“Before my first mission[s] trip to Ecuador, people encouraged me by saying I would change lives with the Gospel, while others said it would change mine. I didn’t know what to expect, but I quickly discovered it wasn’t one or the other, but both. It is impossible to not change when God is all about transforming our lives through Christ.”
Pascal Gravelle was just one of the several students on the 2017 Charis Bible College missions team sent to Ecuador. He went armed and ready with new revelations and with excitement to share what he had been learning at Charis.
But a missions trip is not only a time for students to reach out to others with the Gospel; it’s also an opportunity for God to transform students outside the classroom, students like Trisha Calhoun. After arriving in Ecuador, Trisha quickly learned how good the Holy Spirit is at taking what believers have to offer and translating it into the hearts of His people, regardless of culture or language.
“I came prepared with messages, as instructed,” Trisha explains. “However, I lacked confidence that the messages would be received or relatable to the people we were serving. I had the wrong perspective, though. I was focused on me and my messages rather than realizing they were His messages that I was simply presenting.”
Trisha remembered something one of her Charis instructors taught: If you believe God gave you a word to share, then act like it’s His word and share it with confidence.
“During one of the church services, I shared one of the messages I felt God had laid on my heart,” Trisha recalls. “I admit that I was nervous and did not feel overly spiritual as I was sharing. However, the response from the crowd blew me away! I had to stop multiple times as the crowd praised God, shouted, and clapped. It was apparent that God was speaking to their hearts and downloading revelation to them. I could see joy on their faces as they came up to talk with me after the service.”
Trisha continues, “Joy began to spring up in my heart, as well, as I realized that it’s not about me or my abilities; it’s about God! This may seem like an obvious fact, but for the first time in my life, I am beginning to experience freedom in sharing the Good News as I learn to simply say ‘Yes, let go, and let God.'”
As the students continued to step out in faith, the people of Ecuador became more to the team than just a mission field. “We built good relationships everywhere we went, had many open doors to minister, and shared God’s love everywhere,” Pascal recalls. “No one remained a stranger as we embraced one another as family with the love of Christ.” Pascal adds, “What a privilege it is to build friendships with people through love and [to] point them back to the arms of the Father.”
When you partner with Andrew Wommack Ministries, you are helping send missions teams around the world to both disciple and be discipled. For information on partnership or to give toward Charis missions trips, you can find more information online. Together we can take the Gospel farther and deeper than ever before.
