Student Mission Experience

About the program

The Student Mission Experience is a great opportunity for Lutheran university students to broaden their understanding and apprecation of the world through a 6 month - 2 year mission service involvment. With the experienced guidance of GLO personnel, not only will you gain an increased awareness of cross-cultural missions and the different people, cultures, and life-ways of the global community, but you will do so while impacting others with the love of Christ!

A secondary benefit is that, as congregations and individuals are engaged to join in supporting your mission service, many other people become more aware of and involved in our God-given mission to bring the Good News to all the world. Also, it may well be that some who participatate in the Mission Experience program will discover that the Lord is calling them to full-time missionary service.

For more details:

Download: Lutheran University Student Cross-Cultural Mission Experience

Or, click here to read this document on this page.

Please note that this program has been first implemented in the USA, but GLO intends to also offer the opportunity to Lutheran university students in other countries as well.  If interested, Contact Us.

Current Opportunities

Please contact us regarding opportunities in the following countries and elsewhere:

• Tanzania: DCE; DCO; teachers
• Tanzania: orphanage
• Uruguay:  Director of Christian Education​, Music education, outreach
• Chile:  school teacher; DCE/DCO internship
• Paraguay:  English teachers; DCE/DCO internship
• Latvia: Educator, evangelist, DCE/DCO internship

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Lutheran University Student Cross-Cultural Mission Experience

Overview

The Student Mission Experience program will provide Lutheran college/university students with the opportunity to live and serve in a cross-cultural setting for a period of approximately six months (1 semester) to 2 years.  

Placements

Student missionary interns can be placed anywhere in the world.  Global Lutheran Outreach requires that students be Lutheran and that the placement be cross-cultural, therefore placements within the missionary's home country would not be a priority.  A number of countries have English as the official language, including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Botswana, South Africa, Nigeria, South Sudan and Jamaica.  If a student knows another language, other options are available.  Also, a student can learn a language on-site if they are willing to do a 1- to 2-year term of service.

Benefits

The primary benefit is that students will participate in the work of God’s mission as He calls people out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Students who participate in the Mission Experience program will gain an increased awareness of cross-cultural missions and will grow in their understanding of the different people, cultures, and life-ways of the global community.  A secondary benefit is that as students generate awareness and support of their mission service, congregations and individuals will be engaged in supporting missions.  Finally, some of the students who participate in the Mission Experience program may discover that the Lord is calling them to full-time missionary service.

Logistics

Global Lutheran Outreach will directly provide:

• suitable locations / service placements
• training/coaching for fund-raising
• management of contributions (tracking the donors, acknowledging contributions)
• fund transfers to student missionaries
• health and emergency evacuation insurance
• procurement of visas and other legal documents
• issuance of any tax forms or related documents

In conjunction with our partners, Global Lutheran Outreach will also provide:

• pre-field training
• on-site orientation
• on-site supervision
• housing
• language training, if necessary

Costs

The cost of a Student Mission Experience varies widely, depending on location, length of service, and other factors.  Global Lutheran Outreach will prepare a “Cost of Service” projection that is tailored to each individual student.  The Cost of Service can serve as the “funding target” for Student missionaries.  The following items are included in the Cost of Service projection:

• monthly stipend for living expenses
• cost of insurance
• airfare
• visas and legal documentation
• fundraising costs
• organizational fees
• college/university tuition and/or fees (if applicable)

A 12-month term in a typical situation in a developing nation will cost between $12,000 and $15,000, excluding college/university tuition and/or fees.  Student missionaries are considered to be “volunteers” (rather than “employees”) and are expected to raise their own support and to direct it to Global Lutheran Outreach.  Global Lutheran Outreach is a registered non-profit organization in the USA, so sponsors receive a tax-exempt receipt for their contributions.  If credit hours are granted by the college/university, student loan funds may be used to help cover the costs.

Academic Credit / Internships

In some cases, students may receive academic credit in conjunction with their mission service.  Some situations may also qualify as student internships.  Decisions regarding academic credit and student internships will be made by the college/university.

Timeline

Students wishing to serve as Student Missionaries must notify Global Lutheran Outreach via the appropriate University contact person a minimum of six months prior to the anticipated departure date.  This is to allow time to locate suitable placements, and to provide the students with enough time to identify their financial support.

About the Organization

Global Lutheran Outreach is an independent Lutheran missionary organization dedicated to enabling Lutherans to serve as long-term cross-cultural missionaries.  Our vision is to send Lutheran missionaries “from everywhere to everywhere”.  Global Lutheran Outreach is  registered as 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization.