Unmasking the Gospel in 2021: Rusty, Mechanical Engineering Intern

Psalm 55:16 reads, “As for me, I shall call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.” God promises to be there for us when we call, are you willing to answer his call to you? That was Rusty's prayer this summer: that he would say yes to whatever God calls him. Whether it be something new or uncomfortable, he is willing to follow the path God puts before him. God doesn’t promise it will be easy, but he does promise he will be there every step of the way.

A Cary, North Carolina, native, Rusty is a student at North Carolina State University. He is a rising senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. This summer, he served at the West Africa Transmitting Station (WATS) in West Africa. Fun (but serious) fact: Rusty is a robe enthusiast.

Q: How did you hear about TWR?

I heard about TWR from my campus minister at NC State.

Q: What caused you to get involved in the internship program with TWR in West Africa?

I chose to serve with TWR because it offered positions that combined Mechanical Engineering and missions. I also chose to serve in my international location because it was the only location available that offered a Mechanical Engineering position at the time of my decision.

Q: Have you always been interested in missions?

My church did domestic mission trips every year since I was in middle school. Missions has always been on my radar, but I hadn't seriously considered international missions until I attended the Urbana18 missions conference my freshman year of college.

Q: What projects are you going to be involved in?

I was involved with fixing a dirt bike, working on a concrete culvert design, relocating and securing 2 large electrical panels, and learning about the broadcast process flow on site.

Q: Are there any challenges you had or anticipated experiencing? How did you face them?

One of the most challenging aspects of my position was the language barrier between myself and the local guys on the team at the site. [We used] lots of hand gestures and drawings to help aid our communication.

Q: What did you most looking forward to during your internship?

Climbing the radio tower and interacting with the local guys.

Q: What was your biggest goal for this summer?

My biggest goal for the summer was to say “Yes!” when faced with opportunities or situations I may be uncomfortable or nervous about.

Q: What are your post-college plans?

After college, I plan to enter the private sector to gain engineering skills and experience.

Q: Fun fact: What’s your favorite food?

My favorite food is lasagna.