Coming from South Texas, I must say New York is the city that has everything—beaches, malls, churches, parks, concerts, food of any kind, you name it.

It is surrounded by famous boroughs. There is the glamorous and rich city of Manhattan, the zoo and entertainment at the Bronx, artsy Brooklyn, the beach and working class housing for many in Long Island, and the most diverse borough (and my favorite), Queens. About 138 languages are spoken in Queens. 

Alexandra GrandaI will be honest. I viewed Queens skeptically until I got off at one of the terminals of train No. 7. It happened to be the Hispanic part of town. As soon as got out of the train, the smell of my local food was there. I heard Hispanic people yelling in Spanish, trying to sell their products in the streets. It felt like home.

I had the opportunity to start my ministry with Boto Joseph, a missionary at Jackson Heights. He is a devoted follower of Christ, and I saw prayer in action. A team from Alabama is staying and working with us, and we were boldly filled with the Holy Spirit guiding us through the streets of a Bangladeshi area. We have been covering the streets with prayer in the name of Jesus.

As soon as I stepped into that street, it was like being in Asia. The people, the shop stores, the market, the clothing the language—but there was a difference. We had several encounters with people from Muslim and Hindu background whom we prayed over in the name of Jesus. When would we have the opportunity to do this in a closed country? It blew my mind.

Alexandra Granda (top right) with her fellow interns at Multiply NYC.I feel blessed to be here in Jackson Heights where I have the opportunity to share my faith openly. It was a joy to meet a Bangladeshi woman who said was a follower of Christ. It is extremely encouraging to bump into these people and know that the gospel can reach this place and this people group. 

We also were able to do street evangelism at a community park. We got to share Bible stories and play games with kids from parts of Asia and South America. Parents from different religions were able to engage with their kids, and many of them stayed with us to hear the stories. 

I had the opportunity to meet Sandra. She is from Colombia and has been living in the United States six months. She considers her life sad. She feels broken and lonely in this country. Her kid is going to the hospital because her boyfriend has been mistreating the child. She broke down in tears, and I was able to share with her the hope Jesus gives us. Please pray for her. Pray she contacts me or contacts someone who will guide her toward Christ. 

This city is truly covered by darkness. It has every kind of need there is out there. Everywhere I go, I see poverty, need and unhappiness. In one day, three people jumped towards a train and one of them died. There is a huge need in this place. Please take five minutes every day and pray for the people of New York. 

Alexandra Granda, a campus missionary from the University of Texas Pan-American, is serving with Go Now Missions in New York City.

I can tell I’m in Germany, because the other day, the smell of sausage and sauerkraut came drifting through the window.

The first week here in Wiesbaden was crazy, exciting, different, tiring, surprising and fun. We primarily have been getting oriented—learning about the church, the people, the language and the transportation. While adjusting to jet lag, we have explored the city and had a chance to meet people. It has been great to learn about what will be our home for the next several weeks. 

Kasey ChinnI am incredibly thankful for the people I get to work alongside this summer. My teammate is delightful and fun, our host family is generous and kind, our supervisor is awesome and helpful, and our church family is friendly and welcoming. I’m not sure how it is possible that they are all kind, funny and desire to serve Jesus, but they are a blessing. They build up the body of Christ, and I am grateful to do ministry with them. God is good to me. 

The goals here are the same as they are anywhere—be intentional, build relationships, and share Christ with people. For the follower of Jesus, knowing God and making him known are the things we are called to, regardless where we are. Here in Germany, about 0.1 percent of the population is estimated to have a relationship with Jesus.

It is staggering to think so many people do not know the hope and joy that is a product of knowing Christ. Everyone we meet is in need of a Savior to be righteous before God. Everyone we meet is loved and cared for by Jesus. 

More specifically, our goal here is to meet students at the University of Mainz, make friends, have conversations and point students toward Christ. We take buses and trains to be at the university several times a week. By trying different means of meeting people, we hope to connect them with Immanuel Baptist Church, where they will be shepherded and cared for after our team leaves here. 

