3 Reasons Why You Should Pack Your Bags for North Africa

What can two weeks in North Africa teach you about engaging with cultures, sharing the Gospel and making a long-term commitment to missions? Probably way more than you’d expect — if those two weeks are part of the Launch Intensive program. We asked three Launch Intensive alumni to share what God did through their experiences and why other aspiring missionaries should check it out.

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1. You get to share the Gospel.

One of my greatest joys from our time in North Africa was getting to share with our host mom about God’s grace, and about how we do good works not to earn entrance into paradise, but because we’ve already been saved by God’s grace and he empowers us to do them. “Wow, I never knew that,” she said. Even two weeks is enough time to plant seeds that we hope will continue to grow after we leave. In the end, all of this is about God’s glory among the nations and what we can do to bring it there in a way that speaks to peoples’ hearts.

-Hannah

2. You live with locals and learn from veteran missionaries.

One of the things that makes this program so unique is that you live with locals which gives you the chance to see what the spirit of the people and culture really is. There is something beautiful about living with locals that breaks down your stereotypes and gives you a sense of belonging, love, and family with people that usually cannot even share a full conversation with you. The tools for culture and language acquisition that I learned during this experience is something I will never forget. I had the opportunity to learn from people who have been serving this part of the world for years, some have been there longer than I have been alive, what a humbling thought!

-Abby

3. You experience the first steps of long-term cultural adjustment.

I’ve been on several short-term missions trips and they were great but they were designed for people who were just coming for a short time and then leaving. Launch Intensive is designed for people considering mid- to long-term missions so you get to see what it’s like to try to enter a new culture and begin learning the new culture and language as if you were going to be there for a while. Even if you’re not considering ministry in this particular region/people group, this program will help you experience what mid- to long-term missions would be like.

-Kristine