Our team had the privilege of visiting the campus of Oral Roberts University three weeks ago— the alma mater of World Compassion’s founder, Dr. Terry Law. A fact many in my generation may not be aware of — Dr. Terry Law walked with the first graduating class of ORU in 1969, shortly before he was sent by God “to minister among the closed countries of the world…”
With such a rich and shared history between World Compassion and Oral Roberts University, we started our search for interns on the ORU campus this week.
If you have never visited the campus of ORU, I hope you get a chance to do it some time soon. Not only will you have the chance to see the 60ft praying hands, the new Armand Hammer student center, and unusual architecture that echoes an episode of “The Jetsons;” but you will also get to meet some of the most passionate, energetic, and faith-filled young people living today.
An organization launching an internship program would be hard-pressed to find a better place to start their search for students. Our internship is not common, like our mission, so students wired to “change their world” are perfect candidates.
In the fashion of Oral Roberts, making no little plans here, we set up a Putt-Putt challenge in the GC 33rd Floor pit as a recruitment booth. Students competed against their friends on the course for an #iamsyria t-shirt, maneuvering their ball down stairs, over barricades, and around intimidating giraffe statues— all under the anticipating gaze of their peers.
It was a huge success, and we had a blast getting to interact with students! Thanks to many ORU volunteers who gave their time to help, we connected with over 25 students to get involved in our internships in the coming years. What’s more, over 75 students braved the course and discovered, many for the first time, the plight of the Syrian people through the #iamsyria campaign.
As you learn more about the reality of this civil war through World Compassion #iamsyria blogs, I would encourage you to dream— What could love coming to the Muslim World look like? What if the Church was united and passionate to bring hope and relief right now to the Syrian people, in the heart of the Middle East?
Keep up with the conflict through the #iamsyria blogs, leave comments, and share them on your social media, and invite others to do the same.
Hear God’s Voice. Go where His light is dim, where His voice is heard small, and His healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth.
