What I Learned from the Practicum about the Local Church

When I was fourteen, a woman at church had a seizure. I remember watching nurses in our congregation rush to help. That day, I decided I wanted to help people, which began the dream that has led me to my junior year of college pursuing a nursing degree. I started college convinced of my life’s trajectory: graduate, get licensed, and fix people while telling them about the Great Physician. 

However, the Lord likes to redirect our plans. Before college, my love for overseas missions began to grow. As I read biographies and talked to missionary friends, the more I felt compelled to go. Just as I was determined to help the physically sick, now I wanted to help the spiritually sick. I began praying for the Lord to provide an opportunity to go on a short trip. I got my passport, devoured missionary stories, and talked to any missionary I met. And then I waited. 

I moved to college for my freshman semester with no trips in sight. And then I joined a faithful church. Under the shepherding of my elders, I began to see the importance of the local church and how my zeal for missions was good but lacked more precise theology. My church became my favorite place in the world and the saints there are now family. My passion for missions remained, but now the dream was clearer: I wanted to see healthy local churches planted around the world. I saw the Lord’s beautiful design for the church and I wanted to see that displayed overseas. 

But there was a problem: my dreams were pitted against each other. I had easily reconciled nursing and missions, since nursing is a universally useful profession. But now I had a new dream of growing old in my local church, learning from older saints, and teaching the next generation the gospel. But I also wanted to leave my church so that I could see a solid church grow in another country.

So, when I learned about Reaching and Teaching’s Practicum, I jumped at the opportunity. The Lord had finally opened the doors for me to see if my desire held water when tested with reality. God provided in many ways. Fundraising went smoothly, and I unexpectedly met my Practicum team and host at CROSS CON. (Shameless plug to college students: go to CROSS CON and be challenged to pursue the Lord and love His church!).

Our departure neared, and I started to worry. What if the trip left me with more questions? What if I loved it and no longer felt content to go back home? Our last week overseas, my team traveled to neighboring countries in the Middle East and met saints serving the Lord in difficult contexts. In one location, we met a single worker, and as a fellow single desiring missions, I of course asked her many questions. As she talked about what her days looked like—babysitting for fellow workers, sharing the good news with neighbors, and hosting Bible studies—it hit me. She was doing the same things I should be doing at my local church. As much as I didn’t want to leave this context because so many desperately needed the gospel, I knew this was a temporary season. 

I was excited to return to my local church. I was eager to babysit church members’ kiddos, to evangelize the lost at my college, and to dig into the Word with other girls. In the middle of a parking garage in the Middle East, I realized two things. First, it’s easy to idolize missions as the only way to serve God meaningfully. Second, my dream is really to serve the Lord, whether in the States or overseas. The true privilege of the Christian life is that the God of the universe has saved us and allows us a role in building His church.

My desire to go overseas has grown even as my joy and contentment in serving my local church has grown, too. I didn’t think the two could coexist, but the Lord humbled me, allowing me to see that it doesn’t matter where I serve Him. He doesn’t need me overseas to bring the nations to Himself. Should He allow me to serve His church overseas, I will rejoice! If He keeps me stateside, I will rejoice! 

To learn more about the Reaching & Teaching Practicum visit rtim.org/go/practicum/