Stopping to Look Back
God commanded the Israelite people in Joshua 4 to set up stones to remember what God had done for them at the Jordan River. It is good to remember. When we go back to the normal, "every day" it can be hard to remember that God has worked, will work, and is working all the time. So, we stop to set up our stones. We stop to remember what He has done.
South Asia
This year in Myanmar we were able to see the Lord transform lives and equip people to serve him! The past couple years we have been training young students in country to teach and work with children. One team member in particular went from being a shy, insecure video-gamer to an expressive, bold, leader who really 
loves Jesus and the kids. Another one of the team mates prayed for the Lord to give him a testimony to share and he ended up having an opportunity to lead a young handicapped boy to faith in Christ. One of the young girls, in conversation, told me that last year's trip had deepened her relationship with God so that now if she needs help she always goes to him first in prayer and he has always answered. It is so encouraging to hear that the students we trained are continuing to work together teaching other children in their own city.The Lord gave us an opportunity to share the gospel and teach about Jesus in a community where there are reported to be no Christians. We also served in a church where the pastors told us that it was the first time that they had ever allowed foreigners to teach their young people. The Spirit of God is bringing unity to his body in Myanmar. We participated in a prayer meeting of all the church leaders in their major city region and interceded for the advance of the gospel. This year in November is the first time that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade team is coming to help the churches share Christ with their city. It is exciting to see their enthusiasm for the Lord!~Tim Forman, South Asia Team Leader
Romania
It's amazing to me how God is able to bind together people from different cultures to become strong friends. This was evident on this years trip to Romania. The first day we met our translators was super awkward. They were a bunch of teenage Romanians, we were college age Americans. I wondered how we would be able to get along. The next day, we were invited over to the house of one of our translators to play some games and have fun. Most of the team was unsure about doing it, but we decided to go. Afterwards, there wasn’t a single person who regretted it. In that moment, it clicked for most of us: we weren’t “different” people; we were brothers and sisters, people who had been brought together by Jesus to be sent out to bring people into the kingdom. At that moment, we weren’t two groups of people, we were one. That’s what the Gospel does, it brings us together. Lots of tears were shed at the end of the trip because through the Gospel, we were able to see each other as family. It's a testimony to me of how God is able to bring together people from different cultures to be family together.~Brandon Dickson, Romania Team Leader
Ecuador
“But God.” These two words describe the 2016 Summer Ecuador trip. As I sit here and reflect, there are many moments that come to mind. But my favorite just happens to be about camp. When all of the kids arrived at camp they gathered in the middle of the field between the cabins, and you could look 
around and see the various churches that Global Encounters has partnered with in recent years around Quito, Otovalo, and Roca Fuerte. I cried. God had taken what seemed like an impossible situation with only 7 kids signed up for camp, and brought together 85 kids (75 who were sponsored from in less than 2 weeks time). Each one of these kids was about to experience the love of Jesus as we would laugh, play, do crafts together, tell silly stories, take pictures, swim at the beach and do life with these kids. I walked away from this trip being reminded that we serve an awesome God. It was an honor and privilege to serve with this team in Ecuador. Thank you for your prayers and support!~Philip Horvath, Ecuador Team Leader
Chiapas
11 people. Diverse backgrounds. Different states. One common goal. To expand the Kingdom. Going from the mountains to the ocean we put on children's programs, youth programs/parties, had prayer/worship sessions, did a bit of touring and exploring... and during all of this our primary goal was to bring glory to God, which believe it or not you can do all the time! We gave up many things that some people may take for granted back in the states, (clean water, hot water, electricity, cell service, etc.) but this helped us to have complete dependence on Christ in all circumstances.One can assume that on missions trips 
prayer is important and it will come naturally. This is true. However, the amount of prayer that happens is insurmountable. We prayed ALL the time. Getting in the car, driving there, getting there, after the program, on the ride back, morning time, evening time, meal time, etc. It wasn't because we felt we had to... it was because we felt the need to. Every time. In all the villages we went to, some in places that were extremely hard to get to, we truly needed Christ to be in all that we did. To remind us that it's not about us but about Him and His all consuming love. One of our fellow teammates remarked "how sad it is that Coke can get into a village where the Word of God is absent." It shouldn't be this way. However we do know Christ is working. More than we can know or imagine. He is waging war against the enemies across all the nations. We saw this in Mexico. During all the turmoil going on between the different politics there He is in it. He used these situations to bring the people of Mexico closer to Himself. Realizing that they are in darkness... and need a great light. We not only saw this happening, but Christ used us to open the eyes of many to His saving knowledge. Not only this but He used us to encourage our fellow believers there who are carrying on the Great Commission. This is why we go.~Ashley Dickson, Chiapas Team Leader