by Becky Hefty | Jun 7, 2017 | Connections Article
Have you ever said, “If I had only known, I would have…”?
Nothing is worse than missing an opportunity because you didn’t know about it—especially if someone else knew about it but they didn’t tell you.
In this age of internet and social media, we can make a difference in ways we never could before—all over the globe. Information leads to action, and action leads to change. One word, one click, one share is all it takes to make life-changing things happen.
Mission Builders International makes awesome volunteer opportunities available to everyone, from audacious let’s-do-it youngsters to retired-and-refired oldsters. We do our best to let people know they can contribute worldwide to work that really counts for something, but we count on you to help us share.
If you know p
eople whose names are written all over an MBI project or possibility, do them a favor: Tell them about it!
Missing an opportunity is a terrible thing. Don’t miss yours, and make sure your friends and family don’t miss theirs. Start sharing today!
by Becky Hefty | Feb 17, 2017 | Connections Article
If you’re familiar with Mission Builders International, you’ll know we send hands-on help to YWAM ministries all over the globe by recruiting and placing volunteers. You’ll also know those volunteers come in all ages, sizes, skills and abilities and are passionate about serving Jesus. Each one has their own particular motivation for serving, whether the location is near or far. Here are just a handful of the reasons they go. Perhaps they’ll inspire you to go!
To prove that no one is too old to work for God.
“Remind yourself that you are never too old to make a difference and have a purpose,” said one elderly woman, who volunteered at YWAM Salem, OR. “We’re never too old to work for God. I’m 73. As long as God keeps me going, I’m planning on doing His work.” Mary, another 73-year-old, served at YWAM Ozarks, AR. She wrote: “Most of the students are in their early 20s, but all [of them] talked to me and shared their stories when asked. Their genuine, faith-filled, humble attitudes but normal young dress and actions so inspired me! They really appreciated everything I did to help. I left rejoicing, so encouraged for our younger generations.”
To mentor students, staff, and locals with their skills and know-how.
Retirees Brian and Karen volunteered at YWAM Montana Lakeside. Brian taught carpentry, built cabinets for kitchen units and worked on a local Habitat for Humanity project. “A life skill like carpentry is a valuable outreach tool as well as being useable around the world,” Brian said. Karen added, “He was immensely proud of the young men he trained and absolutely loved teaching them.” Karen worked as the front desk receptionist, but occasionally slipped on the title of Mom or Grandma, “blessing students and staff with prayer time and long conversations.” They said their time “was refreshing and recharged our spiritual batteries.”
To indulge a special passion or life-celebration.
Lynne, a regular mission builder (along with her husband Len) said: “I LOVE to travel! By connecting with MBI, not only do I get to travel anywhere in the world, but I get to travel with a purpose, connecting with and supporting missionaries wherever I go. Where will we go next? It doesn’t really matter, the possibilities are endless, and we know God has our course already planned.”
One lady wrote: “My husband and I volunteered for two weeks with Mission Builders at YWAM Amsterdam. It was a highlight of our two-month retirement celebration trip to Europe. We were warmly greeted . . . made to feel like valued members of the team . . . told several times how much they appreciated having people our age there, and of course, they were very thankful for the work we did. We’ll definitely explore volunteering at other YWAM campuses.”
To offer their individual skills, abilities and gifts.
Mission building is “a chance to use the gifts that you possess to help further the gospel message,” Michele wrote. “From cooking to computer programming, and gardening to construction, there are so many ways to help. My husband John is a mechanic, and I am an avid gardener and cook. We’ve served all around the U.S. and are so glad we can be a part of mission work without having to go to a seminary for training! We just serve using the gifts and skills we already have.”
Manoela F. from Brazil said: “I’m almost 22, an industrial engineering student and intern worker at Bosch, Brazil. I got vacation from work and college to be a Mission Builder in YWAM
San Jose, Costa Rica. I understood a calling from God saying I needed to go someplace not so close and make the people feel loved through things I like to do; for example, playing soccer. As a Mission Builder, I could help in hospitality, I could help in the kitchen to cook for the base, I could play soccer again. I could help the Homes of Hope and the Metro Ministries, too, and join some of the DTS soccer classes.”
