It was a long week, and it had not been what I thought it was going to be. There have been multiple times I have said to myself, “I did not sign up for this.”

Scrubbing bathrooms five days a week was just one of the jobs summer missionary Jenifer Wilkes was tempted to say she “didn’t sign up for.” (Go Now Missions Photo)I did not sign up to do data entry. I did not sign up to clean bathrooms every Monday through Friday. I did not sign up to live with 12 girls. I did not sign up to live, work and worship all in the same building. I did not sign up to listen to a preschool child tell me a story that later we had to report to CPS. I did not sign up to cook for 12 girls. I did not sign up to sleep maybe two feet away from a girl who got sick the first week. I did not sign up to spend two weeks without an actual class and spend that time as a floater. I did not sign up to get sunburned every time I went out side for more than 10 minutes. I did not sign up to go hiking, especially in the snow, in June. I did not sign up to even see snow in June.

I did not sign up for the church and other community members to be as welcoming as they are. I did not sign up to grow so close to these wonderful kids in two short weeks. I did not sign up for God to break me in a whole new way. I did not sign up to see and get to serve this many internationals. I did not sign up for people to know why I was here based on my accent alone. I did not sign up for people to tell me how much they love what they do here, especially when most of them do not know Jesus. I did not sign up for any of this. 

What I did sign up for is to serve Jesus well. I did sign up to serve this community and the leadership here. I did sign up to serve as an encouragement to the missionaries already here and who will stay here long term. I did sign up to love these kids and the community the way Jesus loves me. I did sign up for this. 

These two lists seem completely different. Most of the “did not” list consists of seemingly negative things. It is also much longer than the “did” list. The two lists connect. Because I did sign up to do all these things, I got the amazing opportunity to do the things I did not sign up to do. In everything I did not sign up to do, I have seen how that shows love, service and encouragement, with the exception of a few things. Something I have learned here, more so than at any time, is when I’m willing to be flexible and do the things I did not sign up to do, God allows me to be a part of something he already had planned. 

Jenifer Wilkes, a student at Tarleton State University, is serving through Go Now Missions with a children’s ministry at First Baptist Church, Tahoe City, Calif.

Our first week in Leeds, my co-worker Paul and I would walk every morning from our host home to the Emmanuel Centre, the university chaplaincy headquarters. On one such walk, I became terribly aware none of my clothes fit. At least, that was how they felt—oversized, almost oppressive, tailored for a man far more substantial than I.

In many ways, that was my ever-present struggle on this trip. The clothes never seemed to fit. I am, by nature, a shy, reserved, look-before-I-leap creature of habit with an utter lack of confidence in social interactions. Leeds called me to be a gregarious, warm, adaptable risk-taker. Furthermore, although the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. are similar, I felt entirely culturally inept. I didn’t know the city layout. I didn’t have mobile Internet. I had a very small number of friends. And I hardly knew my schedule for the next three hours, let alone the next day. My security blankets all were left behind in America. What had I done to so dreadfully mislead whoever was in charge that I should be here? Who is this “Seth” fool? He doesn’t fit the bill. He’s not big enough to fit into these pants.

All of that is true. I don’t fit the bill, I can’t fill the pants, and I had done nothing to merit this. But Jesus does, he can, he did, and he will again. The full weight of that truth hadn’t quite sunk into my head yet.

No source of comfort but Christ

Christ had to take away all my sources of comfort to make me realize that I don’t trust him. Not really. I can trust him at home where it’s safe, sure—when I have a plethora of other sources of security (environment, family, friends, studies) to fall back on if something doesn’t work out. But the problem is, I’m trusting those idols instead of him.

When those things were stripped away, I became paralyzed. Operationally, I was fine, I could do the things asked of me, but if I had to think about it, the self-doubts would creep in and cripple my heart.  Comparison was a heavy one—I don’t fit in with this team. They’re so good, so in tune with the Lord, so blessed by his gifts. What value can I add?

Related to that was something I think most of our group struggled with—whether our work here meant anything, since we so rarely got to see the fruit. Worried, wrestling, I could not love the students as Christ called us to, even if I could go through the motions.

At the time, I didn’t know what I needed. God did, though, and he used his Word and his people to show me. I was blessed by my brothers and sisters from both Houston and Leeds, over and over again. God reached down to me, a little fool in ill-fitting clothes, and offered himself as a security blanket.

University chaplaincy outreach

The chaplaincy held a worship service on Ascension Day, May 25, in front of the student union. It was beautiful. Afterward, a few of us were passing out sodas and asking students to pin their home countries on our world map. Two came over, attracted by the map. Gio considered himself Canadian, Italian, and Greek; Laura was purely Italian.  Both were studying English literature at Leeds University. I ended up talking with them for over half an hour about literature, England, the other events we would be participating in, their religious backgrounds—Orthodox and Catholic, respectively, though neither now practice—and whether this Jesus fellow was really who he said he was. Abruptly, upon the arrival of their friends, they left to get ice cream and invited me to join. I had to stay at my post, I told them, but thanks anyway.

