Rob Bennett
Team Position: Team Leader
Scheduled Travels Include:
Home State: Illinois
Family Facts: Rob grew up in a homeschooling family and has one younger brother
About Rob:
Rob is from the suburbs of Chicago and served in management with the Institute in Basic Life Principles for 7 years. During this time he travelled throughout the country to manage dozens of Basic Life Principles seminars, and staffed many of the Advanced Training Institute’s summer home schooling conferences. He is currently an academic coach for CollegePlus! and an instructor for the Institute in Photographic Studies. Rob loves working with children and has been involved in numerous Children’s Institutes as well as working with the children of a Chicago homeless shelter. He has travelled internationally to regions of the world such as Honduras and the middle east, and led the ’09 Global Encounters inner city mission trip to Kingston, Jamaica. In his free time, Rob enjoys activities such as skiing, biking, and shooting sports… but you might also find him under a car or working on a construction project.
Rob’s Perspective on International Ministry:
I see international mission trips as incredible faith-building experiences for all involved – not only for the people we go to serve, but also for the team members. It is easy for those of us who live a comfortable life in America to forget how much we need the Lord on a daily basis. Our perspective quickly changes as we leave our comfort zone and step off the plane into a foreign culture where everything is different. We even need a translator to order lunch!
I remember my first mission trip to Honduras, and how it impacted my faith. As I encountered a city where even Pizza Hut had a shotgun-wielding guard, traveled the 5-lane “interstate” up the mountains (that I would have called a 2-lane road), and worked in the villages built out of PVC pipe and plastic, my eyes were opened to see a much bigger world that I knew little about. As I stepped into this new culture, I quickly realized that I NEEDED the Lord’s help in many of the “small” aspects of life that I was used to handling on my own at home. While He is always by our side in America, it is easy for us to feel comfortable in our own abilities and forget that we need Him – something that is not a problem in a foreign country!
I am excited to lead international trips where the Lord will continue to strengthen our faith, where we will be able to learn from and encourage local believers, and share the Gospel with people who do not know Christ. I am looking forward to what the Lord will do on our next trip!
