For many study abroad students, semesters away from Ouachita are filled with trying exotic foods, traveling to exciting cities on the weekends, and learning new languages. Kara Lindquist, a junior Christian Studies major from Allen, Texas, has a different story.
Since coming to OBU, Lindquist knew she wanted to do Hands On, a semester-long foreign missions experience with the International Mission Board.
However, the process is not always as simple as picking a country and going.
“I spent six months thinking that I was going to go to Central Asia and within a span of a few days my flat mate and I were redirected to Manchester, England,” Lindquist said.
Life in Manchester looks different every day for Lindquist and her flat mate. While they participate in some Bible studies together, everyone on her team serves in different ways throughout the week.
“I have been volunteering at a bookstore in a predominantly Middle Eastern part of Manchester and I have gotten to meet people through that,” Lindquist said.
The people Lindquist most often gets to interact with are internationals in her English conversation classes that she has been helping with, and they have been involved in some of her favorite memories during her time there.
“Early on, there were a couple guys from China who were so excited to meet someone from America,” Lindquist said. “They had so many questions about Texas, Donald Trump, and Christianity.”
Lindquist misses simple conveniences from home such as having a car and easy access to good Mexican food, as well as the community at Ouachita.
“There are not a ton of young Christians in Manchester,” Lindquist said. “I don’t know very many Christians that are our age.”
The next few months of the semester are busy ones for Lindquist and her team. They have a Vacation Bible School planned when all of the kids are on holiday from school.
“I am super excited because I love getting to tell kids about Jesus.”
She also hopes to get to do some traveling.
“We decided that we came to Europe to do ministry so we did not want to spend a whole lot of time traveling,” Lindquist said.
That being said, her team has a trip planned to Edinburgh, Scotland coming up.
Lindquist has learned to get out of her comfort zone and have conversations with people she would not normally have met otherwise.
In sharing her experience, Lindquist encourages anyone who wants to pursue missions to do Hands On.
“It really is a great growing experience and you will make so many lasting friendships. It has definitely been worth all the challenges.”
