Articles About Going on STINT

Preparing to Leave for STINT

This article, written by a Canadian Stinter, gives perspective and practical advice about preparing for a year on Stint, and specifically preparing your parents for your year on stint.

You’ve packed and repacked your bags trying to get under that crazy 70-lb weight limit. You’ve said goodbye to all your friends. You’re at the airport and you mentally go through the checklist one last time – camera, passport, Imodium, clothes for a year, and your trusty Lonely Planet. Yup, everything is there, there is nothing you’ve missed or left out. How could you have forgotten anything when you’ve been planning this day for months already? All you have to do is say goodbye to your family. Right….You knew you’d forget something! You forgot to prepare to say goodbye. You forgot to leave in such a way that would set you up for the best year you could possibly have. You forgot to leave so that you can help those you love the most to adjust to life without you. You forgot one of the most important things. It would almost be like forgetting to bring your Bible on STINT but most of us do forget this very important preparation task. Or even if we do think about it, we don’t know what is involved in leaving well.

There are two pieces to this puzzle of preparing to leave. You have to not only prepare your own heart to say goodbye to those you love, to a comfortable home, your culture, some personal rights and freedoms, and a language you understand and where you are understood; but you must also prepare your family and closest friends. You may have spent much time considering the former but not the latter. But spending time preparing both parties will set you up for a smoother transition into your new culture, new home, and new life.

What a lack of preparation can produce

In preparing well to leave, the main thing you are trying to avoid is unmet expectations. You may think that by leaving you are striking out in independence, far from the influence and control of those around you, but your parents may be thinking something very different. You may think that this is the first decision of many that you are making without their direct impact, but they may be expecting that you will call them for their advice on all major decisions you must make this year. You may think that they trust you and the team God has placed you in to take care of you but you would never expect them to demand you return home when SARS hits!

When two people have different expectations about a specific situation or issue, conflict is inevitable and people may be deeply hurt in the process. Honest communication is the key to setting out proper expectations and this is best done beforehand. Your closest family and friends may support you going on STINT but they may not understand exactly all that this move entails. And if they don’t agree with you going, even more reason to prepare them well for your departure.

Let me give a personal example. When I decided to go on STINT to the Orient, I had never even been on a short term project there so I had very little to go on - few expectations since I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My family had even less to go on. I failed to communicate a lot of things with them and throughout the course of the year, many things happened that caused heartache, disappointment, and frustration. My grandfather passed away in the middle of the year and I was unable to go home. I missed multiple weddings of close friends who didn’t understand my reasoning for not being able to come home. I had to make a huge decision about my future without being able to even talk about it with them over the phone because of restrictions about what we could and could not discuss over the tapped phones. A contagious disease reeked havoc in the country where I was and they expected me to come home to a place where I was safe. They felt hurt every time I used the word “home” to refer to my present location and so I avoided using that word. Consequently, I felt torn between what had quickly become my home, however temporary, and the place where my family was. When I returned for my second year of STINT, they not only had a good picture of what the year would look like but we discussed what our expectations were of one another. My 2nd year was a much smoother year in my relationships with my family.

How to Prepare to Leave

Ok, so you’re convinced. You have to do something to make the transition as smooth as possible for both you and those you love. But what? What conversations need to happen in order to make that possible?

1. Preparing them for the cost. I’m not taking about support raising or your budget. I’m talking about whatever may come your way during STINT. You are going to a country where standards may be different, far from your family’s ability to protect you, far from good Canadian health care. You may die! Before you think I’m morbid or over-exaggerating, think about it for a moment. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” God may call you to give up your physical life but even if he doesn’t do this, he is calling you to submit everything to him and be willing to gratefully accept anything that he brings your way, trusting that it will be for your best. This may include moving to an unfamiliar place, changes in teammates, culture shock, inevitable difficult times. Or on a more severe note, you may become infected with a disease or the government finds out that you’re primary purpose in coming is not actually to study the language etc.. Talk about this with them. Help them understand that you are personally prepared for whatever God allows to come your way. Demonstrate a life of faith to them in word and deed. You don’t need to over-spiritualize this but they need to know that you have already counted the cost.

   Note: The Role of Crisis Management

   We are blessed with people whose job description is to think about the worst case scenarios – “what happens if….?” There are plans with alternate plans and plan B for the alternate plans. I personally saw the blessing that these people are when the country I was in was hit by SARS. They spent hours praying for wisdom, hours on email coordinating nationwide plans in case of a crisis, and they prepared us for any situation. I felt safe in the hands of those who had been meticulously prepared to handle this exact kind of situation. Although I didn’t know about Crisis Management before I left, sharing this with my family in the summer when I came home in between 2 years of STINT was a great help to them, freeing them from the need to excessively worry about me! These people are good and they know what to do in all these situations that we all hope we never have to face. Tell your family about the fact that they exist and let them rest in the fact that you are well taken care of!

