Freshman | UCSB

When the opportunity to register for missions arose, I was immediately disinterested. I wasn’t going to give up my long-awaited summer to spend time in a country with undesirable living conditions. However, after hearing about why others signed up for missions, I began to feel the Lord’s nudge, convincing me to sign up and go specifically to India. After fasting for three days and wrestling with my own fleshly desires, I finally decided to obediently sign up.

Throughout the course of the trip, I began to recognize that I am utterly useless without God. Only through prayer and obedience to the only one who can do something, can I be fruitful. Coming into this trip, I was under the impression that I would be sharing the gospel with people who have never heard of Jesus and that the newly heard gospel would lead to immediate transformations. However, I was mistaken. Our ministry predominantly catered towards people who were well-acquainted with the gospel. However, many of them still clung onto their Hindu faith. One local I worked with stated that these people love their gods too. Through instances like this, the Lord reminded me that there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the hearts of these people except submitting my requests to Him in prayer and obeying His commands. Only He can soften the hardened hearts of people. Through this revelation, I was further reminded of the practicality of prayer. Not only does prayer make a difference, but it is the most effective action in any given situation. Prayer is the most practical action one can make. This truth was further reinforced through the daily 5 AM morning prayer time we had with the missionaries. Every morning, it was a necessity to align our will with God’s so that our effort would be fruitful.

With these newfound lessons, I’ve made a commitment to begin each day with prayer. Whether it’s just five minutes or two hours, I know that submitting my petitions and worshiping daily to the only one who has the power to do something will make all the difference in the world. Furthermore, I’ve come to realize that a missional mindset and lifestyle isn’t confined to foreign countries, but also here at home. UCSB, my college, is a broken place. As a student here, God has given me an opportunity to be a bold, loving ambassador of Christ to everyone I encounter. However, thus far, I’ve been a passive Christian who has been trying to slip by. Overall, this experience has been such a profound blessing in so many unimaginable ways. I would highly recommend anybody on the fence about going on STSM to sign up and obey the Lord’s calling.