We also are here to serve the church as its interns. We pray the church will become even more missionally minded, intentionally living in a way that will allow members to share Jesus with those around them. We have met lots of the members of the congregation and are excited for those friendships. 

So far, we have met several people on the university campus. We met several students in a jazz band who invited us to a party. We met Patricia, a waitress in the cafe on campus. We met Carolin, a Christian who goes to the university. We have met more students and been able to share the gospel with them.

These connections, among others, are ones we hope to continue for the weeks to come. We have organized events like a movie night and a pizza party to gather students and build friendships. 

Please pray that these outreach events are successful and well-attended. We hope that by making friends, we can have meaningful conversations and share the gospel. Pray for us to make connections at the university. Sometimes it is difficult to go out on campus and start up conversations, so pray that God would lead us and give us wisdom and boldness. 

Pray for Immanuel Baptist Church. As our supervisor has only been the pastor since January 2015, pray that the congregation will continue to grow in their unity and knowledge of God. And pray for the three members who were baptized on a recent Sunday, that they would continue to grow in Christ.

Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. Whether we are sowing seeds, watering or reaping a harvest, we want to be faithful and obedient to what God will call us to do.

Kasey Chinn, a student at the University of Texas at Dallas, is serving in Wiesbaden, Germany, this summer through Go Now Missions. 

Having been here in Meridian a little more than a week, one thing has become clearer as the days pass. Being the only summer intern here is going to be hard. Already, I have experienced doubts and loneliness. It has been hard finding the answer to the question, “Why am I here?” 

Daniel HarrisI spent last summer at Mission Centers of Houston with 18 other summer missionaries. That environment was completely different, because I was not the only person who didn’t seem like he knew what he was doing. I could talk with people nearby who knew what I was going through, because they were experiencing the same thing. 

In Meridian, it’s a completely different story. Instead of constantly being around people and working with people directly, I am on my own, with no one where I am emotionally, working indirectly with missionaries. I realize now, since I feel called to long-term missions, I would face the same doubts and feelings of loneliness if I were serving somewhere I didn’t know the culture well, didn’t know the language well and had to build relationships with complete strangers who didn’t understand me. 

Recently, I was reading in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 and Luke 1:46-55. These passages are the prayers of Mary and Hannah. I had never thought to compare the two before, but now I see a lot of striking similarities. I noticed in their time of prayer, both women were vulnerable. In their vulnerability, they both came to recognize the power of God. 

Ultimately, God is in control. It wasn’t in my plan to be the only intern here, and I know it wasn’t my supervisor’s plan either, but I know God wants me here. As far as the question to why I am here, the answer for now is because God wants me here. I just have to be vulnerable like Hannah and Mary were and recognize that God is in control. 

Daniel Harris, a student at Howard Payne University, is serving this summer in Meridian with Go Now Missions.

With four of my friends from the University of Texas at Arlington Baptist Student Ministry, I arrived before 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon for Go Now Missions orientation, a weekend of preparation for student summer missionaries. We were so excited to see what God would do that weekend!

Erin TurnerMy tribe—a group of student missionaries the Go Now staff put together based on trip and location—was made up of seven girls who all would be serving in Texas. Our first activity was to make up a tribe name, motto and build a shield to represent that. To get craft materials, we had to quote a Scripture passage to Go Now staff or the sending-team members. I was glad I’d been reviewing them every chance I got so that I could have Scripture in my heart and get materials to build our shield. 

I stood up to present my tribe’s shield to all the missionaries, something I wouldn’t have been comfortable doing even a few months ago at Discovery Weekend. At dinner, I saw my friend of two years, Alex. He told me he was proud of me for standing up in front of everyone. He said he couldn’t believe how God has been working in me and giving me confidence. All I could do was nod. Everyone around me was in such good spirits and sharing hearts and stories, and I am certain that the Holy Spirit was there with us.

