Lessons Learned

This brief summer in Charlotte interning at United World Mission has gone by too fast. I came to UWM thinking I would be inputting data into a financial program and testing new systems. I have done both of these and more. The staff here has found plenty of things for me to do, if the opportunity presents itself I would like to continue helping out in the future.

UWM’s Chief Financial Officer asked me to create a cost of living estimator. It counts how many people want to go on a mission trip, where they want to go and for how long. It can factor in retirement, loans, education, health insurance and specific ministry expenses. Then, it creates a categorical budget by month and year and the whole cost a mission trip. There are also three option you can choose from, basic to live like a local, moderate to live like an American and quality to live the highest quality of life according to the UN database. The purpose of this application is to provide a quick glance of how much missionaries need to raise in support and that they are not forced raise too much.

The main purpose for coming to UWM was to help out the financial department. Each day I check to see if our missionaries emailed their expense reports and that they are approved. Then, I save and file them away ready to be reimbursed. Make sure you put your project number on your expense reports!

Though, the biggest time saver is the custom made macros I made for almost everyone. The macros take raw data out of the financial program on to an excel spreadsheet and correct the format into neat tables, totals or charts. To my surprise macros run on visual basic which is the only programming class I ever took. I did not find it appealing at all, but now I am grateful I took it. Now it gives me great joy to see the finished macros saving the staff from mind-numbing hours of data manipulation.

Through this whole time being here, I have learned what exactly it takes to be a missionary. You need money in your bank account, a home church with hundreds of people praying for God’s protection in your life and small achievable goals. However, that is just the prerequisites, once you are on the field it’s all in God’s hands. It is God, The Holy Spirit, who brings men and women into the body of Christ and we the body, are the hands and feet that carry Jesus’ message of salvation.

By: Phillipe Ma, Serving as a Summer Intern in the Charlotte, NC office.