2. Prepare them for your new home. When people ask me what advice I’d give a new STINTer, I could talk for hours. But one of the things that stands out is to make your new location your home. Settle in and get cozy. Don’t think of it as temporary. Don’t start counting down the days until you leave in February! (Trust me, I did and it was a very long semester!) In every way you can, you need to find ways to make yourself feel at home, even if everything outside your little apartment feels so unlike anything homey! Part of doing this is feeling free to talk about your new home with those you love. Tell them that when you talk about your STINT location, you’ll refer to it as home, at least for the year or two you are there. Tell them you are not planning on living like you would in a hotel. Tell them you plan to make yourself comfortable, establish routines, make friends, and generally have a new life. This may seem obvious to them, but it often becomes a problem. It is hard for them to not be included in your new life, to not really know everything that is happening on a daily basis. Prepare them for this and you will feel free to adjust and settle in with no feelings of guilt and no need to avoid certain words in your communication with them.

3. Prepare them for your future decisions. This is can be a huge problem if you don’t prepare the people you love for this, but it can also be a major growing experience in your life and theirs. You may have recently struck out in independence from your parents. You have probably been living on your own in university, but may still be dependent on them financially or in other areas. They may be able to keep tabs on you pretty closely and often help you make decisions about the next wise step for your future. They may accept in theory the fact that you are now an adult, but may be more hesitant about how that plays out practically. When you are an ocean away from them, the practical playing out of the fact that you are an adult becomes a very clear reality. This is one of the most important topics you can discuss before you leave.

   When you strike out for the year on your own, communication with those you love can be difficult. While it’s important to maintain some of your relationships at home, you simply cannot communicate as frequently (and in some countries, as openly) as when you are in the same country. You’re life will be your own. They may not even know what city you’re in from day to day, let alone what you are doing! Make sure they know you’re an adult (and then don’t forget to convince them by your actions and maturity!).

   The middle of any given STINT year is decision time! You may already think you know what you’ll do the year after – so did I and it didn’t exactly turn out that way – God had other plans! Part of being an adult is making decisions on your own, independent of your parents. I’m not saying you should not seek advice from other wise people in your life, the Bible is very clear that if we fail to seek wise advice, we are fools. But those people may not be your parents because they often lack the ability to think objectively about your situation – they just want you close by! You will not lack godly people around you who can help you make wise decisions about your future. The Bible talks about children (we’re talking adult children here) honouring their parents but that is not the same as obeying them. Their desires for your life may not be the same as what God has in store for you and you must first and foremost follow God’s will for your life. In a respectful and sensitive way, it’s important to convey these things to your parents. You need to help them understand even before those decisions happen that you will inevitably meet many major choices that you will be deciding on without consulting them. They should know before you set out, that its is your heart’s desire to follow God and that you will be earnestly and wisely seeking His will for your life but that His will and their will may not always match up.

   Close friends and family will always try to think the best – that you’ll only be gone a year, that it won’t be that long, they won’t miss you terribly, etc. Prepare them that this is one step – a step that may potentially take you far away from them for longer than a year. If you’re trusting God to give you the faith to do whatever it is He would call you to, tell them! Tell them what that might include, prepare them that this may be the first step in many more to come.

4. Set expectations for communication. This may seem obvious and trivial, but it’s good to set this out before you leave as it will simply make things easier and prevent some potential miscommunication. Remember that you will be busy with life in another culture, with new friends, a new language and a new job!

Enjoy the journey!

The STINT package comes with many blessings, one of which is a personal greenhouse growing experience. You will change so much in such a short time period. Enjoy every minute of it! Preparing yourself and your family for that can assist in making a smoother transition (note that I use “smoother”, not “smooth” ). Take ahold of the opportunity to grow in maturity and independence from your parents. As you prepare to leave, take the time and initiative to communicate everything you possible can with those you love. Discuss with them your heart, your desires for the future, and your expectations. If you do this, you are setting yourself up well! May God bless you and your ministry in the coming year!

Vision for the 10/40 Window Exploded!

An article about how going on STINT for a year really changed this person’s vision for reaching the unreached 10/40 window.

By being here this year my vision for the 10/40 window has really exploded! Here is a quick story: One of my friends who became a Christian went to her home town in a province we’ll call X which is 90% Muslim! While she was there she showed the Jesus film to her family and friends. She showed me pictures of X from a travel guide book and it had a picture of a mosque with 6000 East Asian people bowing down for the hour of prayer! This is something I never expected to see. Another thing that has really affected me is talking to the National Staff here who are going on vision trips and taking students on trips to closed countries in the Middle East and other closed East Asian countries! Our East Asian country holds nearly 20% of the world’s population. No other country has that kind of sending potential. But what inspires me even more than that, is watching before my eyes the tangible change in my friends’ lives as they encounter God. A few weeks ago when my friend was asked why she became a Christian she said “Before I became a Christian, my life was a waste of time. Now I know that God loves me and has a plan for my life.” The students here are ready to hear. The vision of seeing East Asia reach the world IS happening, and I feel so stoked to be here and be a part of it!