The Bucket Bath.That night, exhausted, we all went back to our dorm. Some of us went to use the community bathroom, myself included, and were confronted with signs announcing the (fake) contamination of the water and instructing us how to take a “bucket bath.” I just laughed and headed to bed, resolving to take one in the morning. Several girls took them that night, and I could hear them talking about how “it wasn’t so bad.” 

That bucket bath was not the worst thing I’ve ever had to do. But I also must consider the fact I’m in America, we had hot water (thank goodness!) and it was more a fun experience than a necessity. Lots of people all over the world have to take bucket baths in much less comfortable surroundings than a shower stall with lots of soap and privacy. Lots of people are less fortunate than we are, which was a lesson learned again that day at lunch.

Everyone drew a card before entering the cafeteria. The number on each person’s card determined the table where he or she sat, and the color determined what food the lunch staff put on each plate. Some people ended up with only rice and bread; other tables had steak and salad; and others had something in between. I had rice and bread, to be eaten with chopsticks. Most of us left the cafeteria fairly hungry and with heavy hearts after discussing the typical meals of many people in the world—and the people some of us would be going to share the gospel with. 

Our “tribe.”I remember having the selfish thought, “I’m just going to Houston, I’ll have normal food there! This isn’t fair to those of us who are staying in America.” Then I remembered the phrase repeated to us over and over that weekend: It’s not about me. So often, we tend to be so self-absorbed. It’s about my stomach, my needs, my desires. But it’s about God, the center of it all. God definitely softened my heart at lunch that day, and I’m sure many others as well.

Orientation was filled with seminars, shield selfies with our tribes, and stormy weather, the latter forcing us into the dorm stairwells at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday. 

The commissioning service that afternoon made things so much more real. We’re going out into the world to share the best news in the world—that Jesus died so that we could know him, love him and make him known. 

As I depart for Houston, I’m beyond excited about what God is going to do through me in the lives of those kids. I also can’t wait to hear the stories from my fellow missionaries about God’s work around the world. This is all about him, as it should be. 

Erin Turner, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, is serving with Go Now Missions this summer at a Christian activity center in Houston.

If I wrote a book about my activities in Boston, I would title it, Reaching the Nations. In Boston, I have met people from almost every major country on Earth—China, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Chile, Cameroon, Congo, and likely others.

Travis NicksMost of these meetings take place in connection with my work with internationals in English class or in Bible studies, but some countries represent the homes of my co-workers, roommates and friends. 

Boston is a great place for mission work because the city draws in the brightest students from across the world to enroll in the most prestigious universities in academia. And if the future leaders of the world become believers, what will that mean for the rest of its citizens?

The Refuge Wednesday night Bible study meeting.Despite their intellect, many of these foreigners have only a rudimentary understanding of the gospel, and some do not know enough information to differentiate Christianity from Islam. Religion is but an afterthought.  

At a recent Wednesday night Bible meeting called “Refuge,” a few visitors from China and their children joined in the study. In my experience, visitors from China are especially kind and more than willing to participate in our activities. Religion may be an afterthought, but these kindling fires are quickly lit when exposed to the truth of God’s mercy toward sinners.

The fields are white for harvest, but the workers are desperately few. I exhort you by the mercies of God—give, pray and go!

Travis Nicks, a graduate of East Texas Baptist University, is serving as campus ministry intern at MIT in Boston through Go Now Missions.

I once heard it said that comparison is the thief of joy. I know that’s true, because I have experienced it myself. I also know many of the individuals I work with experience it, as well.

Stacie AguilarWhen I first arrived here, I learned pretty quickly about the ideals of beauty in Thai culture and Asian culture in general. I also learned about the lengths that some Thais would go to achieve these ideals of beauty—particularly ladyboys.  Working with ladyboys is not easy. Outreach with ladyboys is not much easier, either. In essence, they are men wanting to be women, many who are in the process of transitioning, and most of what they are is artificial. We sit in the bars surrounded by walls made of mirrors and try to talk to them, and sometimes all they can do is stare at themselves. 

