Meet Sandra Wiebe coming to ISM September 2013 – Interning at Hope for the Children and the Acheson Family – India

Hello! My name is Sandra Wiebe I am 17 years old, I was born in a little town called Blue Creek in Belize, a small country in Central America.

Sandra Wiebe

I lived there until I was nine which is when my parents decided to move my three brothers and I to Leamington, Ontario.I’ve been living here for almost nine years. The town I live in is also small, however it’s huge compared to what I was I used to. I’ve grown up in a Christian home my whole life with a loving family, and although they expected me to be young forever I will be graduating high school this year. 

 

At the beginning of my last year of high school my friends and fellow classmates began talking about which universities they were going to apply to, I occasionally joined in, however something didn’t feel right about it. So I prayed to God for opportunities and what I was supposed to do after graduation, which is when my youth pastor told me about Impact School of Missions. I felt a sense of peace and joy about it immediately and knew that this was the opportunity God was giving me. I was ecstatic! So in my excitement I informed my parents of this opportunity and expected an immediate and enthusiastic yes. I had forgotten that being my father’s only daughter meant that in his eyes I was to stay home, forever. So I prayed and had others pray for four months before I got the thumbs up from both my parents. 

 

I’ve always had the desire to do missions but the thought was always pushed away and I didn’t believe that it was for me, but when this opportunity came about I couldn’t deny that this was what God wanted me to do. After one month in Thailand I will be going to Chennai, India interning with Hope for the Children, I have always had a passion to work with children and so this is a dream come true. I know God is planning some major transformations and I will be learning to serve and be obedient to God’s direction in a whole new way. I can’t wait to see how God is going to use me!

 

A verse that has been teaching me a lot about being surrendered to Christ and obedient to his call is found in Galations 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” 

Meet Monique Beuglet – Student at ISM Sept 2013 – Internship – NightLight

 

Monique Beuglet

Hi, my name is Monique Beuglet and I am from Guelph, Ontario.  I was born in the busy metropolis of Toronto, but have lived in Guelph since I was 2 years old, enjoying this beautiful city that I call home. I have a younger sister who is 14 and two incredibly loving and supportive parents.  I grew up in a Christian home, being actively involved in church for as long as I can remember and loving God with a servant’s heart.

 

I graduated from high school last June and decided to take a year off to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  Throughout high school I had become interested in business, and decided that that is what I would study at University.  In my mind, the University I attended would determine my future success as a businesswoman, so I was determined to get into some of the highest ranked commerce programs in the country.  I went back to school for a semester to take a few additional classes and increase my average, my dream to receive an offer of admission from the University of Western Ontario to their elite Ivey School of Business.  Well let me tell you, since then God has completely transformed my dreams and ambitions, my priorities being entirely rearranged. 

 

Last summer I was in Europe with my Mom for 3 weeks. We stayed in Holland with family for most of our time there, venturing to Paris for a week. In Bible College my Mom had done her internship in Holland, doing some ministry in the red light district of Amsterdam.  We were in Amsterdam a few times, and on one of our day trips there we decided to walk through the red light district at around 6 o’clock.  As we walked through the streets, seeing women selling themselves in shop windows like an article of clothing, my heart broke. I knew then and there that I wanted to do some form of ministry to women who were involved in human trafficking and prostitution.  My plan was to study a year abroad in Holland during my third year of University, and during that summer get involved with a Christian organization or church in Amsterdam which ministered to these women. However, since then God has changed yet another plan of mine.

 

A few months ago Sandra McIntosh and her husband came to my home church as special guests.  Sandra briefly shared a little bit about what ISM was doing in Southeast Asia and how young people could get involved.  As I listened to her talk about the ministry I brushed it off, thinking that’s not for me, I have this plan of doing missions work when I go back to Europe. The next day my Mom asked me if the opportunity to work with ISM had peaked my interest, and I decided to go online and do some research.  I immediately saw that there were several opportunities in both India and Thailand to work with victims of human trafficking.  I began sobbing, feeling so convicted by God that this was what I was supposed to do, and immediately filled out an application. 

 

Starting in September 2013 I will be in Bangkok, Thailand for seven months, interning at NightLight International, being used by God to bring His unprecedented love to women who have been victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Putting off school for yet another year was not in my plan. Nor was going to Southeast Asia to do missions work in a city’s whose economy is driven by its world renown sex trade industry.  However, I know that this is God’s plan, and pursuing Him with everything you are means letting His desires become your desires and being willing to step out of your comfort zone and surrender every aspect of your life to him. I can’t predict what God has in store for me throughout my internship at NightLight, but I am expecting Him to reveal Himself in amazing ways, knowing that I will grow closer to Him as I put complete trust in His purpose for my life. I am so excited to see how God will use me and the gifts that He has given me for His glory in a city filled with darkness.  A verse that comes to mind as I prepare for this incredible adventure is one that I have been reassured by time and time again. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

In your Face! – 7 reflections of witnessing sex trafficking and exploitation.

7 Reflections From 7 Months of Witnessing Sex Trafficking & Exploitation in Bangkok, Thailand (while interning for NightLight International). 

