Internships can be difficult in the best of times and situations. As a college student, they grow you, challenge you, and prepare you for the rigors of working in your future career. To intern in the midst of a global pandemic, then, is another level of difficulty entirely! Before we knew what this historic year would bring, our leadership created two 2020 internships as a way to invest in local students – the next generation of the life movement. In January, we were excited to welcome our two interns, Caroline and Silvio, to serve on our communications team. Caroline, a senior at Calvin University, and Silvio, a junior at Cornerstone University, were excited to learn more about how we train life-givers to address the global mission field created by abortion and other abuses of human life.
Just as we were getting to know our interns, however, our face-to-face interaction came to an abrupt end. The threat of pandemic closed our office and their schools. Despite this, Silvio and Caroline continued to enthusiastically work from home, helping us as we adjusted to the challenges of working remotely. This required dedication and sacrifice. Neither Silvio nor Caroline were from West Michigan. Caroline’s family lived out of state, and she was facing graduation and a job search in the midst of lockdown. Silvio’s situation was even more difficult – he had just returned from a trip home to Guatemala when everything shut down. Their hard work during this historic time showed us the resolve of this new generation that God is raising up to carry on life-giving work – whether here in Grand Rapids or on the other side of the world.
When talking about her own passion for equipping younger generations to stand for life, Caroline stated: “Now is the time to be rerouting the actions and beliefs of global youth culture. By focusing back on the truth of the Gospel, we can change the conversation about abortion and the habits of large groups of people.”
The investment in these two amazing individuals was well worth it. Of all things, Silvio was first encouraged to apply to the internship after reading one of our previous blog posts. In the post, our president, Kurt Dillinger, shared about his travels in Guatemala, where he had met local pastors who gave him a deeper understanding of joy and contentment. Reading about his home country moved Silvio. In sharing how this blog entry and his internship shaped him, Silvio wrote, “I am even more encouraged to give sacrificially, to always have a joyful attitude, and to be a messenger for life in Guatemala and all over the world.”
It is because of the support of our faithful donors that this internship opportunity was possible. Please pray that Caroline and Silvio would use what they learned during their time at LIFE International to be life-givers in their future careers. Pray as well for the millions of other young Christians who are the next generation that will make known our Father’s heart for life around the world.
If you or anyone you know would like to be considered to be part of our next class of interns, please contact us!
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