Inspire, Fall 2001

Alumni Profile: Todd Stach '94 Becoming a World Servant Todd Stach '94 shares about his June 2001 missions trip to Kosovo. Todd is the station manager ofWAY-FM in Fort Myers, Florida. The Christian radio station where I work teams with World Servants each year for a mission trip. Listeners and staff members are challenged to make a difference in their world as they return from a cross-cultural experience. This year we served in war-torn Kosovo. We saw destruction, heard stories of death,and were surrounded by NATO peace-keeping forces. One goal was to work beside the local people and rebuild a small medical clinic. Above all, we went to show God's love to the mostly Muslim community by serving them. In America, we excel at teaching,leading,and preaching. We have been trained to take charge and to accomplish our goals as quickly as possible. Becoming a world servant requires you to be a learner, servant, and storyteller. A misconception many of us have is that we tend to picture God interacting only in our culture. For example,we may believe that He looks like us and talks like us. For Christian radio staff members and listeners who become world servants, you discover quickly that God is active outside ofthe United States. This international mission trip changed my world view. My life before I stepped on the airplane has disappeared forever. I left the overseas culture impacted by God's incredible love, and by the people whom I tried so passionately to serve. My experience reached the depths of my soul, which makes me much more appreciative and thankful. I see no greater potential impact on a Christian's life than to step out ofone's comfort zone and totally trust God in another culture. Words cannot adequately describe a mission trip's impact. You attempt to explain a child's happiness or a grandfather's resilience in a war torn culture. Yet with tears in your eyes and your heart overwhelmed with emotions, you can only tell others of God's faithfulness, grace,and goodness. Fortunately, you have just reached the exact point of brokenness where God desires you to live—always giving Him the credit for every experience, accomplishment,blessing, and change in your life. I have come to realize that the impactfrom an international mission trip fulfills the Great Commission in its greatest form. For photos, videos,and a newspaper story about our trip, you can visit the following links: http://wayfm.coni/wayj/kosovo_pics.html http://www.wayfm.com/callbacks.ram http://www.wayfm.comiworksite.ram http://www.naplesnews.com/01/07/neapolitan/d647193a.htm wayfm.com/wayj http://www.usa.worldservants.org / Todd Stach '94(sporting a goatee and gray T-shirt)poses with Kosovar student translators, other Americans, and Austrian peacekeeping troops on top ofa NATO tank. Inspire 19