Life is ministry. Ministry is global. This is the driving force behind Maranatha’s Global Encounters program. Global Encounters has been in action for over a year; good ideas with no accountablity will result in nothing, so let’s take a look at where we were, where we’re going, and where in the process we are now.
One goal of the Global Encounters program is to provide practical field experience to both students and faculty/staff workers. Nearly one hundred students will be traveling to five different areas of the world as part of the Global Encounters program. Students traveling with the school will study culture in Central Asia, be involved in medical ministry in Mexico and Uganda, and do traditional church planting work in Argentina. Various Maranatha employees will accompany the teams, broadening their own global perspective as well as providing invaluable insight for the students.
If you would like to donate to these or other missions trips, please visit the Development pages.
Central Asia
Thirteen Maranatha students will travel to Central Asia over the months of May and June. They will partner with thirteen students from Northland in their endeavor of cross-cultural exposure, education, experience, and eventual evangelism. This team of 26 college students will live in Central Asia for five weeks as they build relationships with Muslims and seek to learn as much about Islamic culture as possible. As a culmination of all the cultural exposure, the team will write a formal ethnology of Islam.
Fast Facts:
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Religion: Islam
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Economy: Tourism, agriculture, industry
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Geography: Located on both European and Asian continents; 779,452 sq. km.
Team Members:
Ben Lavicka, Brian Trainer, Robert Shaffer, Matt Thompson, Peter Prusak, John Voorhis, Tim Manion, Luke McCarnan, Lance Saxon, Samantha Voorhis, Liz Gross, Mandy Barrie, Alyssa Owens
Prayer requests:
If you would like to donate to these or other missions trips, please visit the Development pages.
Medical: Uganda and Mexico
The twenty students involved in medical trips will "enjoy" rigorous physical training before leaving for Mexico or Uganda this summer. Survival training camp will equip the nursing students for setting up camp and living in the desert of Mexico or jungle of Uganda. The team will partner with Operation Renewed Hope. This organization provides certified doctors, dentists, and optometrists, and uses nursing students to assist in the different areas of service. Tom Farrell will accompany the group to Uganda to hold evangelistic meetings.
Fast Facts:
Mexico--
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Geography: 1,972,550 sq km
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Religions: Predominantly Roman Catholic—second-largest Catholic population in the world
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Peoples: Mestizo 60%, Amerindian 30%, white 9%, other 1%
- Industries: Oil, mining, agriculture, tourism
- Industries: Oil, mining, agriculture, tourism
Uganda--
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Geography: 236,040 sq km in East Africa
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Religions: Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 42%, Muslim 12%, other 3%
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Peoples: Baganda 16.9%, many other African people groups
- Economy: Agriculture, primarily coffee
Team Members:
Mexico--Sarah Baxter, Sarah Berry, Alisa Burlingame, Kayla Heaton, Christina Lingle, Leah Otte, Rusty Siedschlag, Carrie Sieger, Tim Struska
Uganda--Julie Bandy, Leah Blondke, Jewelia Chevalier, Stefanie Glore, Abigail Griffin, Rheanna Kuhlman, Justina Nielsen, Cassidy Pickens, Hannah Prahl, Danielle Shostak, Hannah Sutrick, Brian Trainer, Kirsten Walz
Prayer Requests:
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Spiritual conditioning for team members
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Survival training camp in March and May
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Evangelistic services
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Strength for demanding physical conditions and back-to-back medical trips
If you would like to donate to these or other missions trips, please visit the Development pages.
Argentina
Thirty students and several staff members will travel to Argentina in May to assist missionaries Ron and Christine Self. The team members will have opportunities to hold athletic camps as well as musical seminars while in Argentina, and will minister to churches through singing and instrumental music. Evangelism with the Argentines will increase the active ministry opportunities. Students will also be able to practice ESL during the trip.
Fast Facts:
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Geography: 2,780,092 sq. km.; second largest country in Latin America
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Peoples: European (81%), Mestizo (10%), Amerindian (4%), Middle Eastern (5%)
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Economy: natural resources
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Religion: Roman Catholicism is dominant
Team Members:
Glenn Owens, Brian Trainer, Chris Jochum, Matthew Huggins, Steve Thayer, Joel Stevens, Sam Prusak, Jacob Job, Matt Tanis, Josh Steinbart, Andrea Love, Lori Biastock, Emily Sieger, Jessica Biechy, Leanna Oetken, Kristin Kincaid, Becky Owens, Heather Riley, Bethany Backhaus, Natalie Hauser, Bekah Peters, Hannah Lodwick, Laura Carter, Rachel Alley, Tiffany Breil, Sherry Trainer, Melissa Garcia, Emily Dow
Prayer Requests:
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Spiritual readiness of each team member
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Athletic "camp" preparation
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Music preparation (singing in both English and
Spanish as well as instrumental pieces)
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Language learning
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ESL teaching while in Argentina
If you would like to donate to these or other missions trips, please visit the Development pages.
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