In August was my first mission trip abroad. It was an eye-opening experience that challenged me, taught me, and encouraged me a lot. From the testimonies and the stories that I heard from everyone, it really showed how much God’s love and time was invested in discipling these teenagers through the years at the church in Bod. It was a blessing to hear how much they have grown and a joy to see the fruit produced in how they are serving in their local community and ‘making disciples’.
Before coming onto this outreach, although I was looking forward to it, I somewhat felt uneasy. That’s because I knew that the language barrier and the addition of not knowing the teenagers was going to make things tough. This was evident for the first few days and to be honest, I found it difficult to mix in and felt a little awkward. With my worries put to the side, I was reminded to just do my best, trusting that God will provide opportunities at the right timing and that He will do the rest.
This is when things started to take a turn when we served together in Constanța doing various outreach activities; which was a chance to get to know each other more. Day by day, God allowed those small moments in our time together which helped break the ice. Even though it didn’t seem much at that time, I look back at it now and it was those moments which brought us closer together and this is where God moved. Praise the Lord!
What left the mark in this trip for me was through the moments in prayer, worship, and serving together during the different outreach programmes. From the Medical Outreach to the Football Camp, I could see the unity within my brothers and sisters and God’s love that was sown into these communities, which was a pleasure to have been a part of.
Here is a verse that I wanted to share which encouraged me during this trip, 1 Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.