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Tag: Globalscope

Discern Your Place in God’s Mission

Written by danl on . Posted in Asia, Chile, Globalscope, Ministry Opportunity, Reach, Uruguay.

What if a few months could change the direction of your life?

When Rachel Rubin was a student at Auburn University, she watched other students return from international ministry experiences with stories of deeper faith, transformed perspectives, and a growing passion for God's work around the world. She was inspired, but she also had doubts. Leaving friends, raising support, and postponing graduation all felt like significant obstacles. Still, she sensed that what she might learn and how she might grow were worth the risk.

Rachel served with El Oasis in Santiago, Chile while she was still an undergraduate at Auburn University. While there, she discovered an important truth: she wasn't bringing God to a place where He wasn't already at work.

"God was already just as alive and at work in Santiago as He was in the United States," Rachel reflected. Through friendships with students and families, she experienced the joy of building genuine relationships across cultures and gained a deeper understanding of God's heart for the nations.

What Rachel didn't realize at the time was that this season would help shape her future.

After returning home, she found herself thinking about the unique opportunity campus ministry created for students exploring faith and searching for community. Over time, what began as an impactful experience grew into a sense of calling. Today, Rachel serves with CMF's Globalscope ministry in Montevideo, Uruguay, where she has spent nine years helping university students encounter Christ through discipleship, Bible studies, retreats, and authentic Christian community.

Rachel's story illustrates the heart behind Global Residency.

Global Residency is an immersive opportunity for young adults to learn, serve, and discern their place in God's mission. Serving alongside CMF teams around the world for four to ten months, residents become part of the daily rhythms of ministry while receiving mentorship from experienced missionaries.

More than a ministry assignment, Global Residency is designed for formation. Through mentoring relationships, cross-cultural learning, guided reflection, pre-departure preparation, and debriefing, residents are given space to listen for God's leading and discern how their gifts, passions, and experiences might fit into His work around the world.

Not every Global Residency participant will be called to long-term missionary service. Sometimes the next step is simply the next step.

That's what happened for Isaac.

In 2025, Isaac spent eight weeks with CMF's Reach Internship in Thailand with Globalscope. Through relationships, ministry experiences, and life alongside the Grapevine team, God began stirring something deeper than a memorable summer experience. After graduating from Milligan University, Isaac took the next step by becoming one of CMF's first Global Residents. Today, he is serving in Southeast Asia, continuing to learn, grow, and discern God's direction for the future.

Though their journeys look different, both Rachel and Isaac demonstrate a common reality: discernment rarely happens all at once.

A summer internship becomes a season of deeper formation. A meaningful ministry experience becomes a clearer sense of calling. Curiosity becomes conviction.

Global Residency exists to create space for those next steps.

Rachel offers this encouragement to anyone considering an experience like Global Residency:

"You don't have to feel called to a lifetime of international mission work to take a few months to go and serve a community that could really use your presence and your gifts. You never know how those few months might alter the trajectory of your life, or the life of someone else.”

Whether you're exploring cross-cultural ministry for the first time, considering a future in missions, or simply seeking a season to better understand God's direction for your life, Global Residency offers an opportunity to learn, serve, and discern where He may be leading.

Come discern your place in God's mission.

Explore our Global Residency opportunities here. Or support one of our Global Residents here.

 

More Than a Mountain: Adventures with Eternal Impact

Written by danl on . Posted in England, Globalscope, Kenya, Missions of Hope, Scotland, Tanzania.

Some adventures take you to breathtaking places. Others change the way you see the world. CMF Adventure Trips do both, combining physical challenge with spiritual purpose as participants step beyond their comfort zones and into God's work around the globe.

Whether standing on the summit of Africa's highest peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro or conquering the Three Peaks Challenge across Scotland, England, and Wales, these journeys offer more than unforgettable experiences. They create opportunities to connect with life-changing ministry, support kingdom work through fundraising and community, and discover how God can use adventure to make an eternal impact.

Three Peaks Challenge  |  June 27-July 3, 2027

Climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales over three unforgettable days while helping support Canvas, CMF's campus ministry in Birmingham, England. Trip cost is $2,200 + airfare, and participants commit to raising or donating at least $3,000 toward the ministry's future impact.

 

Learn more & register here!

 

Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb  |  September 5-16, 2027

Stand on the summit of Africa's highest peak while helping build a permanent school for children served through CMF partner, Missions of Hope International (MOHI) in Nairobi, Kenya. The trip cost is $2,900 + airfare, and participants commit to raising or donating at least $10,000 toward the Grogan School project.

 

Learn more & register here!

 

Reserve Your Spot Today!

Space is limited on both adventures. To secure your place, submit your non-refundable $500 deposit by September 30, 2026.

Whether you're ready to conquer the highest peaks of the United Kingdom or stand atop Africa's most iconic mountain, we'd love to have you join us for a life-changing adventure.

Globalscope Celebrates a New Partnership in Kenya

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Kenya.

