Incredible Careers: 50th Annual Missions Emphasis Week

LETU is currently wrapping up its 50^th annual Missions Emphasis Week, and has been honored to have dozens of missionaries on campus, seeking to recruit students for their respective organizations.

Missionaries tell some of their most memorable stories.

It’s easy to have the conventional view that being a missionary is mutually exclusive with having a technical career.  After hearing from the missionaries on campus this week, it’s clear there’s a broader range of opportunities in missions for the LETU student’s career of choice than many may have realized.

Tim Mason, LETU Computer Science Engineering Graduate, ’02, is a prime example. He now works as a computer development engineer with mission organization HCJB Global. He’s been with the organization since he graduated, and said it’s been a fulfilling career in more ways than one: “Through my involvement with mission work, the Lord has given me some fairly large and intense projects, which has been an incredible growing experience technically and also personally.”

Scott McConnell, also of HCJB global, spoke about career opportunities they offer: “We sponsor a spring break trip – students go to our technology center in Indiana. We have internships for people who want to come two or three months to work with us. We have great civil engineering opportunities in Ecuador, electrical and mechanical engineering and digital media opportunities also in Indiana. For someone who wants to become a missionary engineer in the field, we have an apprenticeship program that helps transition them from college graduate to missionary.”

Just a few of the 3,000 unreached people groups

In fact, many of the organizations operate with a more hands-on, practical focus. For instance, Friends in Action International’s work consists mainly of building airstrips, radio stations, housing, riverboats, and roads, so they have a need for engineers.

Caryl Mallory, Director of IT Engagement with JAARS, said they have over 200 positions in their IT department. It’s an exciting time – the mission field is expanding to include careers that are highly relevant to LETU students.

Whether in full-time missions or not, Tye Parks of Pioneer Bible Translators pointed why it’s vital for all believers to be involved somehow.

“Jesus said it was important. Jesus said go and make disciples – that’s our mandate," Parks said. “Whether we go to the workforce and make disciples or we go across the world and make disciples.”