The MK2MK internship is not for everyone, but when we’re obedient to God’s will, as I was by participating in that internship, we get to see His will for our lives play out in incredible ways.  Interning with MK2MK formed a pivot point in my life.  It’s not that the internship itself changed me, but it’s that God used the internship to impact me more acutely than ever before.  I struggle to even describe all the areas in my life that have been influenced as a result of that internship.

Perhaps the best way to express my experience is to describe the aspects of my life now that were borne that summer.  I live with my wife in Washington DC and work for the most forward-thinking construction management firm I’ve ever encountered (check us out – www.dprinc.com).  What does that have to do with the MK2MK internship?  I work in the construction industry because I discovered my gifting and passion is suited for it during the MK2MK internship, leading me to change my major from engineering as soon as I returned to university.

I live in Washington DC because my wife (whom I met through the MK2MK internship) and I felt called here when we were looking for the place to begin our life together.  We knew that in this city we would have opportunities to grow and impact the world unlike any other place, and we knew that we could begin to lay the foundation for a fruitful ministry wherever God calls us during our time here.  The Lord began to form that vision in us during our time interning with MK2MK.  God has also given us a strong support network through our MK2MK internship.  Four members of our bridal party interned with us in Uganda.  God is sovereign – He prepared this job and home for Joy and me through MK2MK.

I graduated from university in a very difficult job market.  As I applied for jobs, MK2MK provided me a means to differentiate myself from the crowd.  I interviewed a total of seven times with DPR Construction, once in Florida and six times in Washington DC.  In all but one of those interviews, I spent the majority of my time answering questions about my training, travels, experiences, and skills from my years serving with MK2MK as an intern in Uganda, an associate in Australia, and a conference leader in Europe and the United States.  To be certain, I also had to prove a level of experience and knowledge in the construction industry, traits I earned through university study and one summer internship with a commercial construction firm during college, but to paraphrase my interviewers, “It’s not that difficult to teach someone how to use a new computer program or filing system, or even how to put a building together, but it’s nearly impossible to teach someone to be responsible, to have a strong work ethic, to have a broad vision, to perform well under pressure, to succeed in a team oriented environment, or to be a leader.  Those are the areas that really concern us in prospective employees.  If we can find someone with those traits in place, who fits the character of our company, they will learn the rest.”

There are few opportunities in the construction industry in which an intern is truly given great responsibility, is forced to work sacrificially, is sent internationally with a diverse body, is placed in high pressure situations requiring action, is an actively contributing member of a team with its unique set of people problems, and is empowered as a leader.  However, the Lord provided me with all those opportunities as an intern and an associate with MK2MK.  God used the MK2MK internship to give me the experiences and skills to show that I had those intangibles when I set out on the job search.

I’m not saying that interning with MK2MK will get you a job or an opportunity in whatever place you want to live, and I’m definitely not saying it will get you a wife.  I’m simply saying that God is sovereign.  If the Holy Spirit is calling you to MK2MK, you need to say yes.  If He’s calling you elsewhere, you need to say yes to that calling instead.  Be wise; trust the Lord.  Proverbs 16:9 tells us, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”   If you’re like I was in March of 2006, you have your plans and you think you know where you’re going.  But if you’re like I was in March of 2006, you’ll cast those plans aside, follow the peace of God’s will, and find that great things await you.