In June 2023, there were days when Reece Johnson had a hard time keeping his eyes closed. When you’re in a country with areas where the sun never sets, 2:00 a.m. looks like 7:30 p.m. on a summer evening. The environment starts to impact the way you see.
Serving on a team through FCA’s Global Impact internship program took Johnson to Sweden where he traveled to camps and conferences in the country, growing in his faith while telling others about Jesus.
“The experience changed my perspective on God, sports and the world,” he said. “It helped me cultivate a heart for the nations. I have a whole new perspective on God’s purpose for reaching all tribes and languages.”
Global Impact sent 32 student-athletes among four teams last summer to Guatemala, South Africa, Malaysia and Sweden. As a student and athlete from Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill., Johnson was part of Global Impact trips both to Sweden and South Asia last summer.
Each trip is led by a team of adults who have the title of shepherd. Johnson’s shepherds were Jim and Leslie Roquemore, who spent last summer with Johnson’s team in Sweden.
“It gets kids out of their environment to see what God is doing globally,” said Roquemore. “That really transformed Reece.”
Johnson’s transformation included how he saw the Bible and the importance of taking the Gospel throughout the world.
“There will be a day when the last unreached people group hears and believes the Good News about Jesus Christ,” Johnson said. “I can only imagine the moment when representatives from literally every ethnic people group will be all together, worshiping King Jesus on His throne.”
The Global Impact internship takes student-leaders out of their comfort zones to develop the next generation of leaders. Jim Roquemore has served with FCA for 35 years in numerous roles, including Representative, Regional Director, Director of Ministry Advancement, Global Region Coordinator for Latin America and Divisional Vice President for West Global. In January 2024, he became the FCA Senior Executive Advisor for International Field Ministry.
“Jim played a huge part in what I learned, and we’ve stayed in touch since then,” Johnson said. “We Zoom weekly and read through a book called ‘The Abrahamic Revolution,’ which talks about global ministry. We also did a Bible study on God’s purpose to reach every nation.”
The Roquemores were part of Global Impact when it started in the mid-2010s. After the program paused for a few years, it restarted in 2022 with one team in the Dominican Republic.
“We’ve seen leaders empowered to become FCA staff once they get out of college,” said Roquemore. “I want to stay involved in Global Impact because I’ve seen it work and the long-term effects it brings.”
Johnson has already experienced the way Global Impact can alter one’s perspective: “It’s really opened my eyes,” he said. “Jesus isn’t just the Jesus of America. He’s a global God.”