Senior Mikah Lunsford will be participating in a unique program called “YWAM” following graduation this year. The program “Youth With A Mission” is a missionary university with campuses and bases located all over the world. YWAM’s main base is located in Kona, Hawaii with several additional bases around the world. The base in Baja, California near Tijuana, Mexico will be the home to Lunsford next year.

“Since I don’t know what major I would choose for college, I have decided to move away for six months and spread the word of Christianity with a mission group,” Lunsford said.

Lunsford is enrolling in the discipleship training school program. For the first three months she will be practicing biblical studies and learning about mission work. Also incorporated with discipleship training school, she will be able to join the music missions group where she can enjoy singing and playing the guitar. During her last three months with the program she will be doing missions work in third world countries.

“It was hard at first to narrow down the list of bases I could live on. After many coffee dates with my mom I decided I wanted to be on the coast, at a base with a desired size of 30-40 students, and at one of the longer established bases,” Lunsford said. “The Baja, California base meets all my standards and I am excited to live there in the fall.”

Lunsford has already been on a couple mission trips within the states. She has done work in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida. On these trips she got to do community service work, serve food, and help kids through the “Make A Wish” program.

“Along with the prior mission trips I’ve experienced and my parents involvement with YWAM, I was inspired to go my own way and try it out,” Lunsford said. “My parents actually lived on one of the bases in Montana when I was born and I got to live there for 12 years before I moved to Iowa. Growing up on the base in its unique culture also impacted my decision.”

In Sept.,  Lunsford will move south to her beautiful base in Mexico. The base is compared to a five star resort and overlooks the ocean.

“I am super excited to meet a bunch of new faces and make intimate relations with everyone,” Lunsford said. “The distance from family and friends will be hard, but I will still have my phone for the quick calls home and texts to my friends.”

Lunsford will return home in March of 2017 from her time spent with the program. For now, say your farewells and wish her luck.

“With my passion for music, traveling, and faith this experience will be perfect for me,” Lunsford said. “My hope is that in the end it will reveal to me what I want to do with the rest of my life.”