1. GOD, WHERE IS YOUR GOODNESS? What is ‘humanity’ and at what point do people lose it? Why can’t I stop my soul from this painful grieving and sorrow?… These are the thoughts that I’ve often had to process through with God over the past seven months. Humanitarian workers across the world go through some tough, faith-testing stuff (second-hand trauma). They see some of the hardest realities of our world week after week and as these experiences compound, their deepest beliefs about life and the world are tested. Throughout my time here, God has been faithful, and loving, and true. I have seen women freed from the trap of prostitution and exploitation. I have seen God’s power and love pour over dark and disturbing areas of our world and bring freedom and hope. But that didn’t stop me from asking God, sometimes in anger or tears, why these things are happening and why it’s hurting so bad to be in the midst of it. It turns out His “refining fire” the Bible talks about HURTS really REALLY badly (but in reflection is so worth it). Please pray for those who are still enduring day after day to be a messenger of hope to exploited and broken peoples everywhere.

2. THE BLAME GAME. Yes the world’s a mess. Yes there are many hard, exhausting and painful parts in each of our lives. Yes there are things to grieve over and get angry about all around us. Yes… yes. But still, we choose how we respond to these things; how we behave and even think. We have a lot of power to choose. We can choose be angry or we can be determined to forgive. We can offer our love unconditionally, or we can withdraw that love… or we can manipulate it. We develop priorities for our time, energy and money. We choose what to say, and whether our actions match up to our words. We choose what we value most, and whether or not our financial spending actually matches what we claim to value (Is your budget spent on your kids, your education, helping a cause your “passionate” about?). We also choose what we believe in, and the degree to which our faith becomes the motivation for each and EVERY action, EVERY day. WE CHOOSE. We have the capacity to change or we can choose to stay the same. But as adults we have to admit that WE must take responsibility for the way our internal decisions affect various internal and external consequences. As for me, it’s never quite that simple or easy to change, so I turn to One who is greater: a Savior who is quick to help us and a God with endless wisdom and strength.

3. HUMILITY! OUCH. It’s awesome that so many people are so passionate about the issue of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. But the first thing I learned from NightLight is that what we read and see on TV is not always accurate, and sometimes it’s quite sensationalized. After shadowing the field workers – those who are hitting the streets week after week, walking into the hotels where trafficking happens in plain sight, sitting next to pole dancers on their breaks and listening to their stories, and offering a safe friendship to these women where few exist – I have begun to understand how sexual exploitation is as “normal” in some places as a drug dealer on the corner of an inner city street. The best way I can explain it: like the difference between watching a movie about war and actually talking to a soldier who’s just returned from combat. The work they do through this outreach is faith-testing stuff: it can be traumatizing (because it’s REAL and in front of you), there’s not nearly enough resources given to help the thousands in need around you so you sometimes battle feelings of inadequacy, frustration and stress, and the issues surrounding the sex industry are so inexplicably complicated that it tempts you to throw your hands up in the air and want to give up! These individuals have been pathing the way before us. They deserve our utmost respect and our emotional, FINANCIAL and spiritual (PRAYER) support. Ask and pray how you can SERVE them and learn from them. And DON’T THINK COMBATING THESE ISSUES WILL BE EASY, GIVE YOU SATISFACTION OR FIX ANY SELF ESTEEM PROBLEMS. IT WON’T. But together, if we endure through whatever comes, we get to watch God at work – we get to see people walk out of slavery and into freedom – and that is totally worth it.

4. I’M NOT BRAVE, I’M IN LOVE, AND THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE. Many people have recently told me I am brave. But I’m not that brave. I’d still ask someone to walk me home at night in the middle of South Carolina if there’s no one going with me. Why? Because I’m AFRAID. I didn’t go to intern with NightLight so I could explore Thailand (I already knew I hate being a foreigner. It’s hard!). I didn’t go to save the world (At 22, what do I truly know about the world and about all the challenges of life?). The only reason I came, the only reason I entered this journey of learning to outreach to and care for women who are being sexually exploited and trafficked, is because I am ridiculously in love with God and my Savior Jesus Christ. I have full faith in His power and desire to save all people. He’s dramatically healed, renewed and transformed me at profound levels and I am so grateful. So I went in obedience to God’s direction. And He carried me through most of it, because it was much too exhausting and heart breaking for me to handle anyways.

