The evening sun hangs low on the horizon, but the local school buzzes with excitement. Children pack every desk, some with their mothers squeezed in beside them. Other children peer curiously in through the windows of the little classroom. Just behind them stand the men of the village, unable to hide their own curiosity.

This is the scene that Brielle, one of our student missionaries, met on her first day teaching English in a village about half an hour away from our base village. Since she has to teach in the evenings to fit into the local school schedule, Brielle is staying with a local family.
More than a year ago, some people from this village asked us to teach English there. Because of the school schedule and the commitments we already had to teach in our village, we weren’t able to provide classes. But now we have a student missionary teacher who can work in their village and open it up for further ministry opportunities. After her first class, Brielle split the group into two class periods, which are packed with 35 students in one and 50 in the other, and more kids continue to watch through the windows.

Sokha, our other student missionary, is also greatly aiding our work by teaching local classes and helping with medical cases in the mornings. The people love to help her practice her language skills and enjoy learning English from her. As she examines patients, she smiles and tries out her growing vocabulary, making them feel special and cared for. Sokha’s work provided continued ministry in the village while we attended some important training classes to help us witness more effectively.

Student missionaries support the work of career missionaries in valuable ways, and they can work in areas that missionary families can’t. We praise God for student missionaries who are flexible and eager to immerse themselves in the local culture. They enrich the lives of those they meet as they gain a tremendous experience in service. God is truly using them to draw the unreached closer to Him.

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