To do something they’ve never done before (and take their families with them).
Linda wrote to say: “My family (she, her husband and three kids ages 12, 7, and 5) had an amazing time watching God work through our time at Cowboys With A Mission in Meteetse, WY. We had odd jobs around the base, from cleaning out the cows’ water tub to helping build a house for staff to looking for a rattlesnake that bit three horses early one morning. Mission builders with an open mind and a willingness to fall in where needed will greatly benefit this campus. The directors blessed our family by allowing us to be a part of the CWAM family!”
To broaden their horizons and better their lives.
Swiss couple Kurt and Edith volunteered at YWAM Muizenburg, South Africa. They wanted to improve their English but got so much more. Edith said: “It broadened my horizons to see so many other cultures. It was our first time in an English-speaking country. It was interesting and a challenge. Friendly students, full of passion, were thankful to have older volunteers on campus.”
Mission Builder volunteer Casey said: “Seeing how the Lord is working outside of the U.S. was really eye-opening. My wife and I had a life-changing experience while we were helping out. We’re currently praying about joining YWAM full time; they’re mobilizing today’s youth for Christ’s mission!”
One young volunteer, who served at YWAM Guadalajara, Mexico, said: “I got to learn more Spanish and was able to touch many peoples’ lives with the love of Jesus. I felt so useful! All my gifts in teaching, music, and audio engineering were used. It was a life-changing experience. The Mexican culture was devoid of materialism and the driven-ness I constantly feel while living in the big city here in America. So when I returned home, all that ‘stuff’ hit me like a wave. But now that I’m back in the swing of things, I can see how my experience serving the peoples of Guadalajara, Ixtlahuacan, Chapala, and Ajijic will help me to live better while I’m here in the States. I have a much broader perspective on life—one I don’t believe I could have without physically going outside America.”
As you read through these testimonies, you may have seen your desires mirrored back to you and had an aha! moment. If that happened, remember, there’s room for you to give of your time and energy for the kingdom of God, and MBI can help you find just the right place to do it. Check out the possibilities and fill out an application today at www.MissionBuilders.org!
by Becky Hefty | Sep 7, 2016 | Connections Article
Each summer, I look forward to serving the youth ministry of the Christ the Savior Church in Volgograd, Russia, by helping with their summer English Camp. Our team is very international, including English-speaking volunteers from Africa and the United States, who serve with the Russian team from local churches. For the third time, I was the coordinator for the U.S. team and helped to create the English lesson books for the camp, applying what I’ve learned through YWAM’s TESOL program.
The goal of the camp
is not only to give Russian teenagers an opportunity to practice their English with native English speakers but also to introduce them to God’s love and grace, found through faith in Jesus Christ. The majority of kids coming to the camp are non-believers, while many of the teenagers serving as helpers are believers and came to faith in Christ at previous summer camps. It’s always exciting to observe them growing and maturing in Christ year after year.
This year some kids who were in the process of seeking God or showing some interest were invited to serve as translators. One young translator, named Tikhon, still believed he was a scientific atheist. The teacher he was helping, Stan, wondered how this arrangement was going to work and started to pray for him. Little did Tikhon realize God had a plan to work on his heart this summer.
It started with two of the Christian girls, Anya and Yulia, who were also helpers at the camp. They knew Tikhon was an atheist, but they were determined to challenge his thinking about God. One afternoon they sat and talked with him about Creation in the Bible, shared their testimonies and did their best to explain the gospel to him. They were so focused on their conversation with Tikhon they didn’t realize several other kids around them were also listening with rapt attention.
The next day, Tikhon found an opportunity to ask Nuper, one of the American men, if they could talk for a while. Nuper was more than happy to take some time. As they sat by the river, Tikhon shared about all the things he’d just learned about the Bible from the girls. After thinking about it all, he began to realize he was wrong about God and Creation.
