Meet Cassidy Monk: the Lord redirected her steps coming out of high school to take a gap year internship with a mission-sending organization in North Georgia where she learned what it looks like to truly follow Him.
What led you to want to attend Global, and what was your focus during your time there?
I originally didn't want to attend Global at all. I had my whole life planned out, and the thought of taking a year off of college scared me! However, it was very evident that the Lord was calling me to sacrifice a year and attend. While I was there, He showed me what it truly meant to be a disciple of Him. I had just given my life to the Lord a couple of months before I left for Global, so I really had no clue what it looked like to truly follow Him. I had brothers and sisters in Christ come beside me and walk with me as I discovered more about Christ and giving my life to Him.
What did you learn at Global about loving and serving others well?
So Global's technical title is Global Youth Ministry, and the name of the program I did was the Global Institute for Youth Leadership. There's a large focus on youth ministry there, and I got the chance to put to practice what I was learning in the classroom about discipleship.
Along with that came the idea of serving, and boy, that's definitely something that is a large portion of your time at Global. While it is an institute during the school year, they also have a retreat center that groups rent out, so the students are on staff and help them run the facilities. Everything from cleaning toilets to dusting plants - we would do it. The Lord really showed me the idea of "the first will be last and the last will be first".
Because of the service I was able to offer to Global, the Lord was able to use them and their facilities to serve others. Ultimately, by serving them and others, they were able to serve even more, so I was able to see my service multiplied.
How did the Lord work out the details and make it possible for you to attend Global?
In the entire process, the Lord affirmed that He wanted me at Global by providing $3,000 in three weeks through t-shirt sales and donations. That was a testimony to me of His provision and allowed me to see just what can happen when I step out in faith. And honestly, it has set me up now to be able to trust that He will always provide a way and the resources.
What lasting impact do you hope your time spent serving and studying will have on the lives of others?
A large thing I already mentioned was the idea of discipleship. This is a huge focus in my life now. The picture we see in scripture of Paul and Timothy is beautiful - we see Paul encouraging, challenging, and teaching Timothy is something I have made a priority in my life. I pray this is something that I am able to communicate to others as such an important part of our Christian lives - to encourage and take along-side of us a younger brother or sister in Christ and spur them along.
What would you say to someone who feels called to serve and help others know Jesus but isn’t sure where to start?
I would first say that if we always wait to know where to start, we often won't start.
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