A: For over 75 years, CMF International has worked to transform lives worldwide using culturally relevant, effective, and reproducible mission strategies. With teams in 24 countries, our missionaries plant multiplying churches, welcome students into community, engage the marketplace, and empower the poor. 
 
You can read more about CMF here on our website at www.cmfi.org.

A: REACH is CMF’s eight-week cross-cultural internship. For over thirty years, REACH interns have joined CMF missionaries overseas, gaining hands-on experience in evangelism, medical care, education, discipleship, social work, business, campus ministry, and much more.  
 
You can read more about REACH at www.cmfi.org/REACH.

A: CMF prides itself on facilitating a positive internship experience for your child. CMF handles all logistics to ensure a safe, effective experience for your child. We do this through training your child on how to raise support as well as processing their budget, airfare, visa, housing, meals, transportation, and all field arrangements with CMF missionaries. The internship begins and ends with training at Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) and Debrief in Indianapolis.    

A: REACH costs $7,000 for the summer. These funds cover your child’s entire internship, including a passport, visa, immunizations, training, airfare, field and ministry expenses, and much more. Though REACH is an unpaid internship, CMF’s dedicated staff assist your child and provide support raising training, materials, an online giving link, and access to partner reports.  

A: CMF is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). The ECFA annually audits the way CMF funds are received and spent as an organization. You can be assured that the money your child raises for REACH will be used appropriately. Every partner with your child will receive a tax-deductible receipt from CMF.   

A: Because all financial gifts given to CMF are tax-deductible, CMF cannot return financial gifts to partners or your child due to IRS regulations. Instead, your child’s funds can be kept in their account for up to five years to participate in REACH or longer service with CMF in the future. 
 
Additionally, your child can choose to designate their funds to another REACH intern, CMF missionary or project, or the REACH Scholarship Fund. If your child does not serve after raising support, CMF will send a letter on their behalf to partners to share this information.  

A: Your child’s safety and wellbeing is our priority. While we cannot guarantee they will not encounter illness or challenges, CMF takes every reasonable step to minimize risks. 
 
CMF closely monitors the stability of all countries where we serve. If a location is unsafe, we simply do not send interns there. CMF leadership receives daily updates from our teams, the United States government, and other security sources to ensure current, accurate information. 

Throughout their service, REACH interns are mentored by experienced CMF missionaries. These mentors provide clear safety guidelines and will help your child navigate their surroundings with wisdom and care. Your child will not be navigating a different country alone. 

A: Before your child leaves, we will equip them with thorough health and travel safety training, so they are confident and prepared for a variety of situations. For added safety, CMF provides supplemental international insurance covering medical emergencies, evacuations, lost luggage, travel delays, and more. This insurance works alongside your child’s primary health insurance. If medical care is needed, your child will need to pay upfront, but any covered expenses can be reimbursed after REACH. 

To make this possible, CMF requires interns to carry a personal credit card for emergencies. This is rarely needed, but it is required. Host missionaries will be present to help your child navigate any medical situation. In the event of a serious illness or injury, CMF will arrange transportation back to the United States for continued care. 

A: Housing for REACH interns is thoughtfully arranged by their host missionary. Depending on location, team size, and ministry context, your child may stay with CMF missionaries, a host family, in a hostel, or in a shared residence. In every case, their safety and well-being are our priority. Interns are never placed alone or asked to secure their own housing.

A: CMF missionaries serve in full-time ministry and host REACH interns alongside their regular responsibilities. To help them stay focused on their ministry, we do not share their contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses.  

If you have questions about your child’s internship, please ask them first—They are being trained to take ownership of their experience from application through completion. If they cannot answer, the REACH Mobilizer is happy to assist you over phone or email.

A: Yes. Communication will vary by location, as technology access differs between urban and rural CMF fields. It is helpful to expect weekly updates rather than daily calls or texts. Interns are encouraged to be fully present in ministry during their summer, and too much contact can increase homesickness and culture shock.  

In an emergency, CMF will contact you right away. Every CMF team follows safety protocols and knows next steps in emergency situations. Your child has already provided us with their emergency contact information so we can reach the right person without delay.

A: A dedicated REACH Mobilizer oversees your child’s internship from start to finish and is available at REACH@cmfi.org for any questions or concerns.

A: Your child’s REACH internship is, above all, a learning experience. They will grow in their understanding of the people, language, and culture of their host country, gain hands-on experience in missions, see God’s work around the world, and discover more about themselves as they are stretched and used by Him. For many, this summer is life-changing—shaping future decisions, careers, and ministry involvement. We believe God will use this time to deepen their faith and broaden their worldview. 

Your encouragement and support play a vital role. Your child has prayerfully chosen REACH, and we trust God has equipped them to fully embrace the program. We are committed to providing a rich, meaningful internship and are excited to see all God will do in and through them.  

Thank you for allowing them to serve with CMF and REACH.