Overview
Six weeks could change your life.
Spend four to six weeks as part of an intern cohort with a Live Dead missions team. Develop as a leader and a disciple, immerse yourself in language and culture, and learn to engage with the unreached, as you discern the Lord’s direction for your future.
Live Dead Summer Internships are hosted by teams throughout the Middle East and North Africa. As an intern, you will experience what it is to live as disciples among unreached people groups (populations with little to no access to the gospel). These internships are a rich and transformative time for any college-aged disciple.
Check out the four separate internships available below.
Morocco lies at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa; a region where the gospel was known as early as 300 C.E. Today, less than 1% of the population professes faith in Jesus. But this country is alive with a unique mixture of cultures and people groups and God is moving among them. The LD team here serves as a launching pad to send workers throughout Northern Africa while sharing the hope and life that can be found through Jesus. Apply here to begin your application process to intern with the team this summer!
Neighboring Israel, near the heart of the Middle East, lies Jordan, a country with a rich and compelling history and culture. To stand among the mountains where the ancient Israelites wandered, the site where Herod’s palace stood, and the river where Jesus was baptized is a moving thing. And yet to live among the millions of Jordanians and Palestinians who have yet to hear the good news of God moves us in a different way- it spurs us on to share the gospel among this beautiful culture. This is the work of the team in Jordan while preparing workers to serve throughout the Levant area. You can begin your application process to intern with the Jordan team this summer here!
Once known as a flourishing cultural center with a fertile landscape, this region has more recently been marked by conflict and social unrest. But God’s glory shines brightest in the darkest places and the team here gets to live and work among a people they love, sharing the hope, peace, and light of Jesus. *To join the Iraq Internship you must have had at least one previous cross-cultural experience outside of the U.S. You can apply here to intern with this incredible team this summer.
Planted in a resort town on the coast of the Atlantic, the team in southern Morocco builds relationships within the local community and shares their faith while operating MENA Goods Co., a company curating sustainable goods, handmade & crafted by artisans from the Middle East and North Africa, along with other small businesses.
Interns with this team will learn a deeper sense of what it means to live out their careers in tandem with the command to reach the nations- a lesson that disciples cannot overvalue. *Students studying business-related fields, hospitality, advertising, or interested in pursuing entrepreneurship may benefit more directly from this opportunity. Start your application process here to intern with the southern Morocco team this summer!
Trip Details
What to Expect
Each day will be spent with your Live Dead teammates and fellow interns. Daily rhythms center around spiritual, team, and cultural engagement.
Day-to-day activities include:
- Spending time in team meetings, praying with workers, mentorship, and hangouts
- Abiding time on your own in the mornings
- Taking time with local believers, hearing their joys and trials
- Exploring and touring mosques, markets, and historic places
- Living apartment-style among long-term team members
- Visiting in Muslim homes, sharing food and community, practicing relational evangelism
- Studying core missiology training, learning an overview of Islamic history and culture, taking entry-level Arabic lessons
- Volunteering in the business-as-missions platforms (subject to your internship’s focus)
- Prayer walking and proclaiming the gospel to those who have never heard it
A day in the life of an LD intern may look something like the following:
- Morning abiding time & breakfast on your own
- Teaching from a long-term team member with your intern cohort
- Lunch can be had with fellow interns or other team members, at the team house or around the city
- Language class in the afternoons for 2 hours
- Late afternoons are free to build relationships with locals, practice relational evangelism, or participate in other team activities
- Dinner in the evenings with your house or other interns, there may be readings or language homework to complete
- Different days/evenings will include all-team meetings, or small team meetings (similar to microchurches)
- Weekends may be spent traveling with the team or exploring the city with fellow interns and long-term team members
Use the following questions in your decision-making process, not as disqualifiers but as guides. The first two questions are the most important, if your answer to them is ‘yes’, then we would encourage you to apply.
- Are you willing to live and share the gospel among unreached people groups, for the glory of God?
- Do you have a strong desire for the gospel to go forth to those who have never heard the name of Jesus?
- Do you want to go outside your comfort zone and experience the Lord and the Church in new ways?
- Are you open to hearing what the Lord has for your future?
- Are you considering long-term work among unreached people groups (UPGs)?
- Have you had another cross-cultural experience outside of the U.S? This is not a requirement for every internship, but can be beneficial.
Q&A
The emphasis on feeling ‘called’, do you have a ‘call’, etc. can get confusing. Maybe you aren’t sure if you’re ‘called’ to this work, but you care deeply about those who haven’t heard the gospel yet, we would rather ask you, “Are you willing to go?” If the answer to this question is ‘yes’ or even ‘I think so’, then we would strongly encourage you to pursue one of these internships.
Evangelism in these contexts hinges on building relationships- which is much easier in such hospitable cultures as these! It looks like meeting a new friend or neighbor and being open about your faith and what it means to you right from the start. In Middle Eastern cultures, it isn’t seen as taboo to talk about your faith- it’s actually much weirder to avoid talking about it! Openly sharing what God has done in your life, telling a story you recently read in the Bible, and asking others about their faith are all common practices. And as an intern, you’ll get training and resources from long-term team members on all of this.
Any time we’re in a setting where we don’t speak the language, we can face obstacles. Long-term team members can help you get around and communicate in important conversations. Still, you may be surprised how much you are able to communicate on your own, and you never have to look very far to find someone that’s able to help- Middle Eastern cultures are so hospitable that almost everyone you meet is ready to be welcoming and helpful. And as an intern, you’ll be studying the local language and implementing what you learn daily. Every lesson opens up new conversations to be had with your neighbors, new friends, taxi drivers, local shopkeepers, etc.
Each internship’s budget will vary depending on location. An approximate estimate for each program falls between $2,500-$4,500 plus airfare. This includes visas, housing, food, telephone, transportation, insurance, security training, cultural interaction, and education. Greenhouse has scholarships available for college students looking to participate. If cost is an obstacle, please reach out to Tess at tbottenhorn@greenhousechurch.org.
Your safety is important to both Greenhouse and the team you will be visiting. Rest assured that there are measures in place to care for you, and to make sure you aren’t put in unsafe environments. Additionally, every intern completes a required safety training before joining their team overseas. As guests in these countries, we are always mindful and respectful of the context we’re in. In a way, these countries are our hosts and we long to treat their people and culture with respect. If you are concerned or have any questions about your safety as a member of one of these teams, please contact Tess at tbottenhorn@greenhousechurch.org.
DATES
May - June 2023*
APPLICATION DEADLINE
January 16, 2023
Cost
$2,500-&4,500** plus airfare
*Exact dates subject to location
**Scholarships are available to the first 10 applicants for our 2023 trips who are active in a microchurch
Want to support a mission trip?
Not everyone is called to go, but we are called to give and support those who can. Please prayerfully consider supporting one of our missions teams or missionaries. We also aim for 50% of our own funds to go to directly out to missions, church-planting, and the poor here and around the world.
