The summer of 2009 found Samford students sharing their Christian faith around the globe. In Indonesia, South Africa and Peru, teams participated in missions efforts that will forever be an important part of their college experience and may impact other lives into eternity.
Chelsea Rushing was among 10 Samford students who partneredwith Birmingham’s Shades Mountain Baptist Church to minister at Living Hope Community Center in Capricorn, South Africa.
Each morning, the team visited neighborhoods, prayed for residents and told about the church services and free HIV and TB testing offered at the center. Afternoons were spent “loving on lots of little kids,” playing games, worship dancing and singing at a local Kids Club, Rushing said. The children also enjoyed small group stations for Bible stories and crafts.
“You could see the impact the whole experience had on the kids,” said Rushing, adding that it was remarkable how much of the Bible stories the kids retained.
“In an environment full of drug, alcohol and sexual abuse, this was such a place of hope and time for kids to be kids and learn of the great love of our sweet Lord,” said Rushing, a biology/pre-medicine major from Plant City, Fla.
At a 20-bed HIV health clinic, Rushing entertained with her guitar.
“It was such a blessing to be able to use my passion and love for music to show the love of God,” said Rushing, who said the experience underscored God’s power and that through Him, all things are possible.
“Our God is more than enough, and it was such a joy to be a poured-out vessel for Him in South Africa this summer,” said Rushing.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, Samford administrators Tyler Sellers and Jeanna Westmoreland and five students established Samford ties with Universitas Pelita Harapan (Torch of Hope University), a Christian school for Indonesian students.
“Their vision is to build an educational infrastructure at all levels throughout the nation,” Sellers said of the university’s plan for a network of village elementary and high schools. “It’s a huge vision in a country that is 90 percent Muslim.”
This initial visit by Samford representatives lay great groundwork for future relationships with the school, said Sellers, Samford assistant director of student activities.
From Jakarta, the team went to Jogja, on the island of Java, to assist International Mission Board (IMB) music missionaries, and to Kaliurang, to help lead an annual Missionary Kid (MK) camp for sons and daughters of IMB missionaries.
“We interacted with the campers, played and led Bible study,” said Sellers, an MK who had attended the camp while growing up in Indonesia. He was accompanied on the trip by his wife, Anne, and their 18-month-old son, Austin.
“It was very special to take them on the trip and introduce them to missionaries I had known,” said Sellers.
Lastly, in Bali, they met Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries and assisted with a music and dance ministry.
Four Samford students worked alongside IMB missionaries in Cuzco, Peru, until early August. The volunteers used various outreach opportunities to minister to other college students in the area.
In addition, Samford missions volunteers took the Christian message to China, Kenya, Spain, Honduras, Thailand, Romania and several other countries during the summer. (SU)
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