Intern Training

This was my third Intern Training and I think it’s my favourite conference in JV. It’s the one that holds the most responsibility for me as it is organised by Casey and I but it is such a joy to do.

Intern Training is four full days of training and teaching for our summer interns, to equip them for their summer of service. Josh Nelson shared a devotion every morning and Ben Williams taught about the mission of God each evening.

Our other morning teaching topics were: personality types, conflict, spiritual gifts, prayer, rest, spiritual warfare, how to share the Gospel, how to share your story, discipleship, how to speak with translation, about this year’s talks, and purpose and posture. We also had times to train the interns in teaching English, leading Fusion or in how to lead their teams. And there were national testimonies and a panel of Europeans who shared what Christianity and culture looks like in Europe. Each country also had two hours together each day to apply what they’d learnt to their team.

Nationals share about the Gospel in Europe

We changed some things up this year that were definitely worth it – we added the conflict talk, we produced booklets with all the material in them, we had nametags for everyone to wear all week, and we organised childcare so our wonderful missionaries with children could be fully involved in morning and afternoon sessions.

In between tracking down lost luggage, dealing with a shower leaking through the ceiling onto a bed below it, and lots of other little details I was really grateful for how God led me in conversations. I am a huge introvert so I was worried that the other details would prevent me from really engaging with people but God was so gracious in providing the energy I needed.

It felt crazy, although it shouldn’t surprise me any more, the way God led in conversations. There were times when I had no idea why I was saying what I was only to have the person in the conversation share that they were facing something similar. Casey summed it up by saying there are times when it feels like we are “channelling God” – it’s nothing about us but we witness Him working through us. That’s how it felt. It was such an honour to listen to, pray with and talk and laugh over cake with so many of our wonderful interns.

And our interns are wonderful. Even in the midst of hiccups during the conference they were so thankful and encouraging. They were a joy to be around and a joy to serve.

On our last night at Intern Training each team has communion together and a couple of us were there to pray for people who wanted prayer. Then we had a time of commissioning – each country takes it in turn to get in the middle and one JV staff member prays over them.

Even now as I sit and write about this it gives me goosebumps – it is so exciting to think about these one hundred 19-25 year olds who are serving God this summer in these nations.

Would you join me in praying for them – that God would be leading them, that they would serve well, that they would love students, that God protects them and He works powerfully in them as well as through them?