“What should I do?” Tikhon asked. Nuper challenged him to put his faith in Christ through prayer, and they stopped and prayed together. “Now what should I do?” he asked. Nuper said, “Go tell someone what you have just done.” Later, Tikhon met again with Stan and told him about the decision he’d made. “He was so happy,” Stan said, “you could just see the difference in Tikhon’s face.”
This is just one example of what God did this summer through our team of volunteers. Through Stan’s prayers, Anya and Yulia’s testimonies and Nuper’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, Tikhon is now a child of God. Even the kids who listened intently as Anya and Yulia shared with Tikhon were changed by what they heard.
There was such an atmosphere of God’s love and grace at the camp! I praise God for the many other hearts that were touched by the gospel. ~ Craig Blair
Craig works with Volunteer Development at Mission Builders International. He returns yearly to Russia (where he lived and served for eight years with Campus Crusade) as a coordinator and volunteer for the English Camp.
by Becky Hefty | Sep 7, 2016 | Connections Article
“Has God ever promised you something? Has God ever clearly led you?”
When twenty-nine-year-old Kristen H. of Fredericksburg, VA, gave God the opportunity to fill her heart with His desires, she didn’t dream it would involve living boldly and serving Him globally. God surprised Kristen with a mission-building journey. She spent a gap year as a volunteer with Mission Builders International, helping at YWAM locations and visiting missionary friends in Uganda, Swaziland, South Africa, Cambodia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Israel and Germany.
How did it all get started? Kristen says:
“A little over one year ago I was able to attend a retreat just a couple hours from where I live. You’re thinking I’m going to say that God slowly showed me something through the speakers that weekend, right? But no, God didn’t even wait for the retreat to officially start to speak to me.
“It happened that I was there a couple hours early, so I walked down to the pond, with my Bible in hand, and just sat before the Lord and quietly read and prayed. While I was sitting there, God clearly spoke to me through a few different verses in Psalm 20 and 21 and promised me that He would give me the desires of my heart. I asked God to do as He promised and grant me my heart’s desires, to make His desires mine and direct my steps. I didn’t know what those desires of my heart were and in what way God would fulfill that promise until almost a year to the day later.
“I do love to tr
avel and, while I had a gap year in life and was seeking God for the direction I needed to take, I thought it would be great to take a little time and maybe plan a trip across the United States. But, as God continued to lead, I had no idea He would bring me to a place of traveling the world!
“I was praying and seeking Him on whether this mission trip was what He had for me and realized it was exactly where He was leading me. I’m not the girl who has always had a pull toward being on the mission field, but when I asked God to grant my heart’s desires and make His desires mine, He took me seriously. He created in me a desire I didn’t even realize I had: a desire to see His work advanced, a desire to serve His people, a desire to live boldly for Him.” 
From teaching English and making jewelry to cooking meals and taking care of small children, from housekeeping and reception work to organizing in a café that employs marginalized women, Kristen served the YWAM campuses that hosted her and the people they reach out to. In the midst of serving, she also experienced the beauty of her host nations physically, culturally and historically.
“His ways and plans are so much better than ours,” Kristen says. “I had a big idea, He had a fantastic one!”
Kristen’s story may not be very different from one just waiting to unfold in your life. What are your heart’s desires, and where in the world might God be leading you? For fantastic possibilities, visit www.missionbuilder.org!
(To see more photos from Kristen’s journey, visit her blog at mymissionjourney.com.)
by Becky Hefty | May 18, 2016 | Connections Article, Volunteer Viewpoint
Mission Builders International’s job is to connect potential volunteers of every age and ability with worldwide service opportunities. God uses everyday people—like Phill and Pat S.—to accomplish extraordinary things in missions. As with many volunteers, Phill and Pat have discovered that serving has the added value of enlarging not only their circle of friends and family but their world. For them, retirement has become an exciting jumping-off point to a whole new life. Listen to what they have to say about their volunteer lifestyle:
“We have just returned from YWAM Berlin. It was the trip of a lifetime for many reasons, and we want to thank Mission Builders International for putting us in touch with them. Before we go to serve, we always pray that we will be encouragers, examples and servants. We saw God answer this prayer over and over during our month stay at YWAM Berlin.
