Adventures in Missions

You’ll Never Guess What Happened to this Passport Team in Mongolia

While on a Passport trip to Mongolia, Morgan Blair and her team spent a day without a plan for ministry. Instead, they made it a treasure hunt, by asking God to show them attributes and pictures of people to meet. But when they headed out on the streets of Ulaanbaatar, they found so much more than they expected. I have never been so excited for something I don’t understand, was the only thought swimming through my mind as my team ran into an overly enthusiastic Mongolian couple yesterday. They spoke no English and yet were overjoyed to see a bunch of Americans on their...

God Spoke to a Voodoo Priestess in a Dream, and Then He Set Her Free

While leading an Adventures short term trip to Haiti, Dayna Bickham saw God set a priestess free from the bondage of voodoo. Haiti has been steeped in darkness and voodoo for centuries. It is also a nation ripe for harvest. On a prayer walk through the country side of Haiti, climbing hills and rocky trails, a group of short term missionaries made their way through the small village of Merger. At the top of a hill, waiting as if she expected them, stood a woman named Fabiola*. Dressed as a voodoo priestess, she wore rings that denoted her “marriage” to the spirit...

He Went to Asia Looking to Buy Women. Instead, He Found God

While on a Passport trip to Thailand, Meredith Jamail met Vernon, an American man in his 50s who went to Asia for sex tourism. Feeling empty and alone, he randomly met a World Race team on the beach. They told him about a local church, and he decided to check it out. Turns out, Vernon found what he was looking for in Asia after all: God’s unconditional love for him. It’s crazy our first month in Thailand draws to an end and our trip is halfway done. ‘Flown by’ is an understatement. But what blows me away most is how much I’ve seen God move; very little has...

I Wanted to Hide My Secrets from God, But He Wanted to Set Me Free

While at Training Camp before going to India and Nepal, Passporter Emma Cary experienced more than just ministry preparation. She had a life-changing encounter with God that healed her heart and set her free to share His love with the nations. I took my first cold bucket shower on June 3, 2016. It was actually quite nice, except I felt clean for about two seconds. Naturally. Georgia is hot, and tents are not air conditioned. And neither are port-a-potties. Things are sweaty and messy, to say the least. As I walked into the Adventures headquarters that first Friday, my soul carried...

Our Unexpected Visit Deep in the Heart of Rural China

Race Alum Zach Murphy is currently on a Kingdom Journeys Pioneer Team, traveling overland for six months from Beijing to Instabul. One night, their team decided to visit a small village in Northern China, not knowing where they would sleep or if anyone would even speak to them. What they found were 100 villagers welcoming them with open arms. One night we went of to the middle of nowhere in rural Inner Mongolia, Northern China. We arrived at the Ulanqab train station at 2 in the afternoon, grabbed a taxi, and handed the driver a piece of paper that had a random village our friend from...

He Was Shocked to Realize God Saw Him

While at a baptism service on a public beach in Cuba, Adventures staff Connie Rock picked up a heart-shaped rock, intending to take it home as a souvenir. But it turns out the rock was for someone else. The waves crashed over us as we attempted to keep our frail friend from being swept away into the Caribbean Sea. She was dressed in white and all smiles. Her eyes lit up as one brother talked about the meaning of baptism and the other translated into Spanish. “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” “Yo te bautizo en el nombre del Padre,...

Buried Alive in an Earthquake, God Brought Her Back to Life

While on a short term mission trip to Haiti, Denise Heesch met a little girl who, after being buried alive in the earthquake, was declared dead. Then her mother cried out to God. The beautiful hot Haitian sun shone overhead as we followed our host up the steep, rocky road. We were visiting various families in the local community, praying and talking with whoever we met. We scrambled up and around rebar and rocky, dusty, cinder blocks to walk across a concrete slab. Around the back of the attached cinder block “home” we approached the door on the side and call out,...

What It’s Like Teaching Women About Their Identities in Christ

At a Beauty for Ashes Retreat in the Dominican Republic, Kingdom Journeys participant, Erika Michael, taught on what it means to be a daughter of God. Our first retreat was for the women in the mountain town of Lajas, Dominican Republic where we are living this month. We had about 20 women there. We spent the day talking about our worth. We use an illustration with a crisp and clean dollar bill. I ask the women if they want it. Of course everyone says “Yes, I want it!” Then I crumple it up and ask if they still want it. They all still say, “Yes!” I...

I Sat Next to a Man Who Buys Girls. This is What He Said.

While traveling to the Philippines last month, Adventures Staff Meghan Tschanz sat beside a man who has purchased girls from the Red Light District for years. This is what she learned from that conversation. “Do you know where to go next?” I was staring at an arrival board in Tokyo when she approached me. Fresh off a twelve hour flight with greasy hair and fuzzy teeth, I stared at the transfer board. It looked like the next flight to Manila was departing from terminal two. And I knew before she said anything that is where she was heading, too. Her name was May...

She Was Ready to Give Up On God, Then This Happened

May 17, 2016
Adventures
Youth Missions

While passing out water on a hot New Orleans day, two teenagers met a woman who had literally just prayed, “God, do you even care about me?” Their meeting changed her life. It’s amazing how something as simple as a bottle of water can change a life. When this group of 109 students and volunteers came to New Orleans, they were ready for anything. So we split them into smaller groups and sent them throughout the city. Some painted and sorted clothes. Others did doing VBS clubs. Some went prayer walking. But all groups at some point in the week, got on the street...

Sharing God’s Love Helped Me Realize How Much God Loves Me

May 10, 2016
Adventures
Youth Missions

While on a youth group trip to Nashville, Olivia MacIsaac realized two very important things: 1) God wanted a relationship with her and 2) she didn’t have to hide her heart. I went to Nashville expecting to interact with others and God in a somewhat mundane and quite general way. Never did I think I would gain so much knowledge on who God is, nor did I think I would see a worship leader practically jump out of her skin to pray for a stranger. My adventure in Nashville was not nearly as mundane as I had expected, and I learned a lot more about God than I ever thought I would. Being a...

To My Friends and Family: I Have Found My Passion. Don’t Let Me Forget.

April 26, 2016
Adventures
Human Trafficking

Liz Newman thought she understood the reality of human trafficking. Then she went to the Philippines and saw it for herself. Now, she’s found her Kingdom purpose—sharing God’s love and hope with sexually exploited women. I thought I knew. I thought I knew a lot about the issues of human trafficking and the sex trade. I’ve done my research. I’ve followed a friend’s blog of true stories of the women she’s encountered along the way of her many journeys over the years. I thought I knew. But it’s one thing to hear tales of heartache and...

Author: Adventures