LEBANON – Instead of hanging out at the lake or sleeping the summer away, 62 college students chose to answer God’s call and be missionaries this summer through the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). One of those 62 was Ashley Livingston, who spent her summer working alongside one other collegiate missionary with Laclede Baptist Association.
Each MBC collegiate summer missionary has a difference assignment and experience, but for Livingston the job meant a week of training, four weeks of church camps, four weeks of Vacation Bible Schools around Laclede Association and a week-long mission trip to East St. Louis, Illinois.
“I loved it,” she said. “I learned a lot, especially on the trip to East St. Louis.”
Livingston and 16 other volunteers from seven churches in the association partnered with Light of Christ Church in East St. Louis in late July. The weeklong ministry project focused on Vacation Bible School, electrical repairs to the church’s building, other renovations, a clothing giveaway and a final block party.
East St. Louis is known for its dipping economy and high crime; the murder rate there is 20 times the national average per capita, and nearly three times that of St. Louis just across the river. Still, East St. Louis yielded Kingdom results during the Laclede team’s trip. An average of 35 children showed up each day for the Vacation Bible School, and six boys accepted Christ.
“It was incredible to see the hunger they had physically and spiritually,” Livingston said. “They were so grateful that we were there to share with them. That really touched me. I’d been on mission trips before, but being able to help out that way made it a truly awesome week.”
Livingston also learned key lessons necessary for any missionary: flexibility and patience.
“We were working the office and got a call that we needed to split up and teach two difference VBSs that day,” she said. “For youth camp, I had a cabin of 18 12 – and 13-year-old girls. That was a fun, new experience. Flexibility was big lesson.”
Originally from Conway, Livingston is a sophomore at Southwest Baptist University majoring in elementary education. She said the missionary experience, especially working with the children, solidified her desire to become a teacher.
“Getting to work with young kids all summer really reassured me that I really do want to be a teacher and be involved in kids’ lives,” she said. “To be able to love on those kids was awesome.”
MBC summer collegiate missionaries just one of the ministries funded exclusively through gifts given through the Missouri Missions Offering.
“The summer mission ministry of the MBC is a wonderful ministry for collegiate students feeling led to serve,” said Steven Strauch, Laclede Association’s director of missions. “It provides them a great exposure and experience working with a variety of churches and in multiple ministry roles. It is a great opportunity of growth for the individual and a valuable resource for the association.”