The Montreal Mission Internship is a 9-week ecumenical program of vocational discernment and social service work for 18–25-year-olds run every summer by the Montreal School of Theology.
Interns work four days a week at one or two social service organisations around the city then meet at Montreal Dio on Wednesdays for a time of theological reflection with mentors and fellow interns.
Last April, Estelle Ah-Teck was struggling through a period of feeling lost, alone, and unsure of what the future held as she finished up her studies in History at McGill. “It felt like all potential doors were closing right in my face and I was struggling to see God in the middle of the mess.”
When she opened up to a friend about how she was feeling, her friend suggested applying for MMI. “Four months later, I can firmly say that this summer has been one of the most transformative and healing seasons of my life.”
She spent the summer working at Le Pont, a services and temporary housing centre for refugee claimants, accompanying the residents to appointments, organizing community events, tutoring children and much more.
“I have witnessed residents experience a lot of highs and lows. To work amid these extreme moments of joy and sorrow has been emotionally challenging. But I believe God is calling me to hold such tensions.”
Her experiences at Le Pont and the weekly theological reflections at Dio helped her to broaden her understanding of God’s plan for her. “This internship positively challenged the narrow vision I had for my career as I learned more about myself and gained new passions.”
She leaves the program with a deeper sense of trust in God and a new awareness of God’s presence in every moment. “I would absolutely recommend MMI. If you are seeking to learn how to invite God into your everyday moments, big and small, this is the program for you.”
Before coming to Montreal for the summer, Rebecca Mallett had just finished up her first year of ministry studies at International House of Prayer University. She began MMI seeking a clearer direction for her sense of vocation.
“I loved that MMI offered an opportunity to practice discernment while trying new types of ministries, helping me gain more clarity on what I’m called to do.”
Rebecca spent the summer working at Hadley Community, a collection of houses for people at risk of homelessness, and Ministry to Seafarers (M2S).
At M2S, she spent much of her time driving up and down Montreal’s port, chatting and sharing meals with seafarers, and bringing them to the seafarer’s centre to relax.
At Hadley Community, she led and participated in workshops and games, and helped practically, doing dishes and prepping rooms for new residents among other tasks.
“God used my time at my two placements to bring up deep beliefs I had about what it means to be successful, which was really challenging in certain moments,” she reflects. “I grew into a deeper acceptance of who God made me to be and grew to see that ministry has a lot more to do with how you do something than what you do.”
For any future MMI interns she notes, “MMI is a huge investment into the rest of your life. Be willing to have your sense of what you have to contribute to the world challenged.”
For the past three years, Nathan Tsang has been studying Computer Programming at Seneca College in his home city of Toronto. Recently, however, he found himself feeling unhappy in this field of study. “I felt disconnected from people,” he says. “I had a realisation that I want to work in a field where I could affect others in a positive way directly.”
MMI seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to spend time discerning how he might pivot his life in this direction.
Like Estelle, Nathan spent the summer working at Le Pont, supporting refugee claimants as they adjust to life in Quebec. He spent much of his time looking after the residents’ children and worked hard on his own time to improve his French so that he could better communicate with the residents. “I discovered that being available for the residents is a form of work in and of itself.”
One of Nathan’s big takeaways from the program was discovering what a relationship with God could look like for him. “I was born Roman Catholic and have found I have a been very narrow in my view of Christianity,” he explains. “I spent a lot of time talking with the other interns about their view on God and how He affects them in their lives.”
He attended several different churches throughout the summer to experience the different ways people worship. “I can confidently say this internship has made me rediscover my relationship with God in a positive way.”
