In order to achieve key long-term objectives through short-term missions, we will be working in the same country or geographic areas year after year. By co-sponsoring with overseas national churches, we will open a series of English classes in the summer time. The churches will recruit students who are mostly non-believers and organize them into classes before the project starts. The English classes are divided into elementary, junior high, high school, college and adults levels. There are typically two teachers and 12 students in one class. Each teacher, literally, takes students under his or her wing and privately prays for each of them everyday. Our goal is to win souls by building trust through acts of love and care.

The application for the coming summer project will be final in March. Those who are selected will receive notification in April. Our mission trainings begin in June and, at the same time, small mission teams of 2-12 members will be formed. You may have a choice of your team members. The team will be working together throughout the whole project in the same church. A team leader will be selected and will lead the team in praying, traveling, working and bonding together, much like a combat group. Any conflicts between the team members should be resolved as early as possible. The team member’s pictures will be sent to the assigned church, and the team will receive the church and pastors’ photos also. The team should pray for the church and the future students; the church and your host families are doing the same for you. The students may have already seen your photos and are eagerly waiting to see you. For most of them, you will be the first American teacher in their life (they will always remember!).

Upon arrival at the mission destination, you will receive photos of your students from the assigned church and an English name will be given by you (if the student does not have one) to the students in the first class. The intensified conversational lessons continue for four or five weekdays (Mondays or Saturdays off) for 3 weeks; each class lasting for 2 hours (one or two intermissions) all in English teaching and no bilinguals (except elementary levels). Each teacher will have 2 classes a day (the team should help one another in case someone gets sick). The teaching method of the conversational English is creative and unconventional. Teachers may go the extra mile to make a lesson truly involving; such as teaching students how to play games, taking them to the park, department stores or even making cookies in the kitchen, just to show them daily American English in real life situations. All of these activities will help build trust and bonding between teachers and students.

The Saturday morning will be a joyful reunion for all Americans in the same city from various local churches, to get together for refreshment, exchanging of ideas and experiences and to pray for one another. Lunch will be served in the meeting place.

Teachers will also go with the church members to visit the student’s family and meet the parents at night if possible; the purposes are not only to reinforce the bonding with the students, but also to build the bridge and friendships between the parents and the church. For many of the families, it will be the first time to receive the Americans into their home. The families will be invited to our weekend shows and parties so they will have a chance to become familiar with the church activities and other church members.

At the end of the English classes there will be a Summer Camp on the final weekend, the churches use the national language to preach the Gospel to all the students. Encouraged by the built-in friendships and the love and care they have received from the teachers throughout the whole summer; and through the power of your prayers, most students will likely receive Jesus as their personal savior. The churches will do the follow-ups through the regular scheduled meetings, until next summer when the American teams come back again.

PRAYER TEAM

A team of intercessors and prayer warriors should be built by you before your departure. They will lift you up because they go to the throne on your behalf and have God’s heart for you. The intentional and consistent intercession will increase the effectiveness of the ministry to which we are called. They also act as watchmen on the walls, serve as guards on the alert, as gatekeepers and agents of preservation.  As a result, they create a shield around you, as well as providing you with both physical and spiritual strength.  In reality, you are in ministry together. One operates in the visible realm, the others operate in the invisible realm. Combining both, you carry out God’s purposes in the Kingdom!