concurring: STM's are a great way to do some personal field work in determining where you would best fit as God has gifted you. I have a number of resources relating to these (PM me for them). Studying abroad would be something similar.
And on other practical notes . . . I helped a large church develop a booklet geared toward's high schoolers wanting to be in missions, just to answer this question! So I have a list for you:
~Start keeping a mailing list, and periodically send a newsletter (doesn't have to be too often till you have made a decision.)
~ Read these books:
Send me!
Funding Your Ministry
Friend Raising
Tortured for Christ
Operation World
Let the Nations Be Glad (This is a much abbreviated list)
~Find a mentor, someone who has been a missionary
~ Learn another language
~ Host and exchange student or room with an international student (In college, I was in the "International Dorm." In eating with people from my floor in the cafeteria, there was usually a different country represented for every person at the table!)
~If you have an inkling of where you'd like to go,
research that region of the world!
~Sit in on the missions committee at your church
~ Pray! for the harvest, for the persecuted church.
~ Learn basic survival skills
~ Learn to play a
portable instrument
~ Learn Scripture! Learn to evangalize! Zeal without knowledge is dangerous, and knowledge without zeal is apathy.
Again, this is very abbreviated. Lemme know if you want more!
lighting the day said:
Hi- I am a sophomore in highschool. I feel a very strong call from God to prepare for the mission field. I really feel that God is leading me into a service of long-term mission work. I want to work to prepare myself for a life on the mission field, if God continues to pull me in that direction. My question is if you have any advice for me about what I can do now, as a student with limited resources, to prepare myself for the mission field. I am open to any suggestions. I also would like to know the qualities that a mission board looks for in a missionary. In other words, what will I need to do to prepare myself to be able to meet standards above and beyond that of a mission board.
Thank you very much.
-Frannie