Growing things takes time. Whether it's crops, plants, or even kids, those who grow things invest a lot of time, care, and work. It's kind of the same with missionaries. Missionaries aren't born nor do they become ready overnight. First, God does His work of redeeming, transforming, gifting, and calling. Parents and those in the Body of Christ play a critical role as well to disciple and mentor young missionaries in the making.
ODBM strives to serve Morningside Baptist Church and other like-minded churches in encouraging young adults and preparing them for life-long service around the globe. Below are updates on a few young adults of how God is leading and preparing them.
KARIS MARTIN
Karis desires to serve in a French speaking, Muslim, African nation by using her health science training from BJU to enter a restricted region, connect with needy women, and make disciples. Last summer she did an internship in France, studying French, and building redemptive relationships with young adults from around the world. This summer she’s doing an internship with a Christian, health & fitness organization. She'll graduate in 2024 and continues to seek training and opportunities to prepare herself to reach Muslims for Christ. Pray for God’s continued leading and provision for Karis.
Karis serving through mission internships.
HANNAH STUHL
Hannah just graduated from BJU and also desires to use her training in the health sciences to serve abroad. Last summer, she did an internship with Harvest Ministries in Guam. This summer, she's accepted a full-time position to return to Guam in the fall to teach and coach with Harvest Ministries. She's counseling and serving at Highpoint Camp this summer. Pray for wisdom, strength, and open doors as she strives to serve kids and make disciples of Jesus.
ETHAN WRIGHT
ODBM conducts an annual Business as Mission (BAM) Retreat each spring to encourage, equip, and challenge college students to use their professional training to advance the Gospel around the globe. Ethan, an upcoming BJU senior, attended the BAM Retreat in April. In May, he was the only business major on a BJU medical missions team to Ghana. He has joined a small startup to develop a medical device to significantly speed up the process of weighing and measuring young children in 3rd world countries to determine if they are suffering from malnutrition. Ethan was able to test device prototypes and gather valuable information to improve the device and help medical mission teams become more efficient. Pray for Ethan as he will be going to Portugal in August for an international business & leadership program before returning for his senior year.
2023 BAM Retreat
ISAAC PERRY
Less than 24 hours after graduating from BJU, Isaac was boarding a plane with a small mission team from Morningside headed to Reno, Nevada. Isaac gleaned valuable church planting information and experience from four ODBM church planters teaming up to establish Living Hope Church. He appreciated their vision to develop deep relationships to make disciples and establish multiple churches in the Reno area. Isaac will be serving in a pastoral internship this summer at his home church in Huntingdon, WV. In the fall he will return to Greenville to attend seminary, work in the student life office as a counselor, and serve as a pastoral assistant at Morningside.
RENE
After graduating from college and having time in between jobs, Rene went to South Asia to visit some friends from college. While there, her eyes impacted her heart, and she became burdened for the millions of children who have never heard the Good News. In the next 3 years, she studied missions, was mentored in her home church, and conducted multiple short-term mission assignments. In 2022, she lived and served in a remote, unreached region of South Asia. She began learning the language and made connections with local villages to teach children and start Bible clubs. In May she returned to the US to raise prayer and financial support. She hopes to return by the beginning of next year. Pray for God's provision for Rene, for the right visa, and for lasting fruit from among the unreached.
PRAY for LABORERS
"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." Matthew 9:38