“We served alongside Len and Lynne Benson. They are great traveling companions and work partners. The four of us complement each other and click as a team in every way.
“God used four ver
y ordinary people to impart hope on several levels, and there is not a greater joy! The staff and students, in turn, poured blessing after blessing into our lives. YWAM Berlin will forever live in our hearts. We were so deeply touched by them as they thanked us over and over again. They sent us off with a special blessing as they gathered around and prayed for us at the end of our time with them. We have gained friends and ‘grandchildren’ as we continue to keep in touch. The students and several staff are currently serving in South Africa on outreach. We are blessed to have the joy of praying for them, and seeing God at work in their lives equals joy!
“We have served more than 20 times at various YWAM campuses. We always say there is nothing spiritual about dry walling, tiling, painting, electric, cooking and so on, but there is great spiritual value in making it possible for young people to be discipled to go into all the world to share the gospel. Of course, we can’t go everywhere, but we can go where God leads.
“If the Lord tarries and our health continues, we hope we can continue to invest in the lives of young people. We love encouraging the staff so that they, in turn, can spend their time teaching the Word and preparing others to serve. There is no greater retirement! And there is no greater joy than to impart hope to those who might be on the verge of becoming weary in well-doing.
“Thank you for connecting us with YWAM Berlin!”
Whether you are retired and young at heart, in the middle of raising your family or fresh out of high school and taking a gap year before college, volunteering is a great way to expand your world while making a difference. See where in the world a mission-building adventure might take you. Visit us at: www.missionbuilders.org.
by Becky Hefty | May 18, 2016 | Connections Article
In September 2015, Mission Builders International recognized the growing challenges associated with using an internal database in a world of Internet connectivity. We were lagging behind in technology and efficiency. After years of successful use of the Access-based database designed by field staffer David McQuoid, the time had come for a change.
After researching and testing several platforms, MBI’s field staff member and computer IT technician, Greg Griffin, found one that allowed for rapid development and deployment. Working at all hours of the day and night for a month, Greg was able to pack over two months of development into one. Through his efforts, MBI reached its first milestones by October, relieving the most pressing problems associated with website locations and communications.
MBI now has a Message Center on
its website retaining correspondence with everyone in a single place—no more cutting and pasting! Also, visitors to the website can now easily find locations to serve around the world, and potential volunteers are able to complete their applications and references entirely and automatically online.
Greg also added in the communication and coordination components of application processing with YWAM campus locations. YWAM location coordinators now receive automatic notifications and have the ability to read and approve applications online in a matter of minutes, even from their phones!
The real benefit of Greg’s work on the new database and communications system hopefully will become more evident as MBI continues to increase the number of people it can serve as well as by the ease with which remote location staff will be able to process applications. Soon, volunteers will be able to enter their personal skills and talents on the MBI website and be matched with specific locations in need of those abilities. They will also be able to align their schedules with the times and seasons when those locations could most use the help. These, Greg says, are some of the features he looks forward to the most.
Gr
eg’s dedication to updating our application and placement process will potentially enable MBI to serve more volunteers and the missionaries who need their help. We welcome you to try out our new system on your way to the many ways and places you can make a difference around the world. Start by visiting us today at www.missionbuilders.org!
Special note: While Greg was pouring his time and skills into the development of MBI’s new database, he simultaneously carried on with his own multi-faceted ministry, speaking, teaching, encouraging and assisting in places as far away as Mauritius, Latvia and India. In addition, he and his wife, Jan, saw two of their three children not only graduate from university but also marry, all within the past six months.
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