It astounds me how absolutely absorbed they become looking at their reflection. And honestly, who can blame them? Most of them have smoother, straighter, longer hair than I could ever dream to have. Their waists and arms are thinner, their lips and curves fuller than mine. They probably know more about makeup and fashion than I could ever know. I go into the bars sometimes and cannot help but feel slightly self-conscious. I think about how I could never look like that, but then I remember, no one looks like that. At least, not naturally.

The Thai people love their royal family. This display contains a picture of the Thai princess.I can’t help but feel compassion for these ladyboys. Their life revolves around how beautiful and feminine others think they are, and opinions are always changing. Compared to females, they have to try so much harder.  I may not look like any of these ladyboys, but I have never had to prove that I am a woman. I just am. It’s a difficult life for them, because no matter how much beautiful they may become, the beauty never lasts.

I think about how they compare themselves and how hard that is to never be satisfied with who they are. I realize that I do the same thing in my own way. I compare myself to the other missionaries here in Bangkok and wonder if I am doing as much as them. I wonder if my passion is enough, if my work is enough, if I am enough. 

The truth is I am not. Thankfully my God is. I am reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9 when the Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I may not be perfect, but it is through those imperfections that God is able to shine so brightly.

Ephesians 2:8-9 also says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” To be given grace is to be given what you do not deserve, something you did not earn. I did not deserve to be loved by God. I just am. We just are. 

Joy comes from understanding God’s grace. It comes from realizing we do not have to earn our place with the Father; we just have to accept that Jesus already did what was necessary for us to come to God. We do not have to try. Yet, sometimes our pride gets in the way of that. We want our work to mean something, and to think that it doesn’t matter can sometimes be difficult. The truth is, our actions still matter, but they do not determine our worth. God loves us regardless whether we are a pastor or a prostitute. When we understand and accept God’s grace, there is no room for comparison. God is working in you and God is working in me and truth be told, it looks different for all of us.

I keep on wanting to compare myself, not just to the people around me, but even to who I was back home. Being here has truly reminded me that we are all the body of Christ and that we all have different functions. I may not have the same gifts and abilities as those around me, but I have my own, and together we can do what God has called us to do and be who God has asked us to be here. It’s been a tough lesson to learn, but I’m thankful I have been able to learn it.

Moving to another subject, this past month, my co-worker Rebekah and I had the special privilege of helping in a transition house for trafficked woman. We spent our time with a 27-year-old Ugandan woman who was trafficked to Thailand a couple years ago. She has two children, two sons who are 6 and 8 years old. She was a hairdresser back in Uganda and was tricked by people saying they had a job for her in Thailand. She was brought here illegally, which made it hard for her to leave after realizing that she would not work as a hairdresser. We just learned last week that she finally will be able to return home May 20 to see her family again. It will be sad to say goodbye to her, but we are so thrilled to see this beautiful woman be rescued.

Stacie Aguilar, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, is serving with an anti-trafficking ministry in Thailand through Go Now Missions.

It’s time say goodbye to the Baptist Student Ministry at the University of Texas at Dallas, as I complete my time as campus ministry intern. After a whirlwind year, work slowed to a stop with the last few weeks of finals and end-of-the-year activities. And there is much I’ll take away from my experience.

Kinsey ClinePrimarily, I am so grateful the Lord blessed the ministry of the BSM at UTD so immensely this year. This was my fifth year to be involved—first as a student and then as a staff member—with the BSM, and the spiritual growth of the group is incredible. Our student leadership team is now larger than the entire membership, or weekly free lunch attendance, when I first arrived at UTD. But it is much more than numbers.

The passion the students have for sharing the gospel, serving their fellow students and walking in Christ’s light has grown. Weekly, I heard stories of students reading Scripture with friends and sharing the gospel with strangers, and nothing could have revealed their spiritual growth more. 

Along with the students, I feel like this year has allowed me to grow spiritually. It was so vital for me to be disciplined in spending time with the Lord, in the Bible, praying, memorizing Scripture and serving at church, in order to lead well. It was so important that I be filled with the Spirit each morning before I poured out into the ministry. And I was given the opportunity to help prepare our Wednesday night Bible studies, lead a small group, and occasionally speak in front of the group, which stretched me to dig deep into Scripture. I am very grateful for these opportunities, as they have equipped me for ministry—whether vocational or not—for the rest of my life.

