The following blog post is written by a former East-West intern.
This spring I had the opportunity to intern at East-West Ministries in the marketing and development department. I knew I wanted an internship that would equip me both professionally and spiritually but was unprepared for the tremendous impact my time at East-West would have on me.
Though there are so many memories and takeaways from these four months that I could share, I’ll stick to the top three things I learned:
1. There is a tremendous urgency for the world to know Jesus.
Ever since my first mission trip in high school, I‘ve had my heart set on working for a missions organization in some capacity. I always thought I had a heart for the nations, but I quickly realized how much the Lord wanted to stretch me in this area through my internship at East-West.
Here, there is this underlying sense of urgency about everything we do.
There is a tangible buzz in the office, not fueled by busyness or by stress, but by the ardent desire of every staff member to see the world reached by the gospel. It’s present in daily prayer meetings, weekly staff chapel time, departmental meetings and even mundane daily tasks, making it impossible to forget just how desperately the world needs Jesus Christ.
2. Living with a mission mindset does not mean you need to go overseas.
Over the past semester, I’ve even seen this urgency for the gospel overflow into my personal life. The Spirit has repeatedly convicted me not to set aside evangelism as a side project or as something that I only pursue through my work at East-West.
As a college student in my last semester, living off-campus and transitioning into the adult world, it would have been easy to retreat into my cozy little Christian bubble.
Through my internship at East-West, the Lord constantly reminded me that I have been placed at my campus, at this time for a specific reason. I am not called to wait, but to go and to share the gospel with everyone I encounter.
Yes, the need for the gospel in unreached areas is tremendous, but the need for the Gospel on college campuses and in secular workplaces is just as great.
3. Community is essential.
Through my internship at East-West I’ve gotten a tiny glimpse of God’s desire to cultivate individual’s gifts and talents for His glory. I’ve also seen a picture of true Biblical community: weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice.
What distinguished my experience at East-West was not the blogs I wrote, envelopes I stuffed or Instagram stories I helped create.
What distinguished my time at East-West was the genuine spiritual investment, care and attention I received from all staff members.
Whether it was inviting me to lunch, asking about my day or praying over an upcoming test, staff members consistently exhibited a desire to know me and invest in me as a member of the body of Christ and the East-West family. It was only through the strength of this community that I was able to grow spiritually through my time at East-West.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” -Jeremiah 17:7-8