The Call

Take your faith to the edge of the Sahara!

Project Desert Triangle is a high-impact initiative launched by the International Mission Board for adventurous Christians who want to take the Gospel to a place where the people have NEVER heard.

You’ll spend 2 or 3 years immersed in the stark splendor and dusty dunes of the Sahara. You’ll serve among a triad of key people groups in this untouched region of Mali, revealing the compassion of Christ in both word and deed.

But you won’t embark on this adventure alone. This program emphasizes dynamic team comraderie and a structured training program to teach the best ways to convey the Gospel to the people in this culture.

You’ll live where they live.
You’ll eat what they eat.
You’ll speak what they understand.
And you’ll break new ground for God’s Truth.

Explore this site to find out more…

The Lifestyle

Think simplicity. Think indigenous. Think total immersion.

For 2-3 years, you’ll probably live with a partner in a mud hut or adobe building. You’ll sleep under a mosquito net and eat rice with your hands out of the same bowl as everybody else. You’ll help the people draw water from the well and harvest their crops. You’ll wear fabulously bright African clothes. You’ll drink tea brewed over coals and lounge with the locals when the afternoon sun gets crazy hot.

You’ll become part of an African family and build real bonds with your village.

And … you’ll sweat. A lot.

But it’s worth it.

By living this lifestyle, you’ll gain a deep understanding of their needs, both physical and spiritual. You’ll identify with your people better than any other outsider. You’ll earn the respect you need to share the Gospel.

And God will reveal Himself to you in ways that will blow your mind and expand your faith to new levels.

The Job

Your assignment is to spend 2-3 years in Mali in total commitment to help bring the Gospel to one of three unreached people groups.

You’ll be a vital member of a team that will ideally have 6-8 missionaries with the International Mission Board. Your supervisor is a career longtime missionary in West Africa with experience building dynamic teams and emphasizing spiritual growth. Together, your team will spend the first months in high-impact, hands-on training.

During training, you’ll:

- study language, village life, and evangelism.
- research the people groups, their locations, Gospel access and openness.
- decipher any local needs that might serve as an avenue to physically show the compassion of Jesus.
- pray and strategize with your team.

You’ll be sent out in pairs to live and work in different villages, but your entire team will reunite quarterly for training and spiritual renewal.

Since most of the people in the Desert Triangle region don’t read, you’ll get trained how to share God’s Word orally. You’ll tell Bible stories laced with local culture that will stay in the hearts of the people long after you leave.

You’ll constantly seek strategic ways to share the Gospel. As new believers emerge, we’ll train you to help them stand strong in the faith and inspire them to reach out to their own.

Sound tough? Well, you can expect this assignment to stretch and challenge your faith every day, but we guarantee:

– Teammate support — Structured training as you go –
– A heavenly Father who can do more than you can ever ask or imagine –

The Facts

A few tidbits about Mali

- Mali is about the size of Texas and California combined.

- Bamako is the capital city.

- About 90 percent claim Islam, and 9 percent follow traditional African animism.

- Fewer than 1 percent are Christian.

- Timbuktu is one of the major cities of the north. (Yes, it’s an actual place!)

- The country was once one of Africa’s most prosperous, with ancient trade routes for salt, gold, etc.

- In hot season, temperatures can reach 120 degrees in the shade.

- Mali ranks fifth from last worldwide in the United Nations Human Development Index.

- More than 30 languages are spoken.

- It only rains a few months per year. When it rains, many roads become impassable.

- Most people are herders, farmers and traders.

- Less than half the population can read, and even fewer in rural areas.

- During Harmattan, wind stirs up desert sand that hangs in the air like red fog for weeks.

The First Step

Are you ready to get started in the application process?

Project Desert Triangle applicants must:

- be a member of a Southern Baptist Church or ministry.
- have a college degree.

But don’t worry about raising support. The International Mission Board offers full support and benefits for your entire 2- 3-year term.

As you apply, you will fit into one of three different service contracts offered by the IMB.

Journeyman – for singles under the age of 30.
Masters – for couples or singles over 50 years old.
International Service Corps (ISC) – for everyone else, including families.

To read the full Desert Triangle job description, click here.

To learn more about the IMB’s three different service contracts and find applications, visit http://going.imb.org/shorterm.asp.

To contact someone to find out more about Project Desert Triangle, click here.

The Latest

Check back here for updates about our teams on the field.