Our summer ministry sites are carefully selected to provide our teams the opportunity to make a spiritual impact cross-culturally.  The trips are not vacations, nor are they simply an exposure to missions.  We send people where their gifts and energies can be used by the Lord to bring people to faith in Christ and to strengthen the local church. 

Most summer missionaries return stating they received more than they gave and found themselves changed forever by the experience.  Some who go out will later explore a longer term missions involvement.  Some will not.  All will have a greater sensitivity to what God is doing around the world.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
Carolyn writes:

Dear Friends and Family,

     Thank you so much for your support and prayers for my team and me during our three weeks in Bangladesh—the trip was incredible!  We flew out of LAX on the night of May 14 to Hong Kong.  After a 17 hour lay-over in the Hong Kong airport, we flew into Dhaka and arrived there at midnight.  We stayed in Dhaka at the Nazarene Missions center for two days where we met the people who worked there and were introduced to the different ministries in which the church is involved in Bangladesh.  Milton, supervisor for the microfinance program, accompanied us on our 9 hour bus trip to Ghoraghat, in northern Bangladesh.  It was a long, hot trip, but it was great to see so much of the green and beautiful countryside.  We stayed in Ghoraghat for 6 days and Birgonj for 6 as well.  In both cities we traveled to many Child Development Center schools in rural villages and sang songs, performed skits for the children, and taught them some fun games.  At these schools, the children attend 6 days a week—Friday is their day off because it is the national holiday—and get one or two nutritionally balanced meals during the school day and are taught school and cultural curriculum.  The children who received two meals a day usually were not being fed at home, and the children who received one meal a day only were being fed one meal at home.  The children perform cultural dances and songs every week in a showcase, and they were so excited to perform for us and share their culture with us; I loved the huge role singing and dancing plays in their culture. 

     Also under Bangladesh Nazarene Missions are microfinance programs to help people get loans to start up businesses, nutritional rehabilitation programs, self-help groups (help women in the poorest areas with money management and health care), various types of medical care, and child sponsorship programs.  The various programs are spread throughout Bangladesh, and the goal of the missionaries is to love and meet the needs of the people of Bangladesh, and hope that through showing them the love of Jesus, they will come to know Him (Bangladesh is primarily a Muslim country).  I loved the raw beauty of the people, the country, and the culture. Everywhere we went we were greeted warmly and treated with amazing hospitality—truly humbling.  Milton, Nathan, Milon, and everyone else that works under Bangladesh Nazarene Mission are solid Christians: their love and passion for their work drives them in their everyday lives. For them, their ministry is their life.  I have never seen such support and dedication within the church as I did in Bangladesh.  Their church gatherings are full of praise and fellowship as well as singing, dancing, passion, and learning. 

    I learned so much from this experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.  It was a mission trip I will never forget and I couldn’t have done it without all of your help and support—thank you.  I now have a child that I am sponsoring through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries; for just $25 a month I can provide him with one meal a day, schooling, gifts throughout the year, and hope for the future. 

    Thank you once again for blessing me with all of your prayers and support!  It would be wonderful if you could remember from time to time to pray for Bangladesh and for the ministry of the Nazarene church in Bangladesh.  I know they would deeply appreciate your thoughts and prayers.