Why did I go on STINT?

This article explains why one Canadian student decided to go on STINT for a year, and the impact it has had on her life.

When I first visited East Asia on a short term project, I was really amazed by what God was doing. The students I met were really friendly, people were open to talk about spiritual things, and I had the privilege of seeing a couple students make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. When I got back into Canada, I realized I left a part of my heart in the Orient but I already had all my plans for the next few years sorted out and I wasn’t ready to go back…God, however, had different ideas. After some wrestling with Him, I overcame my trust issues, embraced the fact He has a good plan for my life, and finally submitted. As a result, I am currently a STINTer on a five person team, in a city that has never had long term missionaries from C4C before. It has been a joy, a privilege, and a heartbreaking struggle to pioneer the ministry on our new campus.

One thing I love about Campus Crusade ministry is the focus on spiritual multiplication. Not only are we focused on sharing the Gospel, but we are dedicated to building into the nationals here, with the hope that one day, they will take over our job and be sent into the rest of the world! This is an aspect that we get to see a lot more of being a STINTer versus going on a project. A typical week for me consists of language classes; meetings with my team to discuss business, pray, and study the Word; going out and meeting students in a variety of ways to share the Good News; spending time alone with God; having Bible studies with new Christians to teach them the foundations of our faith; and meeting with other Christians in a Discipleship Group to teach them how to deepen their walk with God and how to reach out to others, putting what they learn into action. The rest is easily filled with grocery shopping, exploring the city, keeping in touch with friends and family at home, and having fun with my team. The ministry is such a joy to be a part of, but there are definitely hardships. It is difficult to see friends you care about so much get pulled away from Christ and choose a path of lies fed by teachers, government, friends and parents. It is also really heartbreaking to plant seeds that don’t seem to grow; as much as there are open hearts, there are still spiritual struggles and strong rejection of the Message. It is in these times that I have no choice but to trust in a good, powerful Father and faithfully persevere.

Besides the ministry aspect, there are a lot of other perks about being here on STINT. Away from my parents for the first time in my life, I have learned a lot about living with roommates, cooking, and independence. I have gotten to be saturated by a different culture, stretching me in all sorts of ways and definitely making me more adaptable. I have had a chance to travel to other cities and countries nearby, checking out famous sites and trying amazing new food. I think that this year is not only an investment I have made in this country and ministry, but that Campus Crusade and my financial and prayer supporters made in me. If I could describe this year in one word I would say “Revealing.” I have discovered so much about God, myself, and this world He has created. I didn’t think I would learn so much!

As the time to return home draws near, I am realizing more and more how much I will miss this place. My Asian friendships, the changed lives, my teammates, this culture and the Holy Spirit at work in obvious ways have changed me forever. And to think, this year is only the beginning of what God has planned for this campus, city and country. I look forward to the great things He will continue to do here in the years to come, as the students I met are built into further, new people see and embrace the Glory of God, and new labourers join in this awe inspiring movement. It has only just begun!

My year on STINT was the best of my life so far!

Written by a University of Waterloo Computer Science student, this article shares about how his year on STINT in East Asia was the best of his life.

I accepted a challenge to go on STINT because of a lack of male laborers in the particular city I served in. My heart goes out to the millions of college students in East Asia in the heart of the 10/40 window most of whom have never heard about a personal relationship with God. Who would tell these perishing souls? Who would build into the lives of the young Christian men there? The ministry was to close unless someone stepped up to the plate.

I felt that going on STINT was putting myself in a place where I had to trust God. I also went because I wanted to experience life as a missionary. In addition, the vision was compelling - helping East Asia become the world’s largest missionary sending base by 2020. Seeing people I personally discipled now taking the gospel to some of the most remote and unreached places in the world is truly a blessing.

One day after an English class I was teaching, one of my students approached me and asked if I was a Christian. ‘Jet’ had a lot of spiritual questions and wanted to study the Bible. At first Jet did not even believe that God existed. I shared with him some reasons why I believed that God existed and began to share Christ with him. One day he came to me puzzled about a dream he had the night before. In his dream there was a Bible and the only words he could make out were, “calm peace”. “What does this mean?” he asked me. It wasn’t until I invited him to my place a few days later to watch the Jesus Film that he exclaimed, “Now I fully understand my dream.” I shared a tool called the four spiritual laws with him and that day Jet committed his life to Christ. Excited he also proclaimed, “Today is a turning point for me!” Jet now enjoys a life free of worry and the peace that only Christ can provide. I continued to meet with Jet and disciple him. He is now equipped to share on his own and has helped lead others to Christ.