5. IF WE’RE NOT CAREFUL, WE ALL PLAY A ROLE IN THE CYCLE OF HURT AND ABUSE THAT FEEDS THE HORRORS FOUND IN THE SEX INDUSTRY. I remember sitting in a park before work one day when the man next to me started chatting. He started sharing about his life, as tends to happen when you hang out near Bangkok’s red-light district. He talked about how he often comes to the bars to build friendships with the women. Later in the conversation he shared that he had also participated in prostitution. He expressed frustration that the women see him as an ATM and not an opportunity for a relationship, and that they exploit him for food and other purchases. He mentioned that many men commit suicide after the connection they thought they had with one of these women turns out to be founded in fantasy… I remember on my first day interning at NightLight I walked in and saw one of my favorite women, glowing with joy and beauty. I tell her, “You look beautiful today!” She points up to the sky and says “That’s because my Father is beautiful!” Later that week, she excitedly shared her testimony with me: Just two years before, a few blocks from where we stood, she had worked as a street prostitute. She said it was a really bad time for her: men would beat her, some customers wouldn’t pay her and she thought about committing suicide. She wanted a way out. Then someone told her about NightLight…. I remember every time “N”, an African woman who’d been trafficked to Thailand, gave me a hug. So sweet, so sincere, so gentle. She had been working the streets as a prostitute when NightLight outreach workers met her and asked her if she wanted help going home. I only met her in casual settings, when we were celebrating or hanging out like friends. A few weeks ago she finally returned home. While she was in Thailand she had been raped so violently that the physical trauma never fully healed. These injuries have now turned into cervical cancer and she also tests HIV positive… People in all walks of life are holding in layers and layers of abuse, brokenness and/or humiliation. Anger and bitterness, abuse of all types and various attacks to individuals’ identities are all major contributors to the mindset shifts that fuel the sex industry. Perhaps men feel unappreciated, disrespected and taken advantage of by women. They battle feelings of loneliness, insecurity, failure, fear of rejection and unmanliness and take it out on others verbally, emotionally, physically and/or sexually. Maybe they were sexually molested or abused as a child. Maybe they confuse sex with love and are left empty when they find out the woman secretly had always seen him as just a loaf of bread. Women perhaps continue/respond with passive aggression, anger, bitterness, blame and their own forms of abusive behavior towards men. These women also experience rejection, fear, insecurity, sadness, loss of identity and abuse of all kinds. Both hold on to un-forgiveness, both blame the opposite sex, and attempt to justify their actions within themselves. Both are convinced that they are in the right; the cycle continues and perhaps even deepens. We may not feel like we should relate to issues of sexual exploitation, but we can all admit to doing at least one of these things can’t we? Not forgiving? Blaming? Generalizing? Projecting hurt? Deepening in insecurity? Holding on to self-condemnation? The stories can get a lot more horrific and complex but you get the picture, right?

6. GOD IS NOT TO BLAME. No matter what kind of insanity or pain exists in the world, God has always been in the midst of it pouring out His love, and He will continue to be there, even if we all give up. In the moments when I questioned why God wasn’t doing anything to stop the exploitation I was seeing, I was hit with the memory that HE IS THE ONE WHO SENT ME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. It’s definitely not the path I would have chosen for my life and the same is obviously true about most of the other outreach workers here. We’re only here because God gives us the strength to be here and because when we get disheartened He reminds us of His infinite power to do the seemingly impossible and that God has never and WILL NEVER give up on the world. He will keep fighting for all things good. The question is: will we? Do we trust Him?

7. FINALLY. I HAVE LEARNED THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE AN INSPIRATIONAL PERSON, YOU MUST SURROUND YOURSELF WITH INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE – people who make you feel very small (in the best of ways), people who make you jump leaps and sprint miles in your level of maturity, character and faith just to catch up. Surround yourself with people who celebrate you and desire to watch you reach your highest potential, people who live for the little things as much as the big things in life and who match their actions with their words, people of integrity, passionate people motivated by love and compassion. When you reflect on these people, you have to laugh because no matter how much or how fast you grow, you never quite seem to catch up, and thus, you always stay inspired. And yet somehow, they believe that their ceiling can be your starting point and it excites and motivates you to choose the path that won’t disappoint!

Maria Gambone de Jesus

Look what Jesus is doing in the lives of ISM students!

This terms internships are almost at an end…. But God’s work is just beginning!

The month of April sees all of our ISM interns returning home to their families, jobs, and dreams, but they are returning home changed. Here are some of their final reflections…

Maria Gambone de Jesus

The last seven months were beyond description challenging. But looking back, I am so thankful for the time ISM took to prepare me before my internship began. The things I learned there and the mentorship I received were absolutely key to my success in my position at NightLight. ISM multiplied my growth in maturity of faith and character during that time. The growth in knowledge, character and faith I gained from my time at ISM has impacted my actions and thoughts in daily life, and the way I look at my life and purpose. I find myself applying the one month of ISM classes into my daily life more than I do even my four years of classes at university.

Tim Wharton

Attending Impact School of Missions was a great experience where I learned more than I ever expected to. I went in with the mindset that it would prepare me for my up coming internship which it did but in a more impact full way it opened me up to the world of missions as a whole. I learned a lot about what missions means, what opportunities and type of missions work are out there and what some of the needs are. I was challenged to think about if the missions life was for me and how missions fit into God’s plan for my life. This is definitely a great place if you think missions is for you or might be for you. I was also challenged to look closer at what my faith meant to me and saw growth in myself as the month progressed. For two and a half months I interned at Abundant Love in Ban Mai Sawan, Thailand. Working at the children’s home was a great opportunity, spending time with the children was great, along with building great relationships with the staff. The language barrier has been an interesting challenge but has also made for great fun. Even with the language barrier you can still be a great help and blessing to those around you; it just might not be how you expect it. My experiences at ISM and Ban Mai Sawan are something I will never forget and have changed my life forever.

 

Chris Lowe

I came to ISM in hope of getting a better understanding of what missions will look like in my future. I came knowing fully that I am going to be entering long term missions work at some point in my future. I came to ISM as part of education at Vanguard College. That hope that I had to better identify my role in missions was met with an answer. The teaching and relationship model that I worked with at The Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, matches with my missionolgy in every way. Also I have learned a lot about my self and my passion for this lost world has grown a great amount. I will leave Thailand with my questions answered and a better understanding of myself, mission, and of God.