I am excited about what God has planned for the next season of my life, but excited, too, that I will be able to stay connected to my BSM family, praying for them as they go on mission trips this summer and prepare for a new school year. 

Kinsey Cline, a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, served with Go Now Missions as a campus missionary intern at her alma mater’s Baptist Student Ministry.

Each Tuesday and Thursday, we offer our beginner English-as-a-Second- Language course. By 4 p.m., students start to pour inside. We have made provisions with an extra table in the spare room and extra chairs around our kitchen-turned-classroom. We exchange familiar hellos with our students, always so jovial and friendly as they arrive.

Morgan MartinIt’s hard to believe some of our students walk two hours to come to our one-hour class. It amazes me that they are this devoted to learning English. 

This particular class, we are giving an assessment to our students that Chandler and I created together, quizzing them on material we have taught the past two months. As we hand out the assessment and pencils, more and more people arrive. Chandler and I rush around, trying to provide a chair for everyone and making sure each student has a pencil and paper. 

Honestly, I am getting a bit frustrated. It takes us close to 30 minutes to settle everyone, so we can begin the listening portion of our assessment. Part of my heart is angry that it has taken this long. Yet, God reminds me that it is not about me. He will use whatever we provide. 

After the listening portion is complete, our students work on their own to complete the assessment. Chandler and I walk around to provide help and see how they are doing. I become so overwhelmed with all that they have learned. My heart is so full as I see them answer questions and craft sentences that they weren’t able to do only two months ago. 

I step back and count the students we have today—close to 60. Wow! Again, I am reminded of the faithfulness of God. We have simply said yes to a somewhat overwhelming task, and the Lord is faithful to bring it to completion. I stand back and watch for a minute the students chatting and working—most of them working so hard that they whine when we tell them class is over. 

It has been so amazing to watch what God can do. There really is no limit to his ability to accomplish his will. I am so thankful I get to be part of it.

Morgan Martin, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, is serving with Go Now Missions in Haiti.

As the end of the semester approaches and I talk to students, the main concern is how many finals are left and when they leave for summer. The students are all reaching the final countdown, where all they see ahead is the end. 

Kim GarnerI’m wrapping up my time as a campus ministry intern, and I’m on the final countdown, too. As I sit in the office, watching students moving heavy bags and shoving everything into their cars, I have to sit and reflect on the year and the lessons I have learned. It is hard to sum up all that I have learned about myself and about ministries through my campus internship, but there are some things I will never forget.

I learned that just because you love something doesn’t mean it will always be easy and fun. When I entered my first semester as campus intern, I thought that because I loved Baptist Student Ministry and loved people, the job would be all sunshine and flowers. That’s not the way it works. Lesson No. 1: Ministry isn’t always fun. I know that seems like a given, but I thought that I would love every single day of my job.

The need to push through

When I was tired and frustrated the first semester, there were days when I didn’t love it, and that was disappointing. But I learned it’s OK, even in ministry. I am still human, and there are days I still don’t want to get up or deal with people. The challenge comes in accepting that and dealing with the day anyway. God pushed me to get over it and deal with people and things that came up, even though I wasn’t in the mood. 

Second life lesson was that even though I’m called to push through days, there are times when a break is absolutely necessary for my well-being and to keep sane. I learned this the hard way. I thought that because I was in ministry, I had to be at everything and available for anything that anyone might ever need, any time of the day. “No” is a small word that becomes extremely difficult to say at times, and it caused me some hard times by refusing to use it. I have never understood the need for a Sabbath more than this year, and sadly, I never really took advantage of it.

The need for a break

There are times and circumstances when people need you right then, but there are also times when things can wait. We all need a day to do things that are relaxing or sometimes do absolutely nothing at all. I could really begin to tell when I was overworking and pushing myself over the edge, and sadly, I just kept going. So in the future, I plan to say “no” sometimes and take time to recover from the chaos that is our lives. 

