Media Light Internship

What are you doing this summer?

You could be in Chiang Rai, Thailand:

• Riding elephants
• Hiking the Himalayan foothills
• Encountering tribal cultures
• Serving persecuted Burmese Christians and refugees
• Engaging orphans rescued from sex trafficking
• Immersed in meaningful team projects geared to take your skills to the next level and build your resume

And you could be getting credit for it too! Your hands-on service and relationships in Thai culture will meet your cross-cultural requirements and gain you 20 service learning hours. That’s not all! Your experience at Media Light can get you over 150 internship hours, no matter your field of study. Even if you don’t go to Lee University, your college may honor our internship program. Just follow it up with your department.

Will the Internship Program Count Towards My Major?

At Media Light, we’ve engineered an internship program with you in mind. We tailor your work on the ground to your course. If you are a telecom major, you’ll be involved in projects like documentaries and short films. If you’re an ISP or Pastoral studies major, you’ll be working with orphanages and indigenous Christian groups. If you are a Soc/Anthro major, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in tribal culture as a directed study option. The possibilities are limitless out here. Send in your application early, so that we can begin crafting the perfect experience for you.

How Long Does the Internship Run?

Take one month of your summer and make a lifetime of memories. One month? Yup. You’ll be back in time to even knock out a summer session’s worth of classes. The internship runs from May 17-June 14

How Much Will it Cost?

You’re a college student, you’re not made of money! We feel you. We also know that your biggest expense is gonna be your plane tickets over to Thailand. So, with you in mind, we’ve set the price of the trip at the low figure of $600. That’s right. It’s the same amount that you’d pay for one month’s food and rent here in the US, except you’re gonna be in Thailand, knocking out three types of requirements and having a blast while doing it. For $600, we’ll take care of your food, housing, and activities over there. All you’ve got to worry about now are those plane tickets. Which is a good reason to get on it early.

I’m in! Where Do I Start?

Where to start? We’ve got that covered. Here’s a checklist to help you out. (Click highlighted words for links)

1. Apply for Media Light Internship
2. Apply for individually arranged cross cultural trip to meet cross-cultural requirements (scholarships)
3. Take required courses a semester in advance (Anth 200)
4. Apply for individually arranged internship
5. Service learning paperwork
6. Apply for independent study(optional)
7. Acquire passport (4-6 months in advance)
8. Purchase Tickets
9. Raise $600 for Media Light housing, food, & program
10. Kiss your momma and tell her you’ll be back in a month!

Thanks for taking a look at Media Light. We look forward to seeing you when your feet hit the ground in Thailand.

Download the Media Light student internship application form…. BY CLICKING HERE!

Looking in the Mirror

by Fred Garmon

Examine for a moment Ephesians 4:1-3 (New Living Translation):

The Apostle Paul says, “…lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.  2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  3 Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.”

My initial assumption is that you are reading this article because you are  a “leader” or aspiring to “leadership.” So, let us discuss this extremely popular subject and narrow our focus to “Christian” leadership.

I have been intrigued by the study of leaders (people) and leadership (a process) for more than thirty years. My passion for leadership was and still is driven by the desire to learn as much as possible so that I could teach others how to be more effective leaders. But three decades of study and experience has revealed a wise revelation—while the process of leadership is about serving others, becoming a leader is about learning to play and tune your own personal instrument; and that instrument is the self—the instrument is YOU. Yes, becoming a leader requires that you turn a scrutinizing eye on yourself—and in so doing you will find that a few moments of brutal honesty can save you (and others you lead) years of pain.

The context of Paul’s instruction implies that the life Paul is alluding to is non-other than your own—“Lead YOUR life!” It is, therefore, from this scriptural foundation that I announce our first leadership principle; “Leadership development begins with self-development.”

So, pause for a moment and think deeply about this principle and let us begin our time together by wrestling with and discussing the following question:

What does “leading your life” or “self-development” look like?
Especially in light of the characteristics the Apostle Paul includes in this passage of scripture?