 

Kelly Braun

I never could’ve imagined that God would do so much in my life through one step of faith. ISM has turned my world upside down. I am so grateful for everything this program is. Every challenge, every new experience, every adventure, has caused me to grow into a very different person than I was when I first stepped on that plane. I am thankful to have had an a experience that is more authentic to missionary life, and I praise God for every difficult and stretching situation He put me into. His kindness is HUGE- He is shown me how He loves the unlovable, wants to give us the smallest desires of our hearts, and more than ever, how HE is the answer to every hurt in this world. ISM provided me with such valuable training for the missions world and for entering a different culture. My internship placement was so perfect for me, and is now a place I can call a second home. Praise God for all that He has done in me, and through me. He is amazing. “I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things He does for me.” Psalm 103:1-2

 

Bethany Nickel

My experience at ISM has been nothing short of phenomenal. It’s brought me a whole new perspective on missions; long and short term. The classes provided me with so much great information that has not only been so helpful throughout my internship, but is also something that I can take home with me and apply to my every day life. These few months have stretched me in the craziest ways and has forced me to grow immensely in my relationship with our creator. Go ISM! Whoo-hoo

 

Tanya Land

I wish the English language had words to describe the greatness of Impact School of Missions. It is so obvious that Sandra McIntosh and the ISM staff are continuously listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The staff at ISM are empowering, inspirational, and full of wisdom. Everything I learnt in class at ISM helped me excel in my internship and thereby equipping me for a life of ministry and faithfulness to Christ. The 4-weeks went by so fast, during which I made lasting Christ-centred friendships. Impact School of Missions is life-changing and I STRONGLY encourage students to ‘GO’!

What our hosts are saying about ISM’s interns!

“It is a delight to see the interns from ISM grow through their experiences here. The interns really get a chance to see what true servant-hood is like in the everyday running of things, but also a chance to be a part of the extra-ordinary moments of this unique ministry. ISM did an amazing job training the interns, providing constant support for them, and readying them for their time with us. We feel very positive about receiving more interns from ISM!” – NightLight

“Our recent intern from ISM really opened us up to receiving more interns. He was so willing, servant-hearted and adaptable. Thank you so much for preparing and sending such a great young man…we know that there is a calling in his life and are excited to see it unfold.” - Christo and Sarah Emmanuel – Church of the Living God – India

The two ISM interns that were sent to us were wonderful. They were well trained and a joy to work with. They were such a blessing and help to me personally and they have made a very positive impact on the lives of the children. They will not be forgotten as I am sure they will never forget their experiences here and how God has changed them.

Thanks ISM you are doing an awesome ministry to these young people!

Linda Veldhuizen – Director – Noah’s Ark, Philippines

Say WHAT about ISM?

Maria Gambone de Jesus

The last seven months were beyond description challenging. But looking back, I am so thankful for the time ISM took to prepare me before my internship began. The things I learned there and the mentorship I received were absolutely key to my success in my position at NightLight. ISM multiplied my growth in maturity of faith and character during that time. The growth in knowledge, character and faith I gained from my time at ISM has impacted my actions and thoughts in daily life, and the way I look at my life and purpose. I find myself applying the one month of ISM classes into my daily life more than I do even my four years of classes at university.

Tim Wharton

Attending Impact School of Missions was a great experience where I learned more than I ever expected to. I went in with the mindset that it would prepare me for my up coming internship which it did but in a more impact full way it opened me up to the world of missions as a whole. I learned a lot about what missions means, what opportunities and type of missions work are out there and what some of the needs are. I was challenged to think about if the missions life was for me and how missions fit into God’s plan for my life. This is definitely a great place if you think missions is for you or might be for you. I was also challenged to look closer at what my faith meant to me and saw growth in myself as the month progressed. For two and a half months I interned at Abundant Love in Ban Mai Sawan, Thailand. Working at the children’s home was a great opportunity, spending time with the children was great, along with building great relationships with the staff. The language barrier has been an interesting challenge but has also made for great fun. Even with the language barrier you can still be a great help and blessing to those around you; it just might not be how you expect it. My experiences at ISM and Ban Mai Sawan are something I will never forget and have changed my life forever.

Chris Lowe

I came to ISM in hope of getting a better understanding of what missions will look like in my future. I came knowing fully that I am going to be entering long term missions work at some point in my future. I came to ISM as part of education at Vanguard College. That hope that I had to better identify my role in missions was met with an answer. The teaching and relationship model that I worked with at The Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, matches with my missionolgy in every way. Also I have learned a lot about my self and my passion for this lost world has grown a great amount. I will leave Thailand with my questions answered and a better understanding of myself, mission, and of God.

Kelly Braun

I never could’ve imagined that God would do so much in my life through one step of faith. ISM has turned my world upside down. I am so grateful for everything this program is. Every challenge, every new experience, every adventure, has caused me to grow into a very different person than I was when I first stepped on that plane. I am thankful to have had an a experience that is more authentic to missionary life, and I praise God for every difficult and stretching situation He put me into. His kindness is HUGE- He is shown me how He loves the unlovable, wants to give us the smallest desires of our hearts, and more than ever, how HE is the answer to every hurt in this world. ISM provided me with such valuable training for the missions world and for entering a different culture. My internship placement was so perfect for me, and is now a place I can call a second home. Praise God for all that He has done in me, and through me. He is amazing. “I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things He does for me.” Psalm 103:1-2

Bethany Nickel

My experience at ISM has been nothing short of phenomenal. It’s brought me a whole new perspective on missions; long and short term. The classes provided me with so much great information that has not only been so helpful throughout my internship, but is also something that I can take home with me and apply to my every day life. These few months have stretched me in the craziest ways and has forced me to grow immensely in my relationship with our creator. Go ISM! Whoo-hoo

Tanya Land

I wish the English language had words to describe the greatness of Impact School of Missions. It is so obvious that Sandra McIntosh and the ISM staff are continuously listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The staff at ISM are empowering, inspirational, and full of wisdom. Everything I learnt in class at ISM helped me excel in my internship and thereby equipping me for a life of ministry and faithfulness to Christ. The 4-weeks went by so fast, during which I made lasting Christ-centred friendships. Impact School of Missions is life-changing and I STRONGLY encourage students to ‘GO’!