CMF’s international campus ministry, Globalscope, is excited to announce a new partnership with Ukarimu Ministries, an established university ministry serving students at Daystar University in Athi River, Kenya. This step reflects CMF’s ongoing commitment to walking alongside students as they grow in faith, leadership, and service around the world.

Globalscope exists to welcome, reach, disciple, and develop university students—equipping them to follow Christ and influence their communities for the Kingdom. Through partnerships with trusted, locally led ministries, Globalscope strengthens existing work rather than duplicating it, coming alongside those already engaged in fruitful campus ministry.

Ukarimu Ministries—named after the Swahili word ukarimu, meaning hospitality—embodies this vision in deeply relational ways. The ministry walks closely with students during formative seasons, offering mentorship, discipleship, and a Christ-centered community where they are known and encouraged. Much of this happens at Ukarimu House, a gathering place and home for student interns.

Through fellowships, small groups, mentoring, shared meals, and one-on-one conversations, students experience more than programming—they experience belonging. For many, Ukarimu House becomes a “family away from home,” where spiritual growth and everyday faith intersect.

The Orunga Family

Ian and Stella Orunga lead this ministry, investing deeply in students through relational discipleship and leadership development. Ian, a Daystar graduate with a background in Management Information Systems, also coaches field hockey and leads a sports outreach through a local church. Stella, with a degree in Purchasing and Business Logistics, is passionate about student care, discipleship, and worship. Together with their two young children, they cultivate the Christ-centered community at Ukarimu.

Kami Burns Reed, Director of Globalscope, shared her excitement about the partnership:

“For years, Globalscope has dreamed of being part of campus ministry work in Kenya… Each time we explored starting something, we saw that many ministries were already doing excellent work, and we didn’t want to duplicate that. Through connections in the campus ministry world, we learned about Ukarimu and heard firsthand how being part of a fellowship like Globalscope could bless them. I’m excited for them to connect with other Globalscope campus ministers around the world—we all have so much to learn from one another.”

This partnership also opens the door to deeper collaboration within CMF’s work in Kenya. Kami shared her hope:

“I dream that Ukarimu can partner with CMF’s other strategy areas—whether that’s welcoming MOHI graduates as students at Daystar or raising up leaders who serve in churches, clinics, and ministries across Kenya. CMF missionaries have already begun building relationships—BJ Leonard is mentoring Ian, and Sam Loibor-Mongi has led a Discovery Bible Study with students, introducing this impactful approach.”

As Globalscope and Ukarimu Ministries move forward together, the vision is clear: that students would encounter Christ, grow in faith, and be equipped to live out the Gospel wherever God leads. This partnership is a reminder that impactful campus ministry is built on hospitality, relationships, and faithful presence—and that God is at work among students around the world.

 

 

How you can be involved

This new partnership with Ukarimu Ministries creates fresh opportunities to invest in university students in Kenya. If you’d like to learn more about serving with this ministry through Globalscope, we’d love to connect and help you explore the next step. Email us at mobilization@cmfi.org to start the conversation! Truly invest in these students by supporting this ministry here.

One Cake for Many: A Lesson in God’s Abundance

Written by danl on . Posted in Chile, Globalscope, Kenya, Missions of Hope.

Mary Stephens has spent several years serving with our Globalscope campus ministry in Viña del Mar, Chile, where she helped launch and build the El Oasis community. Shaped by her own cross-cultural experiences in Peru and Chile during college, Mary has developed a deep love for relational ministry and creating spaces of belonging.

While recently exploring other CMF ministries, Mary spent time with our partners Missions of Hope International in Kenya. In this reflection, she shares a simple yet profound moment that revealed God’s abundance in an unexpected way.

We arrived safely in Kenya and quickly stepped into life with Missions of Hope International, learning about their work among communities facing deep poverty. Over a couple of days, we visited schools, met staff, and spent time with students—receiving far more hospitality than I was prepared for.

One afternoon, a small group of us headed into a school auditorium. I wasn’t entirely sure what we were there for. Earlier that day, we had led an activity for about thirty 10th-grade students, many of whom came from difficult circumstances. So, as we walked in, I assumed we might be doing something similar again.

But this time felt different.

There were about 50 or 60 students seated in rows, some dressed in colorful, almost costume-like outfits. There was a quiet sense of anticipation in the room. As we were invited to move our chairs closer to the front, it started to feel like we were part of something special—maybe even a performance.

Then I noticed it: a white pastry box on a table, slightly too small for whatever was inside, with foil stretched over the opening. It looked like cake. But why was there a cake sitting in front of a room full of students?

A few minutes later, the principal stepped forward and welcomed us to a farewell ceremony.

The pieces began to fall into place.

Students performed dances for us. One student offered a speech and a blessing. Then more singing and dancing—and before we knew it, we had been pulled in to join them, laughing and moving together in the same joyful rhythm.

And then the cake.