Don’t Just Do It

by Apples Knapp

When I was in college, I enjoyed my Food Service Management classes. So, it wasn’t long before I applied to be a manager of a fast-food chain in Manila. I remember enjoying the interaction with the customers (except when they were complaining) and the managerial responsibilities of handling people and products. When I was transferred to a different branch in my 2nd year, though, I hated my first few months at the store. I had a boss who was demanding and was used to degrading her people publicly. There were days that I would cry and complain.  I dreaded going back to work after my days off.  I persevered, though.

When I went into full time ministry in 2004, my first project was to open a café in Thailand. It scared me and made me nervous.  Soon, however, I realized that all the things I had learned working under that hard boss at the fast food chain had equipped me more than I knew.  Now that I look back, I see that the experience not only gave me the skills I needed to start the café, but it also developed my character, especially in relating to people.

Whatever you are doing right now, whether you are in school or at work in a secular job or in full-time ministry, keep in mind that it has a bearing on what the Father has in store for you tomorrow. Maybe it is time to stop grumbling and start appreciating what you are doing and learn from it. Don’t just do it to get by.  Do it with excellence and passion. Remember, whatever you are doing is for God and not for your human bosses or family. It may be a small or big responsibility.  Give it your best shot.  This time may be difficult and challenging, but God is teaching you and developing you through these circumstances.  He’s preparing you for the big things that he has in store for you in the future!

Question:
What difficulty are you facing right now?

Action Step:
Take ten minutes right now to pray about it and think about how you are growing from it and what you are learning.  Write that down and put it in your wallet/purse/mirror and look at it whenever you need to remind yourself why you are going through this.

The Divine Flow

by Chuck Quinley

In my short life I have had many adventures.  I’ve traveled through Siberia in the dead of winter, studied film making in South Africa and sat for hours with worshippers in a Tibetan holy place.  I’ve had a hand in planting two megachurches, establishing a graduate school and lately, launching an FM radio network. None of this was in my advanced planning for my life.  I just followed the flow–the divine flow, and reaped the amazing benefits.

It’s simple.  Everything in life works through relationships.  All the pain and all the joy flows from people.  You need to know the right people, those who will help you on your destined journey and those you need to help on theirs.  The “jerks,” you need to stay away from as much as possible.  How to know the difference?  The divine flow.  God has a plan for your life and that plan flows through the people He has ordained to be your covenant partners.  He will cause your path to intersect these incredible, honorable people.  And when you meet one you will feel the flow.

Spiritual fathers in the early church said that the most important quality to strive for as a spirit-filled disciple of Jesus the Christ was discernment.  By quieting your spirit each day through time alone with God you can learn to feel the gentle leadings of the Holy Spirit about a number of things related to your daily mission, but most importantly of all, you can learn to feel the “click” of connecting with a person who has a matching heart and vision of life.

I have been able to succeed in most of the things I have felt led to attempt because of the partnership of these special people in my life.  They have opened doors of understanding and opportunity for me and have been my partners in everything I have undertaken.  I chart out the direction of my life according to the people God leads me to partner with in each chapter.  After a while, you just learn to spot them as the gift from God that they are and you cherish that friendship and never let it go.  Sometimes years later you see why it was important for the two of you to connect.  So my advice to you as emerging leaders is to consciously make an effort go with the flow.

Discussion Questions: Have you ever had a conversation with a new person and felt an immediate kinship with them despite your cultural differences?  How can you learn to distinguish the difference between being impressed with someone’s initial charisma and really seeing the unity of someone’s heart with your heart?

Act it Out: Make a list of the people for whom you feel a divine flow.  Write and thank them for what their friendship brings into your life.  Then, for the rest of this week try to discern a feeling about everyone with whom you interact.  Mostly, you will just feel neutral because this is a normal human interaction.  Sometimes you will feel repelled and warned.  Politely back off.  At a few special moments you may feel that connect we are talking about.  It’s rare, but important.  Give that person the opportunity to speak out what is inside of them so you can know what’s in their heart.  Then walk by faith and do the things God shows you through this relationship.

Lessons from a Flight Attendant

The attitude displayed by this flight attendant from Japan Airlines forms the basis of this lesson on how we must approach serving others.

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