Laura Fess

Words cannot express what ISM means to me! I came to ISM in a time of transition, lacking sense of direction, who I was, what my call in life was. So I guess in a sense I came searching, but knowing the Lord had something special for me. I came to ISM wanting the Lord to totally transform my world. He did just that and more! God did a lot of healing and restoration in my life. He realigned my focus, and re confirmed my call to ministry. He also continued to nurture maturity in me. There was a maturity that needed to grow and develop, so that He can use me in the plans that He has for my life. This entire journey was totally ordained by God, to Him be the glory!

 

Emmy Daugherty

Impact School of Missions has been a life-changing experience for me. I have learned so much about myself and about God throughout my time in Southeast Asia. God has shown me some pretty incredible things and done some great works in my life. I received great teaching and support from the staff at ISM along with many ministry opportunities during the month in Bangkok. After the training I had the opportunity to intern at Noah’s Ark children’s home in the Philippines. I completely fell in love with the place and the kids there. My time in the ISM program is something that I will never forget and I hope to carry everything that I have learned and experienced back to Canada and continue to live my life for Christ.

 

Taylor Collado

I can’t begin to explain how incredible the experience was that Impact School of Missions gave me over the past 3 months. The one month of in-class sessions at the school provided me with training that I applied daily while interning. The staff were so helpful in preparing us for our intern positions and they really believed in us. I’m sure I speak for all of the students when I say the staff were a huge blessing to us.

I’ve grown so much in my spiritual life and relationship with God over the past 3 months. Attending ISM was a life-changing experience for me, and I’m so glad I had this opportunity. Thanks, ISM, for an awesome 3 months! You made a huge impact on my life and will have the same in so many others.

 

Bethany Somerville

Over the past three months, I have learned a lot about myself, ministry, missions, the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s unfailing love, human trafficking and exploitation and God’s amazing grace, among many other things! Starting with my first month at ISM, I can’t even begin to explain fully just how much the classes and the ISM leaders especially have impacted me. It was through ISM that my relationship with the Lord grew drastically and my call to ministry with pre-teen and teen girls was confirmed. My last two months have been spent interning at NightLight, which is a jewelry business, also working as a non-profit organization, that offers holistic employment and intervention to exploited women and children. Between ISM and my time at NightLight, I have learned and experienced just how extravagant Christ’s love really is for His children, no matter what any of us do, His love covers all! Though I have always known this, I didn’t fully understand the extravagance of His love until I was introduced to the harsh realities of this world, for instance the sex industry. Secondly, I have learned what it means to literally just be God’s hands and feet, especially with the language barrier and going on outreach each week with NightLight. Though I may not have always had the chance to talk with someone, I was able to be a light for Him in a dark place by praying for transformation of the bars and claiming salvation over the many men and women in Jesus name that I saw there! These last few months in Thailand will be something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life as I have learned, grown and experienced much and have met many incredible people, my life has been drastically impacted!

Psalm 36:5-7

“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the almighty

 

Heidi Garrell

Coming to ISM has been one of the most stretching experiences of my life. A few of the challenges are being in an unfamiliar environment with people that you don’t necessarily know and trying to get acclimated as quickly as possible. However, the culture classes at ISM helped with that and I learned to be open to God and whatever way He wanted to work in me, even if it is not what I had been used to in the past. The mission field is like a steam cooker. The best and the worst come out when you are under pressure.  I would recommend ISM to anyone who is willing and open to have God grow them exponentially in their relationship with Him and with others. If you are willing, He will open your eyes a bit further into what He sees. ISM ROCKS!

 

Excited for January 2013! – Jessica Pellowe

Well, here we are! The beginning of December… This month will see most of our September students returning home, our January students completing the final stages of preparation to come, and ISM staff thoroughly enjoying the whole process!

It’s hard to believe the first class is already finishing up their internship. I remember the weekend they all arrived, standing at Meeting Point at the airport, hoping I would recognise our students in real life from the photos we’d received, and wondering what the following month would have in store… We had everything planned out nicely on paper, but once you start adding ‘little’ things to plans like, say, people or real life, anything can happen!

 

In reflecting on this first term, both the in-class training and the internship time, one thing that really stands out is how incredibly open and embracing our students have been. They each truly have a desire to grow and learn and stretch themselves. They have thrown themselves into this experience wholeheartedly, and it has been an honour to see them grow in understanding and confidence as a result.

It is my prayer that as these students return home to their families, friends, and “normal” life situations, they will not return to who they were before they came, but will cling to what God has done and wants to continue doing in them. I pray that regardless of where they end up living and working, their relationship with God and their posture of humble service will be not only maintained, but continually fostered and nurtured.