I assumed that would be the last I saw of Gio and Laura. Scattering seeds, I reminded myself, scattering seeds. Connect them with the chaplaincy, which can water, but the Lord gives the growth. Still, it was all too easy for us to become discouraged by the lack of miraculous “come to Jesus” moments.

But then, 30 minutes later, they came back—and they brought me ice cream, freely, a gift of grace. As they were on their way to the library, we didn’t get to talk much more. However, it brought me such joy to see a glimmer of hope that something was working in their hearts.

The chaplains, during a final debrief, told us how they had seen the Lord moving in the city since we arrived.  On top of connecting with more students, we also had the privilege of ministering to the chaplains themselves, who can feel like every day is another round of the waiting game. We may not have seen much change, only coming in for two weeks, but they could recognize the difference. 

Our last night in Leeds, the team was leading a worship service at the Baptist church we partnered with. I had invited Gio and Laura, but they were not sold on the idea. Again, I didn’t expect to see them, and again, they showed up, just to say goodbye before we left the next morning. I was blown away. God is so faithful! Here he gave me another glimpse of future growth, a reassurance that, even if I never see it until heaven, our time here did have an eternal impact. And the Lord, who is not bound by my range of vision, the city limits of Houston, or the borders of America, will continue to work in Leeds through the long-term ministers he has appointed there. I am so, so thankful for the opportunity we had to learn from them and to participate in God’s plan for the United Kingdom. Whatever I lack, He fills up to overflowing.

Seth Grant, a student at Houston Baptist University, served with Go Now Missions  in Leeds, England.

Each day of our great adventure here in South Asia, we wake up to prayer-walk and do evangelism in the slums from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The people here are so friendly and willing to talk.

On our second day of going out in the slums, we met a lady who said we could pray with her, and then she let us share the Good News with her. She listened politely but was not interested. While we were talking to her, however, the woman who lived next door popped her head out her door and waved for us to come in. We went in with our translator and found out that this woman had come from a Muslim background. Her husband had been a Hindu but now believed in Jesus. She said that a little while ago, she had a dream in which a man in a white robe holding God’s word spoke to her. When she told her husband about it, he told her that was Jesus, and she said from that moment she believed in Jesus.

What she said next was what really got me. She told us she could not read, so she had never heard the story of Jesus and asked me to share it with her. I was awestruck. This woman had never heard the Good News, and yet she saw Jesus in a dream and she believed. I was so humbled to have the privilege of sharing the story of Jesus with this woman. She had many questions about Bible stories that she had heard about but never read. I got to go through each one with her and tell her about God’s word. She told us she had added Jesus to the other gods she believed in. But when we explained there was only one God, she said she was ready to put her full faith in Jesus, and she prayed to receive him. Praise the Lord! We have another sister! And another praise is that our translator has access to an audio Bible, and we will take this to the woman and her husband. God is moving here in South Asia, and I am so grateful that I get to be a part of it.

Caitlin is a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, serving through Go Now Missions in South Asia.  Her last name is withheld due to security reasons.

Every Christian is called to do something—to preach, to teach, to serve or to go. For that reason, 538 college missionaries from all across the state of Texas—including me—have answered the call this year to “Go Now.”  

Divided into “tribes,” student missionaries learned important lessons at Go Now Missions orientation.I recently made my way to Dallas Baptist University for Go Now Missions orientation, where I not only was taught, but also tested. There was a lesson in everything we did, and with each lesson, we moved one step closer to being ready to be sent out to our mission fields all across the world.

Probably one of the first lessons I was taught came from Brenda Sanders with Texas Baptists’ Go Now Missions: “It’s not bad. It’s different!” This became not only my motto, but the rest of the student missionaries’ mottos throughout the weekend, as we did things such as bathing in a bucket, eating only rice (or rice and beans), and having to “pay” to go to the restroom. Some trials generated cries: “We won’t have to do this where we’re going!” But through these tests, God revealed something different each and every one of us needed to work on. If nothing else, we realized how much more flexible we needed to be.

Go Now Missions orientation included meaningful prayer times.I also learned a huge lesson about culture. We were taught to learn the language of the people where we are going to minister, even if we were going somewhere in America, like I am. Every place has a different language. Even if it’s not a spoken language, there’s a cultural language. Out of respect and love for the people we are going to, we need to speak their language. No matter if it’s spoken or cultural, we must humble ourselves.

I learned to be diligent in checking on my footholds and my strongholds. We heard how a foothold is something small, something easily destroyed, and that a stronghold is huge, and takes so much more to destroy. Satan uses the footholds in your life to turn them into strongholds, and these footholds can be any small temptation that you have in your life. We were told to pray for God to reveal the footholds before they grow into strongholds.

