IMMERSION is an opportunity for young adults to step outside of the normal cadence of their lives in order to gain a broader picture of: 1) the world around you, 2) the way God works in that world, and 3) the value of relationships and quality service alongside people whose lives are just as valuable as your own.

Simply put, IMMERSION is about focusing on the “how we do it” of international ministry and service rather than just “what we do.” Our central focus is on the importance of authentic relationships as the keystone to healthy ministry, and engaging in what it means to truly “love our neighbor” as people of privilege in the 21st century.

Teams spend their time equally split between service opportunities, cultural immersion in the community, and relationship building with community partners and host families. This means there is plenty of space to give your time and attention to others—a necessary part of doing missions well—prioritizing people over the simply seeking out projects to complete.

Ideal 1-Month Indonesia IMMERSION Candidate:

• Age 18-30 (required)
• Interested in pursuing the intersections of faith and serving others
• Willing to engage in various projects and serve the local community
• Able to adapt to a flexible schedule
• Eager to participate in conversations with locals and build relationships
• Willing to adjust and abide by the norms of a different culture
• Able to work through conflict and problem-solve well
• Willing to follow and abide by safety guidelines and expectations

Upon arriving in Sentani, Papua, Indonesia, your first week will be spent learning the basics of the Indonesian language. You'll have a mix of grammar and vocabulary lessons from a local teacher, and handson practice with locals at the market and around town.

After the first week, you'll then get plugged in with the many ministries in the local area. You can expect to volunteer with a local ministry on weekdays, and help lead english camps on the weekends, with gaps in between as needed for rest and recovery.

Past teams have volunteered in the following locations:

• At a local orphanage helping teach english to kids, and helping with their dog breeding business that is their main source of income.
• Organizing and running weekend English camps with kids ranging from elementary school to high school.
• Helping sort and manage books and resources at a local library.
• Volunteering with a local plant nursery that is focused on creation care and stewardship of the local plants, wildlife, and resources.

Noni and David Graves have lived and served in Sentani for the past 23 years. Noni's primary ministry has been as wife to David and mother to Shinta (22) and Adinda (20) for all these years.

During those years, she ran a playgroup/preschool for her daughters and their classmates. She taught an English class for Indonesian children for many years out of their home, and was also the hospitality coordinator for an Indonesian Bible translation organization. She also founded an Indonesian/English language school that trained many people who have served in ministry in Papua to speak Indonesian. For 4 years, she also served as the class sponsor for their daughter, Adinda's, high school class.

Now, she serves as the Experience Mission Sentani coordinator, organizing and hosting IMMERSION Teams in their hometown.

David serves as a missionary pilot with Wycliffe Bible Translators, serving the missionaries and people in the interior of Papua with the Indonesian non-profit organization called Yajasi Aviation.

Experience Mission ministry partners David and Noni Graves are excited to host you and your team on this IMMERSION Program!

Teams will be staying in Noni and David's guest house on their property, with women sleeping on the main floor and men sleeping upstairs. As of this writing, we are still coordinating enough bunkbeds for an entire team, so plan to bring a comfy sleeping pad or an air mattress along with some light bedding.

Breakfast and dinner will usually be eaten with David and Noni in their home, while lunch will either be packed or served at your ministry location for the day. When not volunteering, you will have a chance to explore the local market, spend time at the beach, and try local foods.

Safety is a huge priority for the IMMERSION program! We are up to date on all potential safety concerns in the countries where teams volunteer and would never send a team to a location where we have active concerns about their safety and well-being.

Experience Mission local staff and partners are experienced residents or welcome guests in the communities you are serving in, and they communicate to all team members the safest way to move about during their time on the program. Regular communication is also established between partners, team leaders, and EM U.S. Staff, allowing for quick responses to any emergencies should they arise.

For medical issues, IMMERSION team leaders are CPR/First Aid certified, and carry trauma medical kits equipped to deal with a wide range of injuries and ailments.

In the case of a larger emergency, EM staff members will support team members by helping them communicate with home and making sure they get to a place to receive care.

Often, local medical clinics are a short distance from where team members are staying. However, outside of big cities, large hospitals can often be several hours away by vehicle. Team members would not be left to do this on their own.

To ensure medical care is readily accessible, EM secures travel medical/evacuation insurance for all team members. Participants are also required to come with a Personal Emergency Fund—a debit or credit card with $1,500 available and $300 of reserve cash—in case they were to have a medical issue requiring upfront payment or need to travel home from the program unexpectedly. This amount may seem high, but it's purely a precaution. Most team members do not touch their emergency funds while on the trip.

Preventatively, during initial training, all team members are encouraged to enroll with STEP (Safe Traveler Enrollment Program) through the U.S. State Department. This allows team members and staff to receive official travel alerts if there is an issue in the region including political protests, civil unrest, increased crime, weather alerts, natural disasters, terrorism, or specific threats for foreign travelers.

An EM emergency phone line is also available to all emergency contacts.