Looking forward to January, we have another great group of young people getting ready to come, learn, and serve. I am excited to not only see the growth and changes in their lives, but to see how their personalities, thoughts and experiences contribute to making this term at ISM unique and meaningful. I know God planned for this group of students to come together at this time for a reason, and can’t wait to see what He has in store for us in 2013!

 Jessica Pellowe

“I’ve fallen in love with this place” – Emmy Daugherty reflects on internship in the Philippines

The last month has been an awesome time of growing in my relationship with God. I am really trying to focus on trusting and just letting go. It has been really awesome to see God working in my life.

Emmy

I can notice differences and I’m really happy about that. I think God has shown me what He wants me to do after I am done here. I really feel like I need to go to school, and I feel like I need to take a nursing course. Nursing has always been something in the back of my mind of what I want to do. I am still praying about it, but little things God has shown me lead to believe that I need to think about that as my next step. I am still learning a lot about myself and God. As of now I am just so thankful for how far I have come since stepping on that plane in Calgary. Its amazing to me how much God has done in the past two months. I really just look forward to whats next.

Living in the Philippines has been such a crazy experience. I can honestly say as of right now that I have fallen in love with this place. If someone would have told me that in the first week of me being here I would not believe them. It takes time to adjust, and I’m sure that living here permanently would be more of a challenge. But as of right now I am really happy being here. I can’t exactly pin point the easiest thing about being here… It is just good. For the most part it is just a great place. The hardest thing about being here is that I don’t know the language, so when the kids start speaking a different language around me it can be a little unsettling now knowing what they are talking about. It’s a minor thing, but sometimes you can’t help but wonder what is going on. Here at church, they really like testimony time. People get up and share and go on and on… well they like it when the white people get up and speak, it is a personal struggle, which I am working through and it has been great, but it’s pretty foreign to me. I’m sure there are other hard parts about living here but I can’t recall them at the moment. For the most part the experience has been great, and I am so thankful that I have this opportunity to grow and learn.
Emmy

Love working with Kids? Introducing the childrens’ homes in South East Asia that are looking for interns.

ISM is in partnership with 16 ministries looking for interns.  Four of those ministries are Childrens’ Homes.   Love working with kids? Start practicing making balloon animals!  Apply here!

1.  Noah’s Ark – Banaue Philippines (full for 2012, and January 2013 – space available May 2013)

Noah’s Ark

Noah’s Ark Home for children  is located in the  picturesque  mountain town of Banaue, 10 hours from the capital of Manila.

Noah’s Ark Ministries exists to provide a children’s home which is a safe haven for children who have suffered many hardships. Their goal is to provide every necessary means of support to ensure that the children grow mentally, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. The overall purpose is that each child will come into a personal relationship with Jesus.

Noah’s Art’s passion is ministering the love of Christ, bringing people to faith in Him and equipping them to live successfully, through mercy ministries of caring compassion, transforming love and personal development.

Noah’s Ark’s main needs are for interns to work alongside of the present staff to give them support, to love and care for each child in the home, to demonstrate through their lives the love of Christ and be an example of what a Christian really is.

More specifically, their needs are:

1. To help our daycare teacher with her classes.

Held Monday – Friday AM

2. To lead daily devotions with the children – Monday – Thursday 7:00 PM

3. To play with and love younger children

4. To help elementary and high school students with their assignments

5. To help in household chores. (Cleaning, cooking)

6. Teach Values Education in the schools

7. Can suggest any work that they would be interested in doing with the Administrators

You could also be asked to fill needs in the following areas: evangelism, outreach, teaching, children’s ministry, youth ministry, and children’s home.

2.  Abundant Love Children’s Home – Chiang Mai, Thailand

Ministry of Love is a ministry that includes ESL, children’s homes, children’s ministries and church planting. They have been in service for thirty years and are affiliated with the PAOC and the Full Gospel Assemblies of Thailand. It is located in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Purpose

Ministry of Love exists to bring and disciple those whom God has called to become disciples of Jesus Christ, training them and equipping them so that they are empowered to disciple others in the local community and reaching out throughout the ends of the world.

Intern Details

Ministry of Love has needs you could be asked to fill in the following areas: evangelism, outreach, preaching, teaching, children’s ministry, youth ministry, worship, ESL, children’s home and social justice.Ministry of Love wants you to be aware that the standard wage in the area is approximately $100CAD per month, and the highest paid pastor makes less than $300.

Objectives:
1. To provide opportunity to underprivileged children to receive education to grade 12 according to the government policy, by providing the essentials of life for example food, lodgings, and school supplies.
2. To give opportunity for the children to hear and understand the Word of God, so that they will have a solid base for life.
3. To evangelize with children so that they will be given opportunity to decide for Jesus, grow spiritually and use their spiritually giftings to build the church.
4. So that children can have a safe and healthy place to live, study and grow, that they will be instructed in the basics for health care and able to instruct others.
5. To develop the child’s personality so that he is ready to cross cultural differences, and control himself as he enters society among the people of the plains.
6. To develop life skills by providing a variety of vocational experiences.

 3.  At the Well – Childrens Home – Kolkata, India (part time with At the Well, part time with Jewels in a Crown a ministry to sexually exploited women)

At the Well is a children’s home that ministers to drug addicted children. They have been in service for eight years. There are approximately 11 staff members.  Most of the children living at At the Well  have run away from abusive situations in their home & community.   They minister to them through Bible stories, songs and prayer. They have the opportunity to draw, paint, go to school  and live in a safe and loving environment.  