So, my career with Baptist Student Ministry ends, at least for now, and the completion of graduate school awaits. If it’s God’s plan, maybe I will be back on a college campus later, hanging out with students. But I know that the lessons I learned this year go farther than the campus I am on and into my everyday life—no matter what the job. As I look back, I wouldn’t change anything about this year. Sure, there are things I wish I had learned faster or done differently, but the overall experience has been amazing. 

Kim Garner served Go Now Missions as a campus ministry intern at Howard Payne University.

The message Jesus proclaimed—and lived—never was never meant to be kept to ourselves. It was meant for all! Although that’s something we say often with our mouths, do our actions really show that?

Warren EthridgeJesus didn’t offer himself up as a loving sacrifice for just one side of an argument. He died for all. For everyone to hear this message, it has to be shared. But sometimes, the struggle in being the message bearer isn’t necessarily the message but how it’s delivered.

With a message the world considers politically incorrect, it sometimes is difficult to disagree with people in a loving way that continues a conversation.  

In preparation for Easter weekend, our staff decided to host a 48-hour prayer tent in the middle of campus. This 20-foot by 20-foot tent provided a place where any student could come pray about specific concerns or have someone pray for them. 

We set up four stations in the tent to help students learn how to pray prayers of adoration, confession and thanksgiving to God and offer a prayer of supplication for their peers. We also had a booth where we accepted prayer requests and prayed for any students who wanted it. We started at noon on Tuesday and continued until noon on Thursday. We located our tent next to the student center on campus, near the main traffic flow. 

Taking the initiative

It was exhilarating to see some of the leaders in our ministry take the initiative of reaching out to their friends as they passed by on their way to dinner and invite them in to pray with them. This was the front lines of ministry on our campus, and it was so exciting to see people with varying levels of faith come ask for prayer at the tent.

One individual in particular stands out. Morgan first came to the tent as I was explaining to someone else how to navigate through the stations. She initially impressed me as someone who was very nervous and curious about where she was. She was wearing some of the press-on NOH8 (No Hate) tattoos being given away at a booth behind us. I greeted her and finished explaining the stations and then asked her if she had any questions about how the tent was set up. “Can non-Christians pray here?” she asked.

Although I was not expecting a question like that, I told her of course they could and welcomed her in. I watched as she walked from station to station quickly and viewed what each entailed and started to leave. She paused in the doorway, and I quickly asked her name. I learned a little about her and why she was at Tarleton, and then followed up by asking about her initial question when coming to the tent. “How would you identify yourself besides as a non-Christian?”

The next hour and forty-five minutes were full of questions. I asked her what she believes and asked her to explain her answers. She asked me questions about why I believe what I do, along with many other topics. Ultimately, Morgan is a nonbeliever who used to consider herself a very “religious” person. She went to church every week after a great youth camp experience with a friend and even got baptized.

Fear crept in

But somewhere down the line, fear crept into Morgan’s life—fear about whether the Bible is true, fear about whether she really gets to go to heaven, fear about separation from the rest of her family who didn’t believe, fear about what God would call her to do. All of these plagued her thoughts. It finally reached a point where all that fear was causing her to slip into a deep, dark depression. She didn’t want to worship a God who let people live in fear, and after several bad experiences within church, she walked away from her faith. 

We spent much of our time walking through her past and tried to dismantle some of her fears about faith and who God is. I told her after talking about this for an hour, it seemed to me that she hadn’t put her faith in God to save her. If she had put her faith in the same God we both believed in, than there’s no way she could lose her salvation. Romans 8:37 states that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers…nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I explained to her it sounded like she had put her faith in a religion—not in a relationship with Jesus. There should never be that kind of fear when it comes to our relationship with God. It was very obvious that what happens after death is something that concerned her greatly. We continued to trade questions and discuss why we believe what we believe. 

