Different points of view

Professionals in Mission student Moses from Nigeria wanted to find out about “the other face” of Western prosperity, so he used his weekly placement to work at the Salvation Army centre located in Barton Street, just a few minutes walk from the college.

“My role was to serve lunch to homeless people, and share God’s love and compassion with them by my words and deeds,” explains Moses. “I discovered that street people are just like the rest of us, but with less support. I was surprised at how much many of them knew about the Bible, but they experience prejudice from ‘ordinary’ people.

“I also learnt that while some of us confront the ‘monster within’, many of us tend to give up along the way and blame something else. Some resort to crime, self-ruin or just give up. The whole experience of working with the Salvation Army has made me appreciate God’s grace more because without it, this could have been me.”

Undergraduate students can choose from a host of weekly placement opportunities in Gloucester and the surrounding area. Former social worker Andrea from the Netherlands spent time each week at a youth club in Matson, where the teenagers ‘have learnt to be tough, use street language and not show who they really are.’

“My job was to run the tuck shop, but also to build relationships with the young people and show them something of who God is, and the way he loves and accepts them.

I also have tried to teach them some social skills as well as how to care for each other and treat each other with respect.
“Through the placement I learned more about their backgrounds and worldviews, their search for identity and how much they appreciate the relationship with the youth workers, even though they may not show it.