Purpose

At the Well is a ministry that reaches out to abused marginalized girls and boys trapped in addiction.

Intern Details

Your weekly schedule will be as follows: Monday – 9:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday – 9:00am to 5:00pm

Wednesday – 9:00am to 5:00pm Thursday – 9:00am to 5:00pm Friday – 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday – offS unday – attend church

At the Well has a variety of needs you may be asked to fill, including: outreach, teaching, children’s ministry, slum ministry, administrative and children’s home. The biggest need is for counseling for addicts, and a spirit-filled servant heart. Be prepared to witness extreme poverty, and be aware that the kids are often high.

4.  Hope for the Children – Chennai, India

Healing Gospel Churches (together with the other ministries) minister to people through church planting, evangelism, children’s home, widows’ ministry, women, and youth training. They have been in service for six years. There are eight staff members. It is located in Chennai, India.

Purpose

Healing Gospel Churches exists to reach the people of India with the good news that Jesus loves and died for them.

Intern Details

Healing Gospel Churches’ main need is for administration, Sunday school, and help at the children’s home. You could also be asked to fill needs in the following areas: evangelism, outreach, preaching, teaching, children’s ministry, youth ministry, worship, slum ministry, and ESL.

Human Trafficking, Exploited Women, Men and Childrens’ Ministries are looking for interns!

ISM is in partnership with 16 ministries that are looking for interns in SEA.  5 of those ministries reach out to victims of Human Trafficking and exploited men, women and children in the sex industry or at risk.  Your training will include information about the sex industry, human trafficking in South East Asia, spiritual warfare and how to serve.  Annie Dieselberg of NightLight and Celeste McGee from Dton Naam will be guest instructors.  ISM’s director also worked at NightLight for 5.5 years.

After training at ISM you could do your internship at one of the following ministries:

1.  Jewels in a Crown – Kolkata India

The district of Kalighat in Kolkata, India is most well known for being home to Kali’s Temple, a mecca for Hindu worshippers. What may not be as apparent is that it is also the birthplace of organized prostitution in Kolkata. It houses thousands of girls and women who have been trafficked, tricked or driven to work the line out of economic disparity. JEWELS IN A CROWN began as a response to the overwhelming problem of prostitution in Kalighat.

JEWELS IN A CROWN opened its doors for employment on February 14, 2010. Our theme comes from a passage in the Bible that says, “On that day the Lord their God will rescue His people, just as a shepherd rescues His sheep. They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. How wonderful and beautiful they will be!” (Zechariah 9:16,17a). We believe our staff are precious and radiant, and we feel privileged to be a part of their journey.

Discipleship We have daily devotions and prayer with our staff. We know that economic freedom is only one part, and it is only through Jesus that we can see sustainable growth.

Training Our staff is trained in the trade of jewelry-making. They have learned to work with a variety of high-end, semi-precious stones to make beautiful pieces that are sold internationally.

Educating Through teaching English and basic life skills, our staff are empowered with a new confidence and competence for a changed life.

Wages & Work Hours Our staff are paid above fair market value and operate on a 40 hour work week.

Loan Payoff After their first year, each of our staff is eligible for a loan. They pay it back with a 0% interest rate. This is in response to predatory loan lenders who charge 600% -1000% annually, making repayment impossible for these women.

Paid Training During our 3 month training period, each women receives a salary, that increases with full time employment after this term.

2.  NightLight

NightLight is an international organization committed to addressing the complex issues of commercial sexual exploitation through prevention, intervention, restoration, and education.

NightLight’s mission is to do “whatever it takes” to effect change within the global sex industry.  Our local offices build relationships with victims of commercial sexual exploitation and those who are at-risk and provide hope, intervention, rescue, and assistance by offering alternative vocational opportunities, life-skills training, and physical, emotional, and spiritual development to those seeking freedom. NightLight builds support networks internationally to intervene and assist women, men, and children whose lives are negatively impacted by the sex industry.

In January 2005, NightLight began to address the lack of opportunity for women trapped in Bangkok’s sex trade by providing them with a viable alternative means for supporting themselves.

NightLight Thailand, operates under two branches: NightLight Design, Co. Ltd, the registered jewelry business offering holistic employment, and NightLight Foundation, the non-profit branch focusing on holistic intervention for women, families and communities affected by the global sex industry.

As of June 2009, NightLight Design currently employs 80 women in Bangkok. Over 125 women have been employed by NightLight since it was established. Once a week, every woman is involved in a small group session for personal development. As women develop their skills they are given the opportunity to develop new skills in other areas such as technology, accounting, purchasing, management, marketing, networking and public relations. Salaries are above minimum wage and raises are given annually based on a performance evaluation. NightLight also provides medical insurance and a savings plan. Scholarships are given to those who choose to continue their education. NightLight also has a small childcare center for the children of the women employed at NightLight.

NightLight continually carries a waiting list of 10 to 15 women who want to leave the bars. They cannot be hired until there is adequate work provided through jewelry orders and until funds are made available to pay for supplies and salary equivalent to US $250 per month. The company has experienced tremendous growth since it’s inception, making it necessary to expand jewelry markets and increase awareness of NightLight’s transformative work.

