By Dionna Linn, Quest Apprentice Serving in Spain
Growing up as a missionary kid, there was one job I always said I would never have as an adult. Any guesses what that might be? If you happened to guess missionary, you nailed it. I couldn’t tell you why, but it was just never something I saw myself doing later in life. Following high school graduation, I diligently began my pursuit of a career in sports healthcare. Six busy years of studying and a few jobs later, God changed my plans entirely, and He did that through Quest.
Before I get too far, I just want to reemphasize that I never anticipated being a full-time missionary. Some people feel a very specific call on their lives to serve overseas from an early age, and I think that’s a wonderful thing, but that was not me. I’ll spare you the long story behind my decision to do a Quest Apprenticeship, but if I’m honest, even in the preliminary stages of Quest I had one foot in and one foot out. Fast-forwarding to today, I’ve now been serving through Quest for over a year in Spain and I’ve learned all kinds of things about missions and about myself. Speaking from my experience, here are five reasons I believe a Quest Apprenticeship might be a worthwhile consideration for you, whether you resonate with the “strong calling camp,” or like me, you still have your hesitations.
Five Reasons to Try the Quest Missions Apprenticeship
1. Really Learn a Language
The exposure to language learning over the course of a year or so is something you just cannot buy from Rosetta Stone. One of the first things most people encounter on a short-term mission trip is the language barrier. In order to proclaim the Gospel in its fullness, we need to speak the local language! Quest is an incredible opportunity to focus on language learning both in a classroom setting and through immersion.
2. Understand Culture
I have heard it said that you will never fully understand what culture means until you have lived in two. Quest provides the perfect occasion to live in and appreciate a new culture. This is crucial as we recognize the importance of sharing the Gospel in a way that is culturally relevant. I personally spent the first six months of my apprenticeship living with a local, unbelieving family. Though challenging and stretching, this gave me firsthand experience with the Spanish culture. I learned what family life looks like, what Spanish people value, what their life-rhythms look like, and things in my own life that needed to change if I wanted to effectively reach out to the Spanish people.
3. Find your Ministry Passions
Quest is also a wonderful chance to test the waters in different areas of ministry, with absolutely no pressure. Throughout this past year, I have enjoyed the opportunity to join my full-time teammates in different aspects of outreach. This experience has allowed me to discover more about myself, the things God has given me a passion for and the areas I am not so strong in.
4. Fix Your Misconceptions
Several years back, if I had been asked to define my understanding of an unreached people group, I probably would have used words like remote, inaccessible, closed country, etc. I would have never imagined an unreached people group to be a first world country where the concept of Jesus is heavily involved in tradition and readily available to the people. Having lived in Spain for over a year now, I have realized that being unreached has a lot less to do with the accessibility of the Gospel and a lot more to do with the power of present, pervading, and transforming Gospel-filled lives in a community. This knowledge is invaluable as it not only opens one’s eyes to the reality of the unreached, but it begs for action.
5. Learn How to Serve with a Team
Lastly, in my short time as a Quest apprentice, I have come to learn the immense joy and great challenge of working with a team. As a child, I probably could have quoted numerous New Testament references on the body of Christ, but this year God has given me the chance to put that knowledge to action. I could not tell you the exact statistic, but I know that an embarrassingly high percentage of missionaries leave the field because of team-related issues. Personally, I think Quest is an invaluable platform to be exposed to that reality, and to learn from the get-go how to walk through teamwork in a Christ-honoring manner.
An Eye-Opening Experience
I never thought I’d end up on the mission field, but God has used the Quest Missions Apprenticeship to open my eyes to His plan for my life. I believe Quest is a prudent choice both for those with a strong calling and those still wavering in indecision. After all, making a full-time commitment to missions based on a short-term trip experience could potentially be a misleading reality of what “full-time” looks like. On the flipside, way too many of us never give missions a shot because the idea of full-time commitment is too overwhelming. If you find yourself anywhere on this spectrum, I would encourage you to take the next step and look into Quest. And if I can encourage you in one last thing, may I challenge you with the words of Jesus that urged me to step away from own life plan and trust His:
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25
Are you interested in missions, but need a starting point? We’d love to chat with you and come alongside you in prayer. Let’s start a conversation.
Want to partner with Dionna’s ministry in Spain? You can do that here.
