Student Impact Goes Global

Over the years, we have seen how one global serving trip can change the trajectory of a student’s life. Something utterly unexplainable happens when a student decides to forgo their spring break, raise thousands of dollars, and open their heart and hands to the work that God might do in and through them. I am reminded of the story in Mark 10 when Jesus sends out the seventy-two. They leave with joyous anticipation, knowing confidently that the Lord will provide and give them opportunities to share the Kingdom with others. Upon return, they tell Jesus of all the miraculous things they did, but he directs their focus onto something much larger.

 Just like the 72  from Mark 10, our 70 students and 20 leaders returned from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, South Africa, and Zambia with hundreds of stories of the projects they completed and the people they met. Schools were painted, gardens were planted, wells were dug, songs were taught, games were played, stories were shared, homes were built, and foundations were dug. Exhausted bodies and exuberant spirits wept and rejoiced as they knew their lives would never be the same.

I’ve had the blessing of reflecting and processing these trips with several students, and I am astounded by the way the Lord opened their eyes to the global Kingdom. Their lives were impacted less by the manual labor they did and more by the grandeur of who our God is. It is humbling to see a generation rising up who selflessly serve, freely give, and rejoice in their salvation and Savior rather than the work of their hands.

-Liz Abfall