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Spark Global Interns

In September 2008, a group of recent graduates from North Park University will travel to Ndola, Zambia where they will spend 6 months as full time volunteers with Spark Ventures.

They will be working with our partner, Hope Fellowship Ministries, to help increase the scope and effectiveness of our work with the vulnerable children of Zambia.  The Spark Global Interns will each have specific assignments with the school, orphanage, new building projects, or other critical need areas.

If you would like to contribute to the Spark Global Interns, please send us an email at info@sparkventures.org.

Aaron Anderson Little Lake, Michigan B.A. Biblical and Theological Studies - North Park University, May 2008

Activities/Interests: I love the outdoors, any hiking, camping, fishing, or adventures. Another favorite activity is ice hockey. I also really enjoy reading and ice cream, especially at the same time.

First Trip to Zambia (May 2007): I was a student leader for the first North Park University trip that went to Zambia in May of 2007. One of my favorite and most vivid memories has to be when we first arrived at the school. We were greeted by hundreds of children singing African songs and dancing. Before long we too were dancing, or attempting to dance, along with them. We all laughed to together, sang together, and danced together, having a beautiful and joyful time. It was such a warm and joyful greeting, and this welcome feeling stayed with us throughout the duration of the trip and has not been forgotten.

Why I decided to become a Spark Global Intern: While in Zambia I had a conversation with one of the teachers who was working at Hope Community School. He said, "We are so excited that you are here, it helps us to remember that we are not forgotten people. I hope that someday you return to Zambia." Ever since, there has been a tug at my heart to return to Africa and continue to stand alongside and work with the people of Zambia. I am choosing to be a Spark Intern because I believe in the work that Spark and Hope Ministries are doing together, and that a difference is being made in the lives of children who are suffering everyday. This internship allows me to be a part of this change and to return to Zambia. I hope that we will be able to continue to develop relationships with the people of Zambia, and together reach out to the so many who are suffering.

What I am most looking forward to: I am most looking forward to continuing to develop relationships with the wonderful people of Zambia, the orphans, the school children, our host families and the Hope Ministries staff, learning from them and working with them.

What I will be doing: Helping at the building site where they are constructing new orphanage and school facilities; and whatever else they need

My motto/favorite quote: "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." C.S. Lewis

Amanda Carlson Dassel, MN B.A. Global Studies North Park University, May 2008

Activities/Interests: Traveling, Global Issues, Cultures, Reading, Sports, Education, Being Active, Cooking, Hiking, and Rafting/Kayaking.

First Trip to Zambia (May 2007):  One of my favorite experiences while there occurred when I was playing with the children at Hope Community School one afternoon, teaching them some songs and games. I remember at one point after singing a lot of songs I just needed to sit down, but about 20 children were holding onto me, so when I sat down I looked directly into all their faces! They just smiled at me and laughed when I tried to speak to them in Bembe (their Zambian language). It was such a simple thing, yet we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company!

Why I decided to become a Spark Intern in Zambia:  Luke 12:48 says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” This verse never left my conscious after returning from Zambia, after seeing so much and being compelled to do more. In Zambia I felt that I was in the right place and that God could really use me there, and after learning that the school needed assistance in English development I felt God calling me back!

What I am most looking forward to: I am really looking forward to working with Pastor Charles and others at the church, the school, and the orphanage. When I was there I valued talking to and working with the teachers and staff and I know we have a lot to learn from one another. English development is also a passion of mine and I am excited to make a difference in this area.

What I will be doing: ESL (English as a second language) for the teachers at the school and tutoring/teaching students.

My motto/favorite quote: “The quality of a man’s life would greatly increase, not with the gain of status or success, not by his heart’s knowing romance or by prosperity in industry or academia, but by his nearness to God." Donald Miller

Roxanna Alleman Princeton, IL B.A. Global Studies and Scandinavian Studies North Park University, May 2008

Activities/Interests: outdoor running, antiques, traveling, being in nature

First Trip to Zambia (May 2007):  My favorite part of the trip was our first day at Hope Community School.  The teachers and children had arranged a welcoming ceremony for us.  They danced and sang for us, as we sat in the front of the packed classroom.  The joy in their voices and dance, in spite of their circumstances, was enough to bring tears to several team members' eyes.  We had not even done anything yet; they had so little and yet they still gave to us first.  Afterward they dragged us out to dance, teaching us the Zambian way to move our hips and asking us to teach an American dance.  The best we could come up with was the Macarena.  It was quite an entertaining time, both to see Americans trying to move their bodies like Zambians and seeing a room full of a couple hundred African children doing the Macarena.

Why I decided to become a Spark Global Intern: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

I have been given much as an American who has no worries of when I will eat next, how I will have shelter over my head, and where I will go if I need medical care. After seeing these dire needs in Zambia firsthand, I am compelled to use the opportunities I have been given to help the partnership Spark Ventures has developed with Hope Ministries. Being a Spark Intern will remind me everyday of my responsibility to give to others until their needs are met.

What I am most looking forward to: I look forward most to building relationships with Zambians in the community where we will be working. Being there for six months will allow those relationships to grow much deeper than just a few weeks, and I can learn as much from them as they can learn from me.

What I will be doing:  Assisting at Hope Community School; tutoring and working with the sponsorship program.

My motto/favorite quote: "Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end."

Tom Dierenfeld Nicollet, MN B.A. in Communication Arts North Park University, May 2008

Activities/Interests: Playing guitar, drums, and singing.  I really like to run, play basketball, and play Frisbee in my spare time.  I also enjoy swimming, reading and hanging out with friends.

First Trip to Zambia (January 2008):   It was incredible.  I remember visiting an AIDS hospice for children, where a little boy clung onto me to save his life.  For some reason I whispered in his ear, “it’s gonna be alright.  Daddy’s got ya.  You’re gonna be ok.”  It was at that moment that I felt the Heavenly Father embracing us both, as I held the boy like a father to a child, and somehow, someway, love transcended even the most desperate of situations.

Why I decided to become a Spark Global Intern:  I read the book of James, and I really took it seriously.  If we are not willing to risk what we have for the Kingdom of God, then aren’t we just holding on to that which we can not keep and will never save us?

What I am most looking forward to: Being open to the movement of God’s Spirit in our lives as we live, serve, love, and learn to be fully present with God’s beloved.  This is preparation for a lifetime of ministry, and I need God to shape, form, and break my heart for His service, cause, and Kingdom.

What I will be doing: Helping at the church, the orphanage, the school, the construction site...

My motto/favorite quote: “Be strong and courageous.”