Eshté served at Vision of Hope as an intern from January 2018-January 2019. She has since returned home to the state of Washington where she continues to work and minister in her church and community. Before she left, she shared with me a few things she has taken away from her time here.
I was asked to share a little bit of what I’ve learned in the past year at Vision of Hope. That’s practically impossible…how do you sum up 12 months of learning and growing in 2-4 paragraphs?? I guess I will just have to hit the highlights, and you can come and do your own internship to get an idea of everything else that it is possible to learn in 365 days.
The thing that stands out to me the most is an ever-deepening understanding of just how much the Gospel affects my day to day life. I’ve come to see this past year much more clearly what it means to live life in the shadow of the cross, and to learn to view myself, others, and my circumstances through its grid. I have experienced the painful beauty of coming to the end of myself, and then tasting the abundance of God’s grace, and His well that does not run dry. I have experienced days of answered prayer, and times of extreme sadness and discouragement, and learned that the hands of my Good Shepherd have been sovereignly orchestrating both. I have grown in my understanding of the Lord’s attributes, and come to realize that I truly can never come to the end of knowing all there is to know about my God. I have seen my smallness in comparison to His greatness, and my inability to His infinite ability, and my faithlessness in contrast to His steadfast faithfulness.
Another thing that I have seen unfold during this season of life is how incredibly Scripture always applies in every situation, and to every person. There is no detail too small or mundane, and no heartbreak too painful or overwhelming. There is hope and answers for both within God’s pages. Along those lines, the saying, “A good counselor is first a good counselee” is incredibly true. In ministering to these girls, and in pointing them to Scripture, God, in His faithfulness, has shown me areas of my own life that I have needed to start actively applying His Word to. As I have grieved with girls over the pain in their past, He has gently brought me face to face with situations from my past that I didn’t want to deal with, and taught me to work through them, and look to Him for comfort. As I have sought to love the girls well, He has showed me my strengths and weaknesses in that area, and as I studied the Gospel of John I saw Christ the Wonderful Counselor in a new way as He taught and healed and loved and wept with those He came to die for.
If you are interested in serving as a VOH intern and taking 365 days to learn and grow in your relationship with God while participating in hands-on ministry, visit our website for more information. Internships begin in July and January. We are currently accepting applications for our July team.