At the end of our conversation, Morgan got up to leave. She thanked me for being so open and not being judgmental when she first came in to the tent and talking with her even though we were so different. I thanked her for also having an open mind and asked if I could pray for her. We prayed that if Jesus was real, he would reveal himself to her and would replace the fear in her life with peace in such a way that she would know exactly who he was. As she left, she turned and surveyed the prayer tent and some of our student workers who had been manning the stations and praying for her. “I wish there were more Christians like you guys,” she said.

Seeds were planted

Morgan returned to the tent a couple of more times within our 48-hour prayer emphasis and talked to some of our other students. I am so excited for the seeds God allowed us to plant in her life. Please pray for Morgan, as God continues to draw her to himself. Pray that she continues to have positive encounters with other Christians on campus. This is the front line of our ministry. This is where we get to proclaim a message of reconciliation. 

Warren Ethridge is serving with Go Now Missions as a campus missionary intern at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.

Life in Thailand is so much more than I expected—and, in a lot of ways, certainly not what I thought it would be. I live in the modernized capital city of the country with hundreds of other foreigners, or “farang” as the locals like to call us. It might not be my hometown and I may stand out a bit, but it’s never uncomfortable, at least not in that sense.

Stacie AguilarActually most of the discomfort I experience here comes from the anti-trafficking ministry itself. My co-worker Rebekah and I have experienced a lot of growth while we have been here, and I don’t believe it has ever been easy. These past few weeks and the next few weeks before us are a testament to that. 

Aside from teaching English at the massage parlor, I also am in charge of tutoring three of the boys at least once a week. So, typically each week, I have to come up with English lessons for four or five sessions, and each boy’s ability can range greatly from understanding verb tenses to learning how to count to ten in English.

This is the sign outside of a park. The owner once had several bars and clubs on this property but after becoming a Christian he tore it all down and had this park. We walk past if every time we do outreach in one of the red light districts and its a great reminder that God can change even the hearts that seem farthest from him.To be honest, I’m not sure I have all the qualifications to be an English teacher other than the fact that I can speak the language and that I love these boys. It’s not extremely difficult, but I do find myself playing catch-up all the time, and improvisation has become my best friend.  It can be stressful at times.

Recently, Rebekah and I have volunteered to help out another organization, while many of their staff are out of the country. We have been working at a safe house at least once a week this past month to help care for a Ugandan woman who was trafficked into the country and who is now on her way home. She is a sweet and soft-spoken woman who loves worship music and baking. So, it’s been nice to spend time with her. It does, however, take a while to travel there, and the hot weather can suck out all our energy before we even get there. Pray that we can always have the energy to give this woman the love she deserves.

Recently, we were able to take a break from all of the stress when our staff went on a retreat together. We got to hang out at the beach, take late night swims in the pool, ride bikes to lunch and enjoy each other’s company. It was especially nice to get to meet a new couple who will be working with our organization here for five years. We also got to celebrate Songkran, which is known as the water festival or Thai New Year.

April 13-15 is Songkran, the Thai New Year/ Water festival. Kids have water guns (adults too) and throw water on anyone that walks by. During those days I could not leave the apartment building without getting soaked within 2 minutes.Unfortunately, that relief was short lived. Our executive director, Celeste had to make an unexpected trip to the States to be with her family in Oklahoma. Her father had a bad fall. He passed away April 19, surrounded by his family.

It’s been especially hard for Celeste and now for us left here to keep the foundation running without our executive director. Our office manager and our café manager also have had things come up, and neither will be with us for a few days. Rebekah and I have had to take on a bit more responsibility, and it can feel a bit intimidating at times.

In the last few days, I also attended the funeral of my friend’s mother. She had been battling cancer. It was hard to be there, especially knowing how I had been praying for her healing. Being at that temple, I was reminded so much of the hopelessness of this place. I felt so hopeless and heartbroken for this family. It honestly left me confused and saddened to not have my prayer answered in the way that I wanted it to be. But I believe God is in control and that it is OK to come to God with raw emotions and be truthful to him about our hearts and our confusion.

