When God Takes the Stage – Part I

Here is Part 1 of a two part series overviewing each trip that went out on the field this year. Read what God did in and through the teams and pray about joining next year!Spanish Language Team The LORD brought four teammates together, all with one desire: to communicate the Gospel in Spanish without translators. Looking back we couldn’t have imagined asking GOD for how He fulfilled this desire and the additional blessings that came along the way. From Spanish class in the morning to afternoons helping missionaries with kid’s outreach in a new village, from local church events to teaching violin lessons to more studying (with lots of homework)—it was all for the glory of GOD. One example of how He worked was when we went to teach at a Bible school/seminary in the jungle. Upon arriving they asked if we would join them for outreach in a local village near by. Then we found out they not only wanted us to join them but lead it! This is normal when doing missions. The day before in class we had just finished translating our testimonies into Spanish, but did not have time to polish them, so we were greatly reliant upon God as we shared. God worked mightily as He gave Ashley and Maxwell the words to communicate how He had saved them and could do the same for these people. Also, while in the village God orchestrated for a government meeting to be letting out at the time we were getting started, so they were also able to hear the Gospel. God fulfilled our desire!~John Shoemaker, for the Spanish Language TeamSouth AsiaAs a team leader on the South Asia trip this last year, I had the privilege to watch God faithfully work in and through the team. First of all, I could see how He put the group of people together and opened doors to get off of work or school. At one time on the trip, I had to remind the team that God had brought us here for a specific reason and that He was with us. This truth especially applied at one point on the trip when we had no idea about how our last week was going to go because plans had fallen through. But even when our plans fall through, God's plans always prevail. That last week, we were ministering to refugees in the northern country. I saw how God was using the team to encourage the believers, how the team members were growing in their abilities to teach and lead, and just how God used us to love these dear people. One of our primary purposes was to equip ten local students to do youth ministry, and by the end of the trip, God had fulfilled that purpose. Some of the students since then have used our curriculum to conduct children's training camps on their own. I praised God as I witnessed each team member share how the Lord had used this trip to open their hearts to Himself and His work in a fresh and real way. One discovered a teaching gift, one felt built up as a leader, one realized the value of prayer, one was willing to serve God full time if He asked. These are things that only God can do, and I am grateful! We are also praying about the 2016 trip and trusting the Lord to guide, supply, and magnify His wonderful name. Amen!~Tim Forman, for the South Asia TeamCollege Plus Ecuador“Ok, so tomorrow we are working with these same 200 kids, right?” We were just wrapping up a morning in an elementary school and I was confirming the schedule for the next day. The reply: “No. Tomorrow you are working with the high school.” Me: “Okaaaaaaay….” Mental response: “?!?!?!?!?!?!” We had plenty of lessons for younger kids, but hadn’t planned anything for teenagers. On top of that, this CollegePlus team was new to ministry in Ecuador. They were doing a great job and learning fast, but could they pull of a teen program by the next morning?That night Rob and I scrambled to come up with a plan and then presented it to the team, complete with some rather large holes for them to fill in. “Alright, team, so tomorrow we are doing a high school program on life purpose.” At first there was a chorus of “What? Wait! High school! That sounds… intimidating,” but then the team got down to work and pretty soon the room was full of small groups planning out their lessons for the next day.Morning came and after an initial intro to the topic, we had five groups going. One was hearing a more serious session” from Peter about direction in life (you know, as serious as it gets with stories about an elephant mixed in there somehow), another was hearing testimonies about life purpose in action, two were doing activities focused on salvation as the foundation of all life purpose, and the last one was playing some pretty crazy games about life purpose requiring team work (thank you, Eddy, for randomly having paracord in your backpack!).By the time we got on the bus that afternoon everyone was excited. “That was the best day yet!” “I really got to connect with the teens and had some great conversations.” God had worked in so many different directions, providing content, creativity, and some amazing discussions with students about how God could work in and through them to impact Ecuador. The dreaded day became the team favorite. The team had totally pulled together, tackled the unknown, and experienced the reality of God working through them. As a result of their willingness to step outside their comfort zone God used them to speak truth, motivation, and encouragement to a group of 200 Ecuadorian teenagers.~Elizabeth Fox, for the CP Ecuador TeamRomaniaAs I reflect on the Romania trip, the things I remember the most are the team dynamics, because the team got along really well. It’s easy for teams to form separate groups and cliques, but this team bonded really well as a whole. Most of the people we hung out with gave us statements such as “You guys get along really well” You all have great team harmony”. Each of the team members brought unique gifts to the team that complimented each other. Together, as a unit, we were able to minister to each micro culture we came in contact with without any type of hesitation. It was a beautiful reflection of the body of Christ ministering to the broken world around us. So to each of you on the Romania team: Well done! I’m proud you.~Brandon Dickson, for the Romania Team  We are in the middle of raising support for children's ministry supplies for next year through our Christmas in October event. If you would like to help reach out to kids through crafts, stories, and games in 2016, you can sponsor one child for $2.55. We sincerely can't thank you enough for participating with us in the Great Commission!