My year on STINT was the best of my life so far! I fell deeper in love with God, made close friends, was equipped in ministry and helped develop a movement of students in East Asia who are growing in their faith and impacting their city, their country and the world for Christ!

The Importance of Studying the Language

This article, written by a Canadian International Campus Staff, explains the rationale behind going to a different culture and learning the heart language of the people. Although in many places in the world, people speak English, their mother tongue, or heart language is something different. We encourage and challenge our International Campus Staff to learn the heart language of the culture they are working in.

This year is going to be so great! I’m going to meet all the English-speakers I can find and share the good news with them. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know a lick of their language, after all, there’s an English Department on campus, isn’t there? They WANT to practice their English. Besides, wouldn’t it be a waste of time to study such a difficult language when I could be using that time to tell more people about Jesus?

In a few short months you will be in a culture and environment completely different from your own. Unless you have taken some language courses already or grew up speaking the language, you will be reduced to infancy in the culture, requiring someone to help you do such simple tasks as buying groceries, ordering food at a restaurant or going to the bank. Committing to being an active learner of the language right from the beginning of the year will result in more confidence in getting by in the host culture, not to mention increased effectiveness in bridging the cultural and linguistic gap between you and your friend you want to share Jesus with and opening doors for you in future ministry.

Language = Communication = Ministry

After a month of language learning in class or with a tutor, barely being able to say a few sentences, you may wonder if it is worth the effort. This is not the time to give up! There are so many ways it will be useful in the future. Many people give up too easily and revert back to using English not realizing how much the short-term pain will pay off in the end. If you give up early on you are shutting many doors to ministering to the students in the future. For example, you might meet a very interested student who knows very little English, but are unable to communicate with him. Perhaps there is a vision trip that needs help getting around the city but you are unable to assist. Or maybe you realize after a year that God is calling you to return for another year or even long-term! From my experience, the number one regret of first-year STINTers is not having spent more time learning the language. When you are ready to give up in class or with your tutor remember that language = communication = ministry. Learning the language will help you communicate with the students and communication is the basis of your ministry.

Use What You Know

Many people mistakenly assume that if the person they are sharing with can speak English, they don’t need to use the local language. They believe that it is better to completely function in the language that is most understood by both parties because using the little they know would not help in communicating with their friend. This is a false assumption. The truth is, no matter how little you know every bit is important in bridging the communication gap which exists between you and your friend. Even if you only know the word for “God” or “love” and use it in place of the English words, this helps provide a mental break for the listener and helps them to concentrate on what you are saying. To understand this better, imagine listening to someone speaking to you in your second language for an hour. Even if you do understand, the few words of English, especially important ones, would help you bring together the speakers’ meaning. Similarly, your friend will be able to grasp even more of your meaning when you say the key terms in their language. A big fear some people face when learning a new language is the fear of looking like a complete fool. Because they are afraid of what others think, they end up not using what they’ve learned. However, no one ever became successful at speaking a second language by being a perfectionist. Your broken attempts to communicate will speak much more to them than what you are trying to say. When they see your desire to learn their language and culture, you will gain their trust and respect. And as you practice what you’ve learned, your confidence and fluency will increase.

How to study the language

Different people have different ways of studying. However, if you want to communicate with others, there is only one way to learn and that is to speak! I have met people who have studied years of language but are unable speak one sentence. It’s not because they don’t understand the grammar or don’t know what the words mean. They might even understand much of what’s being said to them. The problem is that they’ve never used it so they become essentially a mute in the language. Just because you are a student this year does not necessarily mean you will learn the language. The key is what you do outside of class time. You must use what you learn otherwise it just becomes useless information that is taking up space in your brain.

One method that has been helpful to many people is to determine what you want to say, get someone to teach you how to say it, then practice using it in real-life settings. For example, find an English speaker (or your teacher if you’re studying) in the first week and ask them to help you translate a few simple sentences such as, “Hello.” “How are you?” “My name is Bob, what’s your’s?” Then imitate them until you can say these sentences without any hesitation. After you have learned them go out and use them on as many people as are willing to hear you speak! The key is to keep the sentences simple and to use them. You will find that after a couple weeks that you can say many things and ask many useful questions.

Bottom Line

For one year you will be a guest in another country. You are going because you have some exciting news to tell the students there and want to help them to become disciples of Jesus. In order to gain their trust and friendship you will need to show them that you are not just some obnoxious westerner, but a learner of their culture and language, a humble servant of Christ. Commit yourself to learning the language and you will reap the rewards of communication skills, deep friendships and effectiveness in ministry.