Getting hands-on experience can play a crucial role in making a life-changing decision. One full-time worker from Germany came to Russia on an internship during his college years. He had been thinking about missions since childhood, but his internship pushed him into action.

“Without looking into different areas of mission work through short-term trips, I would never have gotten around to actually becoming a long-term worker,” he said. The impetus to act is one of many benefits of a missions internship, whether you need one for class credit or you just want to explore missionary life.

Internships can offer insight on your role in cross-cultural work. “I didn’t feel like I was bringing very much to the table on my short-term trip, and God showed me that I didn’t have to,” one intern said. “He is the one doing the work; I just needed to be a willing body.”

Internships can broaden your understanding of where God is at work. One team member changed her direction in life after a short-term experience because she realized how much God loves the whole world. “My world widened,” she said. “I began to care about a place and a people that I didn’t know or understand before.”

Internships can teach you the life skills you need to thrive in a cross-cultural context. “One of the biggest difficulties for me was the level of independence expected of me,” said one intern who returned for a longer term of service. “This expectation was good for me, but it was definitely a steep learning curve.”

SEND offers internships in Asia, Europe, Eurasia, and North America. Our discipleship-focused programs help our interns make the most of their experiences. We maximize our time with interns who come to the field to explore missions, to look for where God is at work, and to understand their place in God’s plan.

Our interns grow in Christ-likeness and obedience to God’s Word. They become noticeably more confident in making disciples. And they understand more clearly God’s heart for the lost and their role in sharing his love with the unreached.

Below are three great opportunities to serve this summer—but if none of these seem like the perfect fit for you, you can learn more about SEND’s internships at send.org/internships.

A short mission trip can change how you view yourself, the world, and our God. Our missions coaches can connect you with a great opportunity to serve short-term!

• Find out how you can serve short-term with SEND.
• Explore short mission trips through SEND.
  
• Find a missions internship.
• Subscribe to Explore , our free monthly newsletter full of inspiration, ideas, and encouragement for people interested in discovering their role in cross-cultural missions.