RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–Southern Baptist missionaries need more than twice as many college students to fill overseas summer missions assignments in 1999 than they had in 1998.
Although more than 700 students participated in overseas summer missions assignments in 1998, almost 500 requests went unfilled that year, said Mike Lopez, who directs student missions recruitment for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.
Now, overseas missionaries have requested more than 1,500 college students for 1999.
“This is an urgent situation,” Lopez said. “These are real needs that students can meet during Christmas break or spring break, during J-term or summer break, or even up to nine months in a semester assignment.
“We want to make sure there is not one need overseas that goes unmet.”
Among other things, student missionaries can teach English, work with youth and students, work in sports camps, join backpacking and mountain biking teams, assist in nursing and medical assignments, work as church planter assistants, provide computer programming or office support, help lead Vacation Bible Schools and perform with music and drama teams.
Individual and team opportunities are available in Turkey, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
Students basically need to be at least 18 years old, a member of a Southern Baptist church and sense God’s leadership to serve overseas, Lopez said.
To apply for summer, semester and short-term assignments, check out the student mobilization Internet site at https://www.imb.org/students/ or call 1-800-789-GoYe (4693).
The application deadline for summer assignments is March 10, 1999. Applications for other assignments are accepted year-round.
