Post by: Deanna Longjohn
This summer I am interning with International Justice Mission (IJM) at their headquarters in Washington D.C. My role this summer is as a social media intern. In this role I am helping to create and monitor media content as well as help with some event programming. International Justice Mission is a non-profit organization that combats violence against the poor. IJM is a group of lawyers, social workers, and other professionals that use their collective expertise to fight for justice. They work by rescuing the oppressed, convicting the oppressor, and helping change justice systems to prevent future injustice. They accomplish their mission through prayer, perseverance, and reliance on God.
During my second week at IJM I had the honor of attending the June Quarterly Prayer Retreat. Once a quarter, the IJM staff comes together and spends an entire day focusing on the Lord through teaching, praise, and prayer. There is a time of stillness and a time to discuss spiritual development with the other staff. I really enjoyed my experience and felt the joy of the Lord in the room as all the staff praised God for His amazing work fighting injustice.
The past three weeks at IJM have been amazing and transformational to my own professional and spiritual development. IJM’s spiritual disciplines of stillness and corporate prayer have helped me to grow in reliance on God in my work. These disciplines have also shown me how IJM humbly walks with the Lord to fight injustice. The staff truly believes it is the Lord’s work and that they have the honor of participating.
My work, specifically, has been enlightening to me because I get to research the current events in the work of fighting human trafficking. While researching I read hard things as well as joyful things as people are discovered and rescued. This research has helped me to deepen my heart for justice and to appreciate the gravity of the injustice in the world. My work has also taught me how to use media to discuss individuals while still preserving and upholding their God-given dignity.
My first three weeks at IJM have helped me to grow in my reliance on God in my work as well as my appreciation for God’s heart for justice. Each day I grow increasingly aware of how deeply sin has permeated the Earth but grow more joyful because God is in control and is the ultimate victor. I have joy in the knowledge that Christ has overcome and can approach this fight for justice with a fresh and energized perspective. I am excited to see what this summer internship will bring.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice Intern. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.