The principal uncovered it—a beautifully decorated cake, the kind you might expect to serve 10 or 12 people. As soon as I saw it, my mind began to fill in the next part of the story. I imagined the teachers handing slices of cake to our group while the students—many of whom rely on school meals for daily nourishment—watched from their seats.

I think that thought came from everything I had been experiencing. For the past day and a half, I had walked through places marked by deep need. And yet, everywhere we went, we were met with generosity. People welcomed us into their homes. They prayed for us. They offered tea, food, songs, questions, and laughter.

Students who could easily say, “I have nothing,” kept offering what they did have—over and over again.

So, I expected the same pattern to continue: we would receive, and they would watch.

But that’s not what happened.

Instead, the cake was cut into small, bite-sized pieces. First, the teachers handed pieces to us. Some of us received them on forks, others in our hands, and we all laughed together in the process. Then, just as quickly, the plates were placed into our hands—and we were invited to serve the students.

Soon, everyone in the room was eating cake.

And when there was still more left, we carried it outside and shared it with others—teachers, staff, students, even security guards. Everyone received a piece.

One cake became enough for many.

It reminded me of Jesus—of how we remember Him in the breaking of bread, and of the story of the loaves and fish that fed thousands. What I witnessed that day felt like a glimpse of that same kind of abundance.

Not abundance born out of excess, but out of gratitude and generosity—multiplied by the Spirit.

It left me wondering: what am I holding onto out of fear that there won’t be enough? What has God placed in my hands that could be shared, trusted, and multiplied into something more?

Sometimes, it looks like cake.

Learning to Preach in the Middle of the Journey: Claudia Ossa on The Peter Way

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Uruguay.

When Claudia Ossa reflects on preaching, she doesn’t start with polished sermons or confidence. She starts with tension—the kind she has seen in countless students and young leaders, and in herself: people who love God deeply but feel unprepared or unworthy to preach. That tension became the spark for her new book, The Peter Way, a guide shaped by years of campus ministry and her own ongoing formation.

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Following God’s Call All the Way to Thailand

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Thailand.

Hannah Rowe (to the left in the above photo), an Auburn University alum and longtime member of Auburn Christian Fellowship, has recently begun serving with CMF’s Globalscope campus ministry team in Bangkok. In the article below, she shares her story of saying “yes” to God’s call and her first impressions of life and ministry in Thailand.

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El Oasis Team Experiences Worship, Community, and God’s Presence in Ethiopia

Written by danl on . Posted in Chile, Ethiopia, Globalscope.

From January 12–23, a team from Globalscope’s El Oasis campus ministry in Santiago, Chile—Karla Figueroa, Mario Pascua, Diego Ramos, and Ayelen Chiguay—traveled to Ethiopia to visit CMF’s long‑standing ministry there. The group participated in a worship conference in the city of Assosa and spent time learning from the vibrant churches the team has planted over the past 20 years.

Throughout their stay, the El Oasis team was welcomed into Ethiopian Christian life in meaningful and memorable ways. They helped lead worship, visited multiple congregations, and joined local believers in celebrating numerous baptisms. The team also learned from local pastors about the deep, internal transformation that fuels a life of worship and service.

For Karla, the experience stretched her faith in new ways. “It was challenging, since I had never left the country before,” she shared. “I learned that the way one depends on God outside of their comfort zone is different. Feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in a country so different from my own was magical and confirmed that God is in every corner of the world.”

Mario described the trip as “life‑changing,” noting how the patience and warmth of Ethiopian believers made even unfamiliar situations feel safe and welcoming. “Getting to know more of our church family on the other side of the world was beautiful,” he said. “It required trusting God in order to have peace, knowing that everything would be okay.”

For Diego, the visit exceeded every expectation. “I truly thought it would be very uncomfortable in many ways, but it was completely the opposite,” he reflected. “It was a beautiful trip, full of love and meaningful experiences, and it will stay in my mind and heart forever.”

Ayelen, who serves on staff at El Oasis, echoed that sense of lasting impact. “It has been one of the most enriching experiences of my entire life,” she said. “I learned so much about God, myself, and the community. This trip has challenged the way I approach missions, my leadership, and my calling as a servant of God.”

Ayelen
Diego
Mario
Karla

As the team returned to Chile, they carried with them not only new friendships but also a deeper sense of global church unity—and gratitude for the Ethiopia team and their faithful ministry. Their time in Ethiopia strengthened their faith, expanded their vision for mission, and reminded them that God’s love is alive and active in every corner of the world.

Nicole’s Encounter with Jesus

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Spain.

At En Vivo, our Globalscope campus ministry in Valencia, Spain, Wednesday nights are sacred. We call them “Encounter” nights—weekly gatherings where students connect with God and one another through games, worship, scripture, and shared meals. During the spring semester, we hosted 12 of these special nights, each one inviting students to wrestle honestly with their faith through a series of talks. In one of these series, called “Yes, I believe, but...,” we opened scripture together, exploring stories of doubt and belief—like the desperate father in Mark 9 who cries out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

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