Summer break gives Candler students the opportunity to take on the challenges and rewards of an internship tied to their ministry callings. Here is one of their stories:
Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings and many blessings from San Antonio, Texas.
Truthfully, we are living in strange times. Nevertheless, I am humbled by the reality that despite the pandemic, the opportunity to engage in an advanced summer ministry internship through Candler School of Theology and serve within the Rio Texas Conference’s Mission, Service, & Justice Ministries department in San Antonio was afforded to me.
Candler School of Theology is one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries supported by the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment of the United Methodist Church.
In terms of my work, the goal of my internship has been to capture insights and perspectives, through interviews, from those involved within the conference and beyond, working in the areas of direct service, hospitality connections, legal support, and advocacy for those seeking asylum. The core theme of these interviews is to answer the following question: “How does one truly welcome the stranger/neighbor from a foreign/distant land?"
The internship in the context of the pandemic, has, therefore, been one that has been based on sheer willpower, ingenuity, optimism, and a constant effort and hope to make connections and meaningful conversations, despite the distance and divide that the pandemic has placed on the world: this, I believe, has made us anxious, fearful, and frustrated along the way.
Initially, I felt frustrated and cheated out of my internship, telling myself: “My God, is this what you had planned out for me? is this all that you envisioned for me when you guided my soul to apply for this internship?” God, in my eyes, then, had become a “crappy planner.” I wanted to go out and explore the Rio-Grande Valley, visit migrant camps, cross the border, and so on, but I believed that God did not allow me to do so. BUT I was gravely mistaken for feeling this way.
I was blaming my “crappy” experience on God, condemning Him for not fashioning the internship in the manner in which I wanted: I wanted an entire meal, but God, at the time, was giving me leftovers! I thought to myself. But the folly that I had fallen into was not having confidence in Him.
So, what did I do to remedy this disposition? I prayed hard, and in what many may consider the “dark night of the soul,” I came to understand that when all hope seemed to be fleeting, when nothing else was there, at least God is with me. I have since reevaluated my statement that God is a “crappy” planner, to, “God is not a crappy planner.”
Indeed, IF THIS IS GOD’S PLAN, THEN GOD IS NOT A CRAPPY PLANNER! Though the virus has been fueled by fear and has made a great many of us selfish, I have come to know that many agree that this pandemic presents an opportunity for God to be a light in the midst of these dark times.
Truthfully, I believe that God brought me to San Antonio so that He could strengthen my identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Though the pandemic is far from over and you, God, have made the road rough, I believe that you have set your course for us to receive your light eventually! And it is in you that we continue to pray for the healing of our world. Indeed, you will restore the hearts and minds of the people you loved first, because in them, are we saved by your Grace.
excerpt from a story by Emmanuel Boafo Amponsah, Candler School of Theology
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Ministerial Education Fund is at the heart of preparing people for making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The 13 United Methodist seminaries help students to discover their calling through the challenging curriculum. The fund enables the church to increase financial support for recruiting and educating ordained and diaconal ministers and to equip annual conferences to meet increased demands. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
