Summer missionaries are students typically between the ages of 16 and 22 who give up all or part of their summer to serve at a place like Mission Arlington^®.

These students are highly motivated by their relationship to Christ, and their desire to serve Him wherever they are deployed.  Sometimes, these students are placed here by a variety of student missions organizations who partner with us, and at other times, these young people come on their own.

They become an instant part of the family at Mission Arlington^®, serving long hours each week in every part of our work here, and all throughout the community.  These energetic, young people brought an enthusiastic and contagious spirit to their service which blessed us, and overflowed in support and service to this city we love.

Our prayer for them is that they will be challenged to grow spiritually while they are here.  Here is the testimony of Jackson (a young man from Mississippi) who served with us this summer:

I just got back from a summer mission trip to Mission Arlington. It was arguably the best summer of my entire life life! I absolutely loved the work that we all did there, from teaching the gospel, to feeding hungry people, to helping those in need, to growing closer to God, It was absolutely amazing. While I was there, alongside the daily work, I met and built relationships with some of the best people I could ever imagine, Mission Arlington staff members and other summer missionaries alike, everyone there was amazing.

I’m grateful for so much more, though, than just the people, I’m so happy that I was blessed with so many opportunities to share Christ with those who hadn’t heard the message, and even personally lead a few to salvation, and while I was teaching I personally learned a lot and grew far closer to god than I thought I would over the summer. It was great, and I’m thankful to be back home to Mississippi, I’m truly blessed to have such a loving family and friends back home. All in all It’s been a truly life changing experience, and I’m so grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to serve this summer. Thanks.

You can understand why we have been so blessed by these young people. Now, as the end of summer is in sight, these young people are headed home. They will spend time with family, and then go back to serve the Lord in the place they home.

There are always more than a few tears of joy around here at this time of year, because we fall in love with these committed Christian servant leaders, and it is hard to watch them go.  Most will come back again at Christmas or other times, and we will stay connected in prayer and in other ways as time moves forward.  Yet, in these moments, it is hard not to miss them, or to notice the holes/gaps in ministry that they have left behind.  We ask them to pray with us that local volunteers would step up to take their place.

We thank God for this enormous privilege and blessing. Thanks to each of you for walking this journey with us.