Before the pandemic, I had the privilege of going on two summer mission trips with Faculty Commons. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these trips are highlights of my 30+ year career as a professor.
My purpose in writing this Missional Moment is to encourage other Christian professors to be open to going on a mission trip, specifically in their role as Christian professors.
Why do I consider these trips to be highlights of my career?
The answer is because of WHAT I SAW. I saw how professors are in a position to initiate contact between Christian ministries and universities in other countries. I saw how undergraduates from the USA on Cru summer mission trips invested in the lives of other students, and I saw how they shared the gospel. I saw why we should say “yes “to our students who ask for prayer and financial support when they go on Cru mission trips.
I saw God’s faithfulness and provision displayed so evidently when I was expected to lecture on a topic outside my comfort zone. I saw God give me peace when the PowerPoint did not work as 300 students and faculty waited for my lecture to begin. I saw how Faculty Commons staff initiated conversations and built relationships that evolved into gospel conversations with a faculty member for coffee and with a group of professors during their lunch hour.
I saw how sweet it is to worship God and pray with believers in one accord in other countries. I saw how God gave me the opportunity to share the gospel with Paola, who prayed to accept Christ as her Savior and LORD.
What was confirmed to me is that all we need is to say willingly, “Here I am, send me.” If you have any doubts like I did, it helps to be reminded that God chose David to slay Goliath, God chose inarticulate Moses to lead His people, and God chose Rahab to be in Jesus’ ancestral line. He can use anyone to do anything if they are willing.
I am not an award-winning researcher or teacher at a prestigious university. I won’t ever be known for making significant contributions to science, as reflected by a long publication list and huge grants. Yet when my humble resume and a list of lecture topics that I could speak about were sent to overseas universities, nine universities said, “Yes, please come!”
Combining the two trips, I lectured at least 12 times in halls filled with 50, 100, and 300; twice there were 800 students and faculty who came to hear what I, a psychology professor from the USA, had to say.
In some universities, a Cru staff member stood beside me at the podium and freely shared the gospel with an invitation to follow Christ immediately after my lecture. To sum up this paragraph, I would say, “We are weak, but He is strong! To God be the Glory!”
My prayer is that this Missional Moment will be a catalyst for more professors—maybe you?– to go abroad for the cause of Christ!
Susan Siaw
Psychology
Cal Poly Pomona