Adventures in Missions

I Didn’t Think I Could Hear God’s voice. I Was Wrong.

Passporter Jordan Harrington is seeing God at work in Jaco, Costa Rica, both in herself and in this city. Our host ministry in Costa Rica is Ocean’s Edge, which has a dream of reaching out to the surfing community. Before going to Jaco, our team knew we’d be working with children and helping local artisans live missionally, as well as a long list of other ministries. We knew that there was a need that rested in the hearts of the people of Costa Rica. But we didn’t know that God was already at work in Jacó, Costa Rica. He is drawing its people to Himself....

God’s Plans are So Much Bigger Than Ours

While in the Philippines, high school student Morgan D‘s heart broke for the children living in poverty, but she didn’t know what she could do to help them. There were so many that she was overwhelmed. Then, her team spent a week in a village, where they were able to spend pour into the children and teens there. Their team’s goal was to start a Bible study in the village, but God had something else in mind. When the sun goes down in Cebu, Philippines, the sidewalks turn into something that looks more like a homeless shelter than a walking path. People...

God is So Much Bigger Than Our Failure

February 28, 2017
Adventures
Short Term Missions

One of the biggest challenges on mission trips is communicating when you don’t speak the language. While in Cuba, Adventures Staff, Kristen, gave herself permission to fail when it came to speaking Spanish perfectly, and God did something amazing. “Hey, Kristen, can you come here? I don’t understand what’s she’s trying to say. . .” It was my first full day in Cuba, Easter Sunday, and church had just ended. A bunch of us had just leaned over a railing and watched a pizza delivery guy give the person at the door a stack of delicious smelling boxes and...

They Accepted Christ and Something Amazing Happened

February 21, 2017
Adventures
Youth Missions

While on a youth group trip to Nicaragua, Taylor Escott‘s team had the opportunity to share the Gospel with a group of men. When four of them accepted Christ, it was so exciting! But then something even more amazing happened. On our third day in Nicaragua, we went to a village to do Vacation Bible School. At the same time, a doctor from our host ministry held a medical clinic. While my teammates prayed with adults waiting to see the doctor, a group of us taught the kids about Noah’s Ark. After everyone was prayed for and the VBS had ended, we just hung out and...

God is Good, Even When Life is Hard

When Passporter Morgan Hill and her team went to the dump in Mae Sot, Thailand, she didn’t expect to find entire families living there. Her heart broke for those she saw literally living amongst mountains of trash, especially the children. Later that night, while on a walk with her teammates in town, Morgan met a pastor named Philip who shared his testimony with her team. Philip’s story blew Morgan away—and reminded her of something incredibly important: that God is good, in every situation, no matter what, and no matter how difficult things get. ...

God Doesn’t Need Me. He Chose Me.

Before leading an Ambassador trip to Guatemala last summer, Adventures Staff Deb Jones was struggling. Exhausted and full of grief, she needed restoration. Then she entered her busy season, and was an instrumental part of mobilizing 132 high school students to the mission field—and went herself as a leader for a two week Guatemala team. While in Guatemala, God met Deb right where she was. He breathed life into her weary soul and began to repair her broken heart. Basically, after a season of deep pain, God used this Guatemala trip to bring Deb back to life. In the...

“She Used to Be Beautiful. The World Has Done a Lot to Her.”

Cindy’s* life has been difficult. She’s been living on the streets of Atlanta with multiple addictions and abusive relationships—and it’s obvious just by looking at her. But one night in July, she experienced God’s healing touch in an unexpected way. “She used to be so beautiful. She still is beautiful but the world has done a lot to her,” said one of the ladies who has known Cindy* for about five years. In those five years, Cindy has spent most of them on the streets of Atlanta, sometimes in and out of temporary housing. She is dependent on...

God Used Her Obedience to Change a Man’s Life

January 24, 2017
Adventures
Long Term Missions

While she was on the World Race, Rachel Martin didn’t want to teach English in Romania. She begged God to change her ministry. When He didn’t, she knew she had to obey. So she taught English the entire month, using the Bible as a textbook. Rachel had no idea this simple idea—and her reluctant obedience—would have so great an impact. Often with short term mission trips, you don’t always see the fruit. At least, not immediately. While on the World Race five years ago, I spent month six in Draganesti-Old, Romania. Leading up to Romania, I had...

Asking God Questions Doesn’t Change Who He Is

Kristy Odom didn’t think she had any expectations of her Passport trip to India. Then she got there, and asked God questions about personal pain and why He sent her to India in the first place. Then God reminded her of something she can always count on: His unconditional love for her and His continual presence wherever she goes in the world. Everyone says to leave behind all of your expectations when you go on a mission trip because they only lead to being disappointed and discouraged. That shouldn’t be too hard, I thought. I don’t know much about...

This Team Prayed, and God Healed a Man of Cancer

One of Adventures Core Values is Listening Prayer—the belief that God does speak to us and we can hear what He is saying. Many of our trips have set-aside times of listening prayer ministry, called “Ask the Lord,” or ATL. While listening for God’s leading on a family trip to Appalachia, Vici saw different images: a pastor, an ugly boil, and the words “extravagant healing”. She knew God was going to do something awesome; but she had no idea He would use her in the miraculous way He healed Pastor Bo’s cancer. During our trip to Appalachia, our...

God Asked Me to be Brave

High school student Liz Willson went on a two week mission trip to Guatemala last summer, and when people ask her how it was, she says it was amazing. But the truth is, when it came time to board the plane she didn’t want to. When people ask me how Guatemala was, I tell them it was really amazing. I share the funny and touching stories and show them my favorite pictures. But what I don’t mention is how hard it was and all the doubts I had before and even during the trip. Coming into this mission trip, I just assumed everything would be perfect. I...

What If It’s Not About Changing the World?

Adventures staff and Race Alum Reid Mason spent 3 months in Greece in early 2016, serving at Refugee Camps. In the face of hard situations and suffering, he asked God a lot of questions. Now, as the Adventures Disaster Relief Manager, he has a new perspective on what it means to change the world. What if it’s not about changing the world? When I think about changing the world, and the magnitude of the work we do at Adventures, sometimes I tend to freeze. That kind of challenge is thrilling or inspiring to some, but to me it can be overwhelming. The problems of the world are so...

Author: Adventures