Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – Eight Weeks to Change Your Life

By Anne Marie Fields

Melissa with Andrea, one of her Sunday School students

What if eight weeks actually could change your life? When you are 5-years-old, you can already tell people what you want to be when you grow up. In high school, although you may not know what you will study in college, you have already picked your secondary school. By the time you’ve finished a year of college, your life is set in one direction. Right?

Wrong. In a world where we are simultaneously told to “stop and smell the roses” and that “the world doesn’t wait for us,” we have to decide what is most important. We must ask ourselves if we are missing something in all our rushing around. We must honestly ask ourselves that if God were to call us to do something for him, would we hear? Would we act?

Melissa, a short-term missionary with the Latin America Mission (LAM), was finishing her second year of college and looking for an internship. She knew what she wanted in life, and was taking all the right steps to get there. Then God whispered to her what he wanted for her life. Melissa decided to attend InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s World Missions Conference, “Urbana 2003.” While attending a seminar by Dr. David Befus, president of LAM, God planted a seed in Melissa’s heart. The following summer, Melissa participated in Spearhead, an eight-week program where college-aged participants serve in a local church or Christian ministry, live with a host family, take intensive Spanish classes and share their faith. I recently had a chance to ask Melissa about her experience in short-term missions, and how God led her to Siguatepeque, Honduras.

Being involved in STM often means learning about other cultures

Q: What has brought you to Honduras?

A: In October 2003, I was interviewing with a top company for a summer internship position. I blew the interview within the first three minutes. I couldn’t believe it; I didn’t understand what happened. That December I went to Urbana and attended Dr. Befus’ seminar. His message really hit home. There was something about this opportunity that encompassed everything I was concerned about: what I was studying, what I was passionate about, what little Spanish background I had at the time, but most importantly, my faith.

So I kept the [idea of short-term missions] in the back of my mind. The spring semester rolled around and I was thinking to myself, “I really need an internship; it will help me get a job when I graduate.” So I interviewed again. This time I aced my first interview. They offered me a summer internship. I was thrilled, but at the back of my mind, I thought about the opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip to Honduras. As I prayed about it, I felt God asking me to take a step of faith. There were many issues in going to Honduras. I’d have to leave it in God’s hands. For me it was one of two choices: take a step of faith or take the easy route where everything was already figured out. I weighed the options, talked with others and prayed. I knew that God was calling me to take a step of faith. 

Anne Marie Fields serves with the Latin America Mission (LAM) in the short-term department. She has served on short-term teams over the last six years.