Growing up amongst a large family with many missionary stories inspired Bauer Meeks, sophomore secondary education and religion major, from a very young age. When the opportunity arose at Walla Walla University to be a student missionary, it simply seemed to Meeks like a chance too good to pass up. He remembers starting his paperwork to serve abroad for a year as being extremely surreal.
Meeks is working as a high school Bible teacher in a town called Majuro in the Marshall Islands. After waking up to see incredible sunrises and crashing waves through his window, Meeks’s days typically begin with a staff worship at the school he works for followed by a worship with his ninth grade class. Between teaching Bible classes for many different grades and teaching several elective art classes, Meeks has a wide variety of teaching responsibilities at the high school. With his plans to begin a career as a high school Bible teacher in the future, Meeks is grateful for the direct experience he is getting in the Marshall Islands.
In addition to his teaching roles, Meeks serves as the school’s chaplain and coordinates vespers, chapel, church services, and more. He also switches gears each day after school and coaches the school’s men’s basketball team. “My growing relationships with the students has been the most rewarding thing during my time here,” said Meeks. “Watching the kids grow and achieve things they couldn’t imagine they could achieve reminds me that the Holy Spirit is actively working in all of us.”
Meeks believes his student missionary experience has brought him closer to God than ever before. With a packed schedule at the high school and a large number of kids who rely on his guidance, Meeks has learned first hand the need to fill his own cup spiritually through prayer and reading the Bible so he can continue to serve. “I have been able to learn how to lead meaningful worship services, how to speak publicly, and most importantly how to be an example for young kids who look up to me,” Meeks said.
To learn more about student missions at WWU, visit wallawalla.edu/chaplain.
Posted Mar. 26, 2024
