It is awesome to think about the fact that the Lord cares enough about each of us to know us intimately and to be at work in our lives! Many ladies come to us for our internship program, where they learn and grow in their relationship with the Lord and in counseling skills, but after they leave us God is still faithfully at work!
In this blog post, we will take a look into a former intern’s life to see the faithful work of God past, present, and future. Jenni O., as we affectionately call her, came to us in January 2013 from Montana and stayed to serve 6 months beyond her 1 year commitment, and she was a wonderful reflection of a sold-out servant of Christ to our residents and staff team. Let’s hear how God has been working in her life since completing her internship at VOH!
What was something (or things) you learned during your VOH internship?
“The answer to this question could be very extensive. I could probably write a 20 page paper on it, but I’m thinking that isn’t what your are looking for. Okay, first of all, I will make a statement; the church of Jesus Christ is very diverse. We know that there will one day be representatives of every nation, tribe, people and tongue worshiping before the throne. That will be the ultimate diversity. But in our own cultures, churches and ministries there is such a widely represented sampling of strengths and giftings.
I saw this variety represented in the congregation at Faith Church, in the wonderful Intern teams, in the amazing VOH Volunteers and in the VOH staff and counseling team. The Lord called many different saints to serve Him in the VOH ministry, and the leadership does a wonderful job of uniting them. A great leader can maximize and draw the very best from a diverse team and create great unity of direction and purpose. Our Lord then takes those efforts and gives much fruit from those labors. I was blessed to witness that during my 18 months at VOH.
There is one other thing that stood out immensely during my time at VOH. Support and encouragement are very, very valuable resources in ministry and should be applied liberally. As an intern, a woman is going to be challenged in many ways. One learns the ministry of service like never before. There are likely areas of sin that will be revealed and worked through. Much is sacrificed during that year commitment. It is hard; I’m not gonna lie. But God. That’s such a wonderful interjection! But, God uses all of those things in a wonderful way in your life.
The staff at VOH are well aware of the challenges the Interns face during their year of ministry. So much painstaking effort is taken to get to know the Interns and provide them with the support and oh so much encouragement! During my time there, this came through biweekly check-ins, hospitality during holidays, focused Bible study, rich fellowship, words of encouragement, loving confrontation, constant demonstration of Christlikeness, biblical communication and myriad learning opportunities. As challenging as the internship is, I would never for a moment hesitate to recommend it because of the support and encouragement that carries you through.”
How is what you learned here helping you now?
“Everywhere I go I see such incredible diversity. In particular, I have seen it in the two jobs the Lord has blessed me with since arriving back home. I have had the opportunity to manage others as well as be a member of a team in ministry. In both of those settings I have gotten to see how important good leadership is and the difference that it makes. I have so much to learn still in what it means to be a good leader, but I am thankful to have had, and continue to have, good models from which to learn.
The support and encouragement I received and witnessed was also a great model from which to draw upon. I recognize that the most valuable aspect of a ministry is the people serving within that ministry. I wish to continue to grow in being an encourager and supporter of those saints Jesus has placed in my life. All the frills and tools of a good ministry mean very little if the souls within that ministry are not well loved and served. People are the most important ingredient.”
What are you doing now, and how did the internship help you in your current position?
“Since returning to Montana, I have been so incredibly blessed to be on staff at Montana Bible College (MBC) in Bozeman, MT. My duties and responsibilities have been growing there. They now include Dean of Women, Alumni Director, and Conference Coordinator. It has been a true joy to use my administrative gifting as well as my love of people within this ministry. As I mentioned above, I have been able to use so much of what I have learned about teamwork, leadership, support and encouragement from my time Interning at VOH.
The position at MBC is not full-time, so I have also been blessed to have a wonderful job as a supervisor at a commercial cleaning company in the evenings. The company has a great management model, and I have learned much as I train, discipline and manage many cleaners and leads. It has also been a great place to love on the world and seek to be a light during challenging circumstances.
I have also been blessed to be able to pursue my ACBC certification. As I type, I have four hours left to complete my fifty supervised counseling hours. Before the year is up, I will likely have completed the requirements to be a certified biblical counselor. But, as anyone who has attained certification knows, that just means I have simply attained a front row seat in God’s redemption classroom.”
What is one thing you want others to know about the VOH internship?
“Apply! Pray you will be accepted and that nothing will stand in your way of serving in the role of Intern! It matters not your place in life, your age or your future life goals, there would be very few women who would not benefit from spending a year learning and growing in this ministry. There are very few places that you can not only have a significant role in ministry but also be transformed yourself. VOH is the best I know of.”
Stay tuned for more follow-ups from former interns! If you would like more information about our internship program, contact Jenn Breitwieser at jbreitwieser@faithlafayette.org.