The NightLight outreach team maintains a presence in the red-light district of Nana Sukhumvit, building relationships with women and children, and offering them a way out of their situation. In Bangkok, the NightLight outreach team meets hundreds of women and children every year through bar visits and street level interactions. These women and children come from as many as 20 different countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Kazakstan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Iran, India, and Bangladesh.

NightLight has assisted in the rescue of a number of women from Central Asia and Africa since August 2007. NightLight partners with organizations such as the International Organization of Migration (IOM) for safe and successful repatriation. There are many more women needing assistance but it takes time to gain their trust. Funding is needed to purchase tickets, pay visa fees, and to provide for the women as they prepare to return to their countries of origin.

NightLight provides emergency relief for women and children at risk in the Nana/Sukhumvit area and engages in local and international advocacy on behalf of women and children working in the sex industry. NightLight recognizes the need for strategic partnerships, coalition building and community efforts worldwide to see an end to human trafficking.

The women of NightLight have also recently begun a church called “Send the Light”.  Through their leadership, “Send the Light” seeks to bring spiritual growth, development and transformation to friends, family and community around them.

Coming soon: A Coffee House Ministry and Outreach Center in the redlight district.

Click here for NightLight’s Summer Collection look book.

3.  Dton Naam

DtonNaam Ministries is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity in the US and officially became a foundation in Thailand in July 2010. It is currently a day program helping Thai individuals leave prostitution and find healing physically, emotionally and spiritually.

PURPOSE: Walking alongside those who want freedom and healing

We are dedicated to the healing of those in need and walk alongside each one through a recovery process, providing safe homes, counseling, educational classes, job skills and legitimate jobs. Several good ministries are focused on helping the females in Bangkok, but we at Dton Naam have a heart to also help the males. We encourage both men and women to leave prostitution, to pursue healing from abuse and to be freed from drug, alcohol and sexual addictions.

1. Job Training: We offer training in a coffee, bakery and retail business. If a Thai man or woman desires to leave prostitution and is interested in a different job than what we currently offer, we will help provide scholarships to send him/her to the training he/she desires, such as hair-cutting class, accounting and more.

2. Legitimate jobs: We can immediately offer jobs within our coffee and bakery business that is intertwined with our rehab program. Thai men and women can work five to six-hour shifts in the business and have two to four hours of counseling, discipleship and other educational classes.

3. Support Groups and Individual Counseling will be provided according to personal needs, such as overcoming drug and alcohol addictions, sexual addictions, abuse, learning to have healthy lifestyles even with STD’s and HIV, gender insecurities, problems with finances and relationship issues. It’s important to provide a safe, nurturing place for these men and women to overcome their pain and be empowered to live abundant lives.

4. Educational Classes are provided within the rehab program, including English and Thai lessons, computers, health classes, gardening, music, art and photography classes. Depending on the skills of volunteer teachers, special classes are offered dealing with mathematics, writing resumes, future planning, GED-style courses, etc.

5. Discipleship Classes refer to times of collective worship, studying Scripture, praying together and learning how to draw closer to Jesus and walk forward in freedom and truth.

Our Coffee Shop/Bakery – ANTIQUE CAFE is the perfect job-training site for those who are in our program and needing new job skills and experience to become self-sufficient in the near future. Men and women are able to start new, legitimate work in a safe environment. We sell great coffee, cupcakes and muffins and hope to expand soon in areas of artwork. As Thai individuals create beautiful pieces of art, they can decorate the cafe with their pieces, using art to tell their own personal stories of healing and encourage others.

Our budget is based on monthly gifts and fund-raising events. Once the coffee shop brings in a profit, that profit will go back into the foundation to provide scholarships for those wanting to leave prostitution and/or helping those at risk of entering the sex industry.

4.  The Well in Bangkok assists people affected by or at risk of entering the sex industry with education, employment and family services.

The Well Strategy is based on John 4 where an entire community was changed through a purposeful encounter between Jesus and a woman living a rough life. At the core The Well is neither a social service program nor a compassionate ministry, but a leadership training and equipping ministry.

The strategy involves three steps: reach, teach and send: reach broken people, teach and nurture them to be healthy, productive and able to lead, and send them to take Jesus to their families and communities.

Bar and street outreach is an essential aspect of The Well Strategy, based on the understanding that spending time with broken people was a priority for Jesus. This outreach is relational, as workers and volunteers from The Well focus on building loving friendships with people involved in the sex industry. Since we have become established and known people also come to The Well through invitation of friends or referrals from other agencies.

5.  Samaritan Creations

Samaritan  Creations  is  a  ministry  that  includes  service  to  the  sexually  exploited,  and   those  in  slums  and  bars;  they  also  are  involved  in  teaching  English.  They  have  been  in   service  for  two  years  and  are  affiliated  with  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Thailand.  There  are   six  staff  members.  It  is  located  in  downtown  Bangkok,  Thailand.

Purpose  

Samaritan  Creations  exists  to  rescue,  restore,  and  empower  women  by  the  grace  of   God,  and  by  offering  women  an  alternative  income  to  prostitution.

The  greatest  need  Samaritan  Creations  has  right  now  is  for  outreach  and  teachers  at  the   slum  ministry  site.  Other  needs  you  could  be  asked  to  fill  are:  evangelism,  teaching,   children’s  ministry,  youth  ministry,  slum  ministry,  ESL  at  church,  and  administrative.