In this issue of Adventist Frontiers, we will be highlighting an elite group of expert missionaries who specialize in AFM’s core method of outreach—friendship evangelism. Who are these awesome evangelists? They’re our student missionaries!
Decades of cross-cultural mission work have taught us that before unreached people are willing to open their hearts to God’s love, they must first experience our love. Despite their youth and lack of experience, this is what makes our student missionaries such a powerful force: they are highly skilled in the first rule of effective gospel outreach—befriend and love. God does the rest.
As you read our SMs’ stories, you’ll notice that loving can take many forms. It can mean spending time with children, like Keren Gomez is doing in Thailand (p. 7), and pointing them to a better way of interacting with each other in light of how much God loves them. For Karina Brinckhaus (p.20), it meant praying silently and trusting God to help her answer a torrent of questions about Him delivered in a language she doesn’t speak very well. For Zoe Shiu (p. 27), it meant showering a tough student with encouragement until she emerged from her shell.
Though every SM’s story is different, they all share two things in common: Amazement at God’s mighty power working through them, and joy at being vessels of His love and salvation for unreached people.
Would you like to experience an SM year for yourself? Do you know another young person we should contact about student-missionary service? Give us a call at 1-800-937-4236.
