burst with excitement. There was chanting and dancing and the biggest smiles! I couldn't fathom this much excitement for something I took for granted. Not only were the girls extremely joyful, but they also showed a great desire to know more about God. They were very receptive to what we shared during Bible study. This fact alone has taught me so much about the kindness of God in revealing Himself to all people. Until this point, God had been confined to a box in my life. This box included church and camp. I would hear about missionaries telling people in foreign countries about God, but witnessing to others on the receiving end changed my perspective. I was able to see firsthand that there are people that Jesus loves who are not a part of my daily life, and that He uses people like me to tell them about His love for them.
Since that time, I have participated in two more mission trips through Family Legacy and multiple mission trips through the youth group in my home church. As I have gotten older, the Lord has continually taught me more about His faithfulness in providing a way for all people to have salvation through Jesus Christ and the need for those who don’t know Jesus' name to hear it. He has impressed upon my heart the desire to serve Him in that way through my pursuit of a nursing degree.
Serving as a BETA Intern for Dawson's Missions Ministry has given me lots of opportunities to talk about missions, and also to serve others and share the Gospel through Kids Connection.
If you are considering your first mission trip, I encourage you to take that first step. I promise that your life will be forever changed.
To learn more about Dawson's BETA internship program for college students, please click here.