BLOG: The journey of a Venture placement

With the current Covid restrictions, many of our usual short-term summer teams, unsurprisingly, cannot go ahead.

For those of you hoping to get practical experience of what it’s like to be a cross-cultural worker in the Arab world, this may feel like a frustrating set back.

However, you don’t need to wait until Summer 2022 for your next opportunity.

We run tailor-made short-term trips called Venture placements. These can happen at any time and can be anywhere in length between two weeks and two years.

How it works

You chat with us about your interests, skills, and regions of the Arab world you’d like to know more about.
We then contact our teams who might be a good match for you and find out if they have capacity to host you.
We connect you with any that do, so that you can chat and find out more about what day-to-day team life looks like. These chats don’t commit you to anything, but are to help you get a clearer picture of what you could learn, experience, and contribute.
If you and a team feel like you’d like to move forward with a placement, we can start nailing down the details; dates, itinerary, logistics and budget.
We’ll then prepare you with pre-trip orientation, such as looking at what to expect culturally, and security training.
We’ll be there to support you every step of the way, including whilst you are overseas, and for a debrief when you return.

Exploring a call

Many people feel a call to explore overseas mission, and Venture placements are an excellent place to start. Even a short-time spent living and working alongside people who are committed to living as a light for Christ in the Arab world, can be hugely valuable in helping you discern what God has for your life.

Here are some examples:

Emma* spent two months with one of our teams in Jordan. She got involved with a community development centre the team run, took part in a discipleship course, had language lessons, and carried out a research project for her university degree. She came away with new friends, practical experience of sharing her faith cross-culturally, and felt more able to comprehend long-term service.

George* volunteered with one of our teams in North Africa, using his mechanic skills to help with the team’s local business. The experience gave him an insight into how his skills could practically be used, what team life looks like, and what it looks like to build friendships and share his faith cross-culturally. George has now joined the team long-term.

Things may be uncertain now, but we’re looking forward to the day when we can send you on a Venture placement that fits your skills and helps you discern God’s leading in your life! If you’re interested to find out more, click here, or click here to enquire now.

*Name changed and library image used