Student summer missionaries answer call to go and serve

Many university students who served this summer with Go Now Missions reported they discovered God's call was only a prayer or phone conversation away.

Vanessa Solis, a recent Angelina State University graduate, prayed since the beginning of the year for an opportunity to do "something extreme, to go all out for God."

For much of the spring semester, nothing seemed to fit the bill. Then her Baptist Student Ministries director told her Go Now Missions—the Cooperative Program-supported student missions arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas—was seeking a bilingual female student to serve in Venezuela.

"I prayed about it and decided to commit," she said. "I went."

Solis is one of many students who responded to God's call to the mission field as a result of prayer—and an opportunity presented to them by a friend or Christian leader, said Brenda Sanders, who leads Go Now Missions. This summer, 250 college students served as Go Now missionaries in 10 Texas cities, 13 states and 20 countries.

Taylor Harrison, a student at the University of Texas in Austin, shares God's love at an orphanage in Uganda with Go Now Missions. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of Go Now Missions)

Sanders recalls her own experience as a summer missionary and its impact on her life.

"As a college sophomore, it was a conversation with a Baptist Student Union staff member that caused me to consider applying to be a summer missionary," Sanders said.

"I have seen that happen time and time again. All it takes is someone issuing the challenge to a student and believing that they can be used by God.  Or as they see fellow students serve, they begin to think, 'I can do that.'"

Kristen Gary, a senior at Texas A&M University, prayed with her roommates one night, asking for God to direct her summer plans.

The next day, she read about Go Now opportunities to serve in Alaska. She knew then that was where God was calling her to minister.

The calling was confirmed during Gary's summer of feeding Hmong children in Anchorage. Her mission team spent hours each day at a park befriending impoverished children and their families. The team members built relationships with the children. The young people became open to hearing Bible stories. The missionaries taught some of them how to pray. One mother asked for a Bible.

Karen Valasquez, a student at University of Texas-Pan American, ministers to children in Venezuela during her summer term with Go Now Missions.

Solis also sensed she was where God placed her. Her team spent much of its time knocking on doors and sharing the gospel. She found Venezuelans extremely open to spiritual conversations.

Many admitted to deficiencies in their relationship with God and going to church. The team encouraged people to give their lives to God and let him carry them through the hardships that pushed them away from church.

Many people rededicated their lives to Christ this summer, Solis said. "They were starting to go to church," she said. "They were starting to be active. There were complete changes."

Mandy Davidhizar, a Sam Houston State University student, spent the summer with South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio working on ministry projects, including Vacation Bible School, serving in the congregation's food pantry and coaching in the church's soccer league.

Ricky Ho, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, serves with an agricultural team in the Pacific Rim through Go Now Missions. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of Go Now Missions)

Davidhizar and her Go Now teammate also helped the church organize a program where church members adopt senior citizens in the community.

"I feel like this summer was a summer of throwing seeds out," she said. "It was awesome to be involved in so many things each day."

Solis, Gary and Davidhizar each said they are thankful they pursued God's calling upon their lives this summer.

"When God places a call in your life, you need to go," Solis said. "With my trip, when I first learned about it, there was this feeling in my chest that I couldn't get rid of. It was like a mosquito kept biting and biting."