Auditing for Jesus
"This summer was really a love story," said Jessica Smith. Jessica spent a good portion of her summer doing a financial audit, which sounds like a funny kind of love until you find out she’s an accounting major. For eight weeks in 
Papua New Guinea, Jessica’s love for accounting intersected with her love for Christ in Wycliffe’s Discovery program. She was part of a team of four students who helped perform the annual financial audit of the largest branch of SIL International, Wycliffe’s sister organization in the world.
It was as much about teamwork as it was about balancing the books. "I discovered firsthand what it means to work in the body of Christ, and how each one can start by loving one another. The team bonded as a unit and learned to love with God's love," she said. Jessica had taken a course in auditing, but had never participated in an audit before. "I learned a great deal about procedures, as well as how to interact with department managers and other team members. We felt a great sense of accomplishment when we handed the five-inch binder of paperwork to the finance director."
Once the audit was finished, Jessica spent three days in a village as the guest of Tami, a local woman who works at the Ukarumpa center. "We hiked two and a half hours to her village. I saw how the Gadsup people live. I learned how Tami prepared taro, tapioc and corn over the open fire inside the bamboo house. I admired the skill she possessed for making bilums—the bags made of yarn used to carry garden veggies. Most of all, I saw her love for Christ displayed by her generosity and care. She 'rolled out the red carpet for me'... except it was a grass mat. The people were so gracious. We had brought gifts of food in a string bag, but the people filled our bags with gifts for us when we left!"
As Jessica entered her senior year at Seattle Pacific University and looked ahead, the Discovery program opened the door to a bigger world than she had known before. "I have a whole new perspective on people. The body of Christ has become so much more alive to me. It’s tempting for people to stay in the U.S., where the pay is good and life is comfortable, but the blessings and the relationships to be gained by serving God in missions are so much more valuable. I saw how great the need is for support workers like accountants. Bible translators were having to spend time doing bank reconciliations! I’m thankful God could use me to help fill a need. As I finish my accounting degree, I’ll be doing lots of praying as to where God wants me next."
-Jessica Smith