TESTIMONIALS
FROM OUR ALUMNI
I RECOMMEND STUDIO
“ABSOLUTELY!!!!!! Why? It helps your sin to be more dealt with before hitting the field, you learn tons of practical skills and principles, you get experience with learning a language, you work through trying “events”, you live in community, you get mentored, you learn that you can’t possibly do everything you “need” to do in a single day/week/month, you learn to balance ministry with life… the list goes on, folks! If there’s anyone at my home church that is on their way . . . I will recommend Studio to them 100% of the time.” (Fall ’17)
“Definitely – the skills are valuable and not easily replicated, and I think the environment is very conducive to growth. I think the content topics force anyone to confront the realities of life and ministry overseas and yet press into them with hope. I think you get more time with Muslims in a more strategic way than any other opportunity I can think of. And you get to do all this in an environment where you have many safeguards (mentors, retreats, resilience training, team members) against despair or burnout, and instead into growth and perseverance.” (Spring ’19)
A TASTE OF REAL LIFE ON THE FIELD
“This is a taste of real life on the field but in a safe environment with wise people to help work through issues and guide learning. It is hard to imagine a better training in both the hard skills that are necessary for reaching out to Muslims and learning language and the soft skills of staying healthy, getting along with teammates and having good spiritual practices – fruitfulness and resiliency!” (Fall ’17)
CONNECTING IN REAL WAYS
“Between us, we invited ten Muslims to study God’s Word that night – more than the last two months combined, and in their place of worship, nonetheless! In submitting to our cousins’ culture and surrendering our freedom in Christ, barriers came crashing down and doors swung wide open, making invitations to study God’s Word a natural part of conversation. My new friend (*S) wanted to get together the following weekend to read Daniel’s story! For over 5 hours, another intern and I spent the evening at her home – listening to her story, laughing over cultural differences, sharing a meal together, and reading/discussing the first chapter of Daniel from the Word. As the first Americans to enter her home in the 5 years she’s been here, we knew it wasn’t us at all. Humbled and in complete awe of God’s presence felt through us, we left full of gratitude for the way He pours out His love and peace through broken vessels like us.”
“Every week we meet people in the community from all over the world. I have friends who are Somali, Uzbek, Syrian and Iraqi all living right here in our neighborhood. Every week someone invites us into their home and we share a meal together. Most of our friends don’t have any other American friends, even though some of them have been in the States for many years.”
TAKEAWAYS FROM STUDIO
“Studio was an INVALUABLE aid to finding and training a language nurturer–setting good boundaries around how long to try it out, how to introduce spiritual language early on, and how important it REALLY is to listen to those language learning session recordings :)”
“At the start of the internship, we were asked to approach the months ahead with a mindset and attitude that was summed up with the words “humble and hungry.” While we were pushed hard, we weren’t expected to know everything or completely avoid mistakes. We were expected to approach each day with humility and an eagerness to learn and grow. As I’ve reflected on the past few months, I’ve realized that God has helped me to come to a point where I’m even more “humble and hungry” leaving than when I started.”
“I have learned more about myself, how God created me to learn, the personality He has given me, and how to thrive in challenging environments. I have also received more tools than I know what to do with! One of the tools presented was a session about resiliency which is a tool that has helped me to have healthier relationships in all aspects of my life.”
HOW HAS STUDIO CHANGED YOU?
“LOVING THE BRIDE OF CHRIST – despite differences in design, giftings, backgrounds, experiences, etc. we are still called to love one another in Christ, and we need each other in order to function properly as the Body of Christ.” (Fall ’17)
“I grew in being more intentional about moving conversations to spiritual things and about doing things that would move people forward [toward Jesus] as much as it depends on me. This also pertains to seeing myself as a spiritual resource person.” (Fall ‘17)
“I think I’ve changed . . . in terms of confidence level in sharing with others and having an idea of what it looks like for me to live in a fruitful way on the field. Due to the trainers’ stories of spiritual warfare experiences, I have a more “eyes-wide-open” mentality as we move oversees.” (Spring ’18)
“Understanding who I am in Christ was paramount… Working through things in my past that I didn’t realize were such stumbling blocks, I am more confident and excited now than I ever have been!” (Fall ’17)
“I’ve grown a lot in prayer and surrender, which has been interesting. I feel like God has really been reshaping my views on singleness to see the gifts within the season, how I can thrive, and how I can love married couples and families on the field.” (Fall ’17)
“Feeling so rooted, knowing what my foundations are, feeling equipped personally and within my ministry team. I am also growing in my tenderness to others instead of being a meany pants.” (Spring ’18)
“I’m much more relaxed now and flex more easily when the schedule changes. I think I’m more subdued in the area of submission, which I’m sure my TL will greatly appreciate. I think I’m more aware of the HS promptings to pray, slow down, etc.” (Spring ’18)
“I am now setting the bar higher for myself and my team. I used to see myself as primarily ministering to the physical needs of my people group, but now I feel equipped and motivated to do church-planting/disciple-making as well. I have higher expectations for how God can use me.” (Fall ’18)
“I am equipped now with new and different ways of connecting with God. I have learned the importance of obedience steps, especially practicing peacemaking with my teammates.” (Fall ’18)
LOOKING BACK FROM THE FIELD...
“Studio has been worth the time and investment. I can’t imagine my first year here without having had that training. I’ve had so much to refer to when I get tired and wonder if I am cut out to do this. I’ve been encouraged to think about how God uses us cracked pots to shine His light.”
“I’m the only person on my team who went through Studio and since I arrived overseas a year ago I’ve been consistently affirmed and grateful for my time there. This summer I get to lead our team in resilience activities (pulling mostly from the Thrive material taught at Studio).”
“One of my biggest takeaways from Studio is how much of a heart it helped craft in me for a healthy team. The peacemaking trainings we did and all the sessions on team life, expectations, etc have greatly impacted how I function in my team. My TL’s and I have recently talked about the importance of new members coming with some sort of framework and they are looking to strongly encourage a Studio or a similar training because of the impact it has had on me.”