Abilene students are given the opportunity to get involved with mission work through Vision School, a program aimed at bringing God’s word to the nations.
Sponsored by InterCP, a Korean-based mission organization, the Vision School in Abilene is one of 29 similar programs across the United States. Â The program’s purpose is to capture students’ attention and get them involved in mission work, particularly in the Middle East, said Emanuel Ornelas, a participant in Abilene’s Vision School.
Emanuel Ornelas, sophomore engineering physics major from Wheat Ridge, Colo., said, “Vision School, is a mission orientation program. We try to get college students to come check it out, so they can see God’s heart for the nations.”
Ornelas said he learned about Vision School from a senior who talked about it in his Bible class his freshman year. Because he was interested, Ornelas began attending the Vision School meetings.
According to the InterCP’s website, this program, like all the other Vision School’s around America is focused on getting people involved in missions to unreached nations like the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Western China, North India, Southeast Asia, Mongolia and Siberia.
“What we do is bring missionaries from the those areas to come talk to [Vision School],” said Ornelas. “We have a little worship service at the beginning of every meeting and then we have a class. Then, after the course is finished in six weeks, you get an option of going on a mission trip for two weeks.”
Ornelas went on a trip to Israel and Palestine his freshman year. Guinia Wooden, sophomore nursing major from McAllen, is planning on attending a two-week mission trip to Egypt after graduating the Vision School program this fall and said she is ready to spread God’s word to these unreached nations.
Wooden said she first heard about Vision School at ISA Chapel and decided to go and learn more about the program, which is attended by students from all around Abilene, specifically ACU and Hardin Simmons students.
Vision School is a seven-week program focused on teaching and involving students to participate in missions, but is also open for visitors who can participate in classes, worship and fellowship. The classes are focused on different themes each week, each theme aiming toward preparing students for the mission field, said Wooden.
Wooden said her favorite part about Vision School is meeting new people and getting to share God’s word with them.
“Vision School is another outlet to get together and fellowship with people you don’t know,” Wooden said. “It’s cool to get to know other people.”
Students interested can learn more at http://www.intercp.us/vision-school/ or attend meetings at University Baptist Church.
