Interning at Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan´s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization that has been around for nearly 50 years since Bob Pierce first founded it in 1970. Its focus is bringing physical and spiritual relief to those around the world who are in need.

Samaritan’s Purse also is recognized as an organization that provides internship opportunities for students around the world to get work experience in different fields, such as project management, digital communication, and international relief.  Liberty University had 21 students or alumni intern with Samaritan’s Purse over the summer break.

“We had a lot of challenges (and) a lot of fun times,’ Faris Mansour, a logistics intern who worked with preparing emergency field hospitals in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, said. “I think I learned a lot more than in any class. I saw how a real work experience would be.”

Mansour said his overall time as an intern helped him grow professionally. Other interns, like Caroline Cummings, said their spiritual growth set apart this experience. Cummings interned in Boone, North Carolina and worked with graphic design for Operation Christmas Child.

“I think Samaritan’s Purse is really cool because they start out each day in prayer,” Cummings said. “We also saw a lot of prayers answered, so it was really cool to see God work each day.”

Stephany Pellicane, who, was a training multimedia intern in Boone, North Carolina, said Samaritan’s Purse interns are encouraged to grow in other aspects besides professional skills.

“They actually cared about us even though we were interns, and we were only there for 10 weeks,” Pellicane said.

Cummings used her graphic design skills to work with types settings, which is copying and pasting the translated version of some texts to almost 80 different languages for Operation Christmas Child. For her internship, Cummings was able to travel to Singapore for an Operation Christmas Child conference.

“It was really cool to see it (all) when I went to Singapore,” Cummings said. “I saw how (Operational Christmas Child) affects all of the world.”.

Mansour said he was motivated by doing something bigger than just making money.

“When I was working I was like, I am so glad that I am not doing this for money,” Mansour said. “You are actually helping someone in the world.”

The interns said that this internship was significant for them because of the impact they were able to make.

“I think that people like it so much because you actually feel appreciated and like you are making an impact,” Pellicane said.

Aside the professional growth, the interns also said the way they were treated set aside this internship from other internships.

“There is all this benefits that we get as interns, monthly payment, free housing and free lunch. You feel like royalty, but you also have a lot of work to do,” Cummings said.

Other interns from Liberty traveled around the world to places like the Philippines, Haiti, Australia, Canada, and Liberia to contribute their skills to Samaritan’s Purse’s mission of bringing the Gospel to hurting people around the world.

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