I don’t have to pretend I like what God is doing in me. I don’t have to pretend that it doesn’t hurt, or that I’m not afraid, or that I’m not upset. He is the One who created our hearts, so there is definitely no point in trying to hide any of it from him. That’s one thing Rebekah and I have been learning here. I think being in a place like this will do that.  It shows you parts of your heart you never realized you had within you. But it also shows you parts of God you never knew of before either. I still believe God is sovereign and that he is at work.

We went on a staff retreat and it was fun stepping away from the city. Here’s a cow joining us during our evening bike ride.Even if the growth is uncomfortable, it’s growth, nonetheless. And good things are happening every day here, as well. During our Easter holiday, we observed a Jesus Week. An American friend who visits twice a week to teach Bible stories to the boys in Thai came every day that week. He worked to help the boys understand the severity of sin and the power of God’s grace.

On Good Friday, we held a party and made confetti eggs for fun. Then we watched The Passion of the Christ together. A couple of our boys love Jesus and have a relationship with him, but the others are still trying to know him more. As they watched the movie, they were upset with how people were treating Jesus and could not understand why all this was happening. It was a good way for them to see what Jesus had done for them, the suffering he endured that one day he could win their hearts. We ended that week on a great note the Monday after Easter when two of our boys were baptized.

One of those boys, who has been with Celeste for years, has just been admitted into a prestigious culinary school here in Bangkok. It’s so incredible to see this individual who was once drug addicted and working in the bars, now able to follow his dreams of becoming a chef. This is how I know God is at work. This is what encourages us to continue our ministry every day.

Stacie Aguilar, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, is serving with an anti-trafficking ministry in Thailand through Go Now Missions.

The second halves of spring semesters in college are a whirlwind. Students don’t get to ease back into class after spring break; instead, they hit the ground running. The two weeks after spring break have been full of tests, projects, papers and assignments for students at the University of Texas at Dallas. “School” is named in the prayer requests from every girl I meet with weekly.

Kinsey ClineBut in the midst of the busy-ness of school, there is room to implement spiritual disciplines, and especially lessons learned during spring break. Many of us went to Beach Reach on South Padre Island this year, and it definitely had an impact on everyone involved.

At UTD, a good number of students already are sharing the gospel on campus diligently. We have seen growth in our free lunch ministry because of this, as well as heard story after story of continued relationships and conversations between members of our student leadership team and their classmates, roommates and acquaintances who do not yet know Jesus personally.

BSM returns after spring break with as much fervor as classes. The Tuesday after we returned from South Padre, we hosted Lunch-a-palooza, a free lunch outside the school’s Student Union, and served 1,500 students. Texas Baptist Men and volunteers from local churches handled the food, freeing our student leaders to meander through the crowd, sit with students eating lunch and have spiritual conversations.

My fellow campus ministry intern and one of our freshmen student leaders were able to talk to a couple of girls who have attended some of our other events this semester. Another student leader had an especially moving conversation with a girl from one of her classes who said she grew up Catholic but feels distant from God and lacks Christian community. 

One meaningful connection happened between Dexter, our BSM president, and a particular young man a couple of other BSM students had met in previous weeks while doing campus evangelism. They heard some of his story and realized he shared a major with many of our friends—friends who have actually begun a Missional Community based around their major and who get together frequently to study and build relationships.

He seemed interested in this, so when they spotted him at Lunch-a-palooza, they sent Dexter his way. Dexter was able to talk to him about his relationship with God, and then meet up with him over the weekend to share more of his personal testimony. Now they are looking for a good time in their schedules to begin reading the Gospel of John together.

These are the types of relationships we desire to see. This is why we do things like Beach Reach—not so we can serve Christ for one week of our lives, but so that we will be spurred on to serve him every day of our lives in every situation in which we find ourselves. It is encouraging to see God continues to move in and through our student, even when the semester gets busier and busier.

Kinsey Cline, a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, is serving with Go Now Missions as a campus missionary intern at her alma mater’s Baptist Student Ministry.