Consfords Chronicles
Missionary Internships in Africa
Stories from the mission field where young missionary interns learn ministry, culture, and service in Ghana.
A missionary internship missions learning experience often looks different than people expect. Many imagine dramatic ministry moments—preaching to large crowds, traveling through remote villages, or witnessing hundreds of people come to Christ in a single service.
While those moments certainly happen, the truth is that most missionary training happens in ordinary days filled with study, language learning, church work, and daily life alongside fellow believers.
One particular day during my internship in Ghana captured that reality perfectly. It included language school, Bible Institute classes, helping with church logistics, and—unexpectedly—a rather memorable encounter with a spider.
A Busy Morning on the Mission Field
The day began early. I woke up around 7:40 in the morning and immediately started my Bible reading. Personal time in the Scriptures is essential during a missionary internship missions learning experience, because spiritual strength must come before ministry activity.
However, I did not have long to read that morning.
We needed to be at the church by 8:30, so I quickly finished breakfast and headed out the door.
When we arrived at the church, one of the first tasks of the day was practical rather than spiritual. We gave some money to one of the men from the church so he could go purchase equipment for the sound system. Ministry on the mission field often includes many small logistical responsibilities that help everything run smoothly.
While we were there, we also picked up a young man from the church named Prince. Every Tuesday he came to our home so Mrs. Angie could help him with English lessons.
Language learning was not just for us as missionaries. It also worked both directions as we helped local believers strengthen their English skills for school and work.
Language Learning: A Core Part of Missionary Training
Once we arrived home, Mrs. Angie began teaching Prince his English lesson. While she worked with him, I spent time studying for both Bible Institute and my Fante language class.
Learning the local language is one of the most important parts of a missionary internship missions learning experience. Without language skills, it becomes much harder to build relationships, preach the gospel clearly, and understand the culture.
My Fante lesson started at 10:10 that morning.
To my surprise, it had been the best week yet.
For the first time, I was able to count from one to thirty without needing to look at my notes. I could also say the days of the week and the months of the year. Even more encouraging, I began practicing basic greetings—something that is extremely important in Ghanaian culture.
Ghanaian conversations almost always begin with greetings. If you skip that step, people notice immediately. Learning these small cultural details is an important part of ministry preparation.
Another area I was working on was memorizing parts of the body.
The previous week I could only remember about ten. That day I was able to say nearly twenty without looking at my notes. It might sound like a small step, but every new word made communication a little easier.
Language learning can feel slow at first, but steady progress eventually adds up.
Everyone Was Still Learning
That morning also reminded me that I was not the only one learning.
It was my ninth Fante lesson, which already felt like an accomplishment. But when the rest of the class joined at 10:40, I learned something surprising.
That day was Bro. Ruckman and Mrs. Angie’s 109th lesson.
Even the experienced missionaries were still studying the language.
Watching them continue learning week after week was encouraging. It showed me that a missionary never really finishes learning. Whether it is language, culture, or ministry skills, the process continues for years.
In many ways, that ongoing learning is exactly what makes a missionary internship missions learning experience so valuable. Interns are not just observing ministry—they are entering the same learning process missionaries walk through for the rest of their lives.
Bible Institute Training
After Fante class ended, we grabbed a quick lunch.
The meal was simple—leftover pizza from the day before—but it worked perfectly because we needed to hurry to the church again for Bible Institute classes.
When we arrived, we discovered that the auditorium was full of sound equipment and workers installing the new system. Because of that, we moved the class to one of the Sunday school rooms.
The sound crew had already made a lot of progress, and they expected to finish by Thursday.
Meanwhile, Bible Institute continued as usual.
Bible Institute classes are another key element of a missionary internship missions learning experience. Missionaries need both practical ministry experience and strong biblical training.
Studying Scripture in a classroom setting helped strengthen the foundation that would support future ministry work.
A Sweet Stop After Class
Once Bible Institute finished, Bro. Ruckman and I stopped by Anaji Mart before heading home.
We decided that after a full day of classes and studying, a little ice cream would make a good dessert.
Sometimes the small breaks during a busy missionary schedule are refreshing. Ministry involves long hours of work, study, and spiritual investment. A simple treat like ice cream can feel like a reward after a full day.
When we returned home, Mrs. Angie already had supper ready.
She had prepared mashed potatoes, gravy with roast-style meat, and creamed corn. After a full day of study and ministry activity, the meal smelled incredible.
But before we sat down to eat, something unexpected happened.
The Spider Incident
Mrs. Angie suddenly looked up toward the kitchen ceiling and spotted a spider.
Now, I should probably mention that Mrs. Angie strongly dislikes spiders. Some people might even say she is afraid of them.
Bro. Ruckman called me into the kitchen to witness the situation.
Armed with a mop, he prepared to eliminate the spider from its position on the ceiling.
Just before he struck, Mrs. Angie warned him, “It is going to start running.”
At the time, that sounded like a simple prediction.
But the moment Bro. Ruckman jabbed the mop upward, the spider did exactly that—it began sprinting across the ceiling.
Suddenly the kitchen turned into a spider-hunting battlefield.
Bro. Ruckman kept jabbing upward with the mop, trying to catch it. Meanwhile the spider kept running across the ceiling in different directions.
Unfortunately, one of those directions brought it closer to Mrs. Angie.
That was the moment everything changed.
She screamed and immediately rushed for the door. In the process she almost pushed me completely out of the way as she escaped the kitchen.
If the door had been locked, she might have run straight through it.
While she was making her escape, she scraped her arm slightly, but thankfully nothing serious happened.
Meanwhile Bro. Ruckman finally landed a successful strike with the mop.
The spider fell to the floor, and he quickly picked it up with a paper towel.
At that moment I briefly considered picking it up myself and pretending to eat it—just to see Mrs. Angie’s reaction.
But I decided that might be taking the joke a little too far.
Ending the Day
Once the spider situation was resolved, we finally sat down to eat supper.
The meal was excellent, and thankfully we did not discover any spider legs in the food.
After supper, Bro. Ruckman needed to make a phone call. While he handled that, I went upstairs to my room to relax after a long day of studying and learning.
Language lessons, Bible Institute, ministry responsibilities, and even unexpected kitchen adventures had filled the entire day.
Days like that may not seem dramatic, but they are exactly what shape a missionary over time.
That is the reality of a missionary internship missions learning experience.
It is not only about big ministry moments. It is about steady learning, daily growth, and serving faithfully in the ordinary routines of missionary life.
And sometimes… it even includes a spider story.
More Missionary Internship Stories
Poor Ms. Angie! Because of my unsettling fear of a mouse, I can totally empathize with her! We love you my Gilly! 💕💕