Most importantly, we learned to repack our suitcase. We all have baggage. Doubts, worry, sin, fear and lack of support weigh us down daily. However, God calls us to replace our burdens, and to repack our suitcase with promises and commands from the Bible. God tells us to leave our worries with him. The doubts we have about ourselves aren’t important, as we are God’s workmanship. Christ tells us he has blotted out our sins, and he tells us to not be afraid for he is with us always. He tells us if we leave our family behind to follow him, we will receive 100 times the family we have on Earth. We learned that we must be diligent in checking our suitcases because sometimes, those burdens can find their way back in, and when they do, we must repack again. 

Rachel Lilley, a student at Howard Payne University, will serve this summer with Go Now Missions in Montana.

Many people might imagine living in New York looks glamorous. They might think: “Oh, New York is an easy place to serve. How hard could it be to live in New York?” When in reality, it’s neither glamorous nor easy, but humbling and stretching.

Recently, a team served with us at Urban Nations Outreach for a week, helping with our classes and doing street evangelism. One way I helped with the team was by going to the grocery store and buying lunch food for the week for them to eat at the South Asian Community Center. Buying groceries in New York is no easy task, but buying groceries for 10-plus people for several days is really no easy task, especially when it is cold and rainy.

That afternoon, as I was pushing my cart full of groceries five blocks back to the center, trying to hold my umbrella over the food so that it wouldn’t get soaked, God showed me what humility looks like. I easily would have used the umbrella only to keep myself dry. But in that moment, I realized this team was not here to serve me and make my week easier, but I was here to serve them. Because I could use my umbrella to shield their lunch food for the week and keep it from getting soaked, the team now had one less thing that they would have to think about. They knew that their lunch would be there each day at the same time. They could come in and eat and take a break to refuel before they went out for the rest of the day.

From being in New York the past few months, I knew firsthand that days spent doing ministry can be long. Sometimes it’s hard to fit in the time to eat and rest in the Lord for a few minutes. Sometimes a simple shift in your thinking can open up different avenues to be able to serve others. Like Philippians 2:3 says: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Cassidy McCowan, a 2016 graduate of Tarleton State University, is serving with Go Now Missions as a semester missionary in New York.

I have lived in Houston about three years now, and it has become home to me. I am in love with the myriad of cultures that live here. They stand out in the various neighborhoods pushed together in a way that creates unlikely neighbors out of people from all over the world. I am still enchanted when, even from the outside, I get to watch people celebrating in ways different from my own experiences.

Houston also is a significant place in my journey of knowing God. The Lord has used this place and the people here to teach me to grieve the losses I have accumulated throughout my life. I accepted Jesus and his righteousness into my life at a young age. I learned about discipleship and good works when I was in high school. In Houston, I have been learning about what it means for me to be known by God and to have been created in his image. I also have been learning about shalom—the wholeness or peace of God.

Student missions volunteers bring peace and wholeness through their work at Kendleton Farms, the site of a future aftercare facility for survivors of sex trafficking.Shalom is ultimately God’s plan for the world and for individuals. He wants us, through Jesus, to be made whole in community with him and with each other. When I moved to Houston, I started praying into this vision for my life. However, I quickly realized the multitude of forces that work in opposition to shalom. Bringing justice to these dark places is the goal of Houston Week.

I think that understanding the importance of shalom is crucial if we as workmen are to understand our role in Houston Week. Justice is a spiritual endeavor, but sometimes it can seem like the acts of service that make up the week are far removed from the spiritual world.

Sometimes, bringing God’s peace and wholeness to a community begins with loving children and blowing bubbles with them.During Houston Week 2017, three areas of brokenness were tackled. To combat generational poverty, one team spent the week hosting various events in the Fifth Ward, including a block party for families and activities for kids all week. They also did service projects like building a ramp and painting a community center. Another team spent the week working to establish a presence in a refugee community. They played with kids all week and organized furniture in a warehouse. I worked with a team that spent the week at Kendleton Farms, a future aftercare facility for survivors of sex trafficking. I spent most of my time doing yard work, but others did a lot of painting, decorating, and cleaning.

I think sometimes we fall prey to the lie that doing ministry work has to look like praying with strangers and vocalizing the gospel. These endeavors are important, and I am not arguing against that. But serving the marginalized and the oppressed might look like preparing a place for them. It might look like never meeting them, but painting their future home. It might look like playing with their children or building them a ramp. Let me be clear: The idea these tasks are not spiritual in nature is fundamentally untrue.

As I worked at the farm during Houston Week, our leaders constantly implored us to pray over the land that we touched. We prayed for the women who might eventually live there, for their children, and for their futures. We declared in the name of Jesus that spirits of evil would not make a home there. The work of our hands was dedicated to the Lord.

In turn, I experienced God during Houston Week. During worship and prayer, he showed me some things about myself. To be honest, most of what he made me realize, I did not want to hear. But I am learning to believe God will withhold no good thing from me (Psalm 84:11). I learned seeking God sometimes looks like silently getting your hands dirty, and sometimes the best way to walk in freedom is to serve joyfully. I believe God is faithful to speak if we are faithful to listen and obey.

Rebekah Richardson is a student at the University of Houston, where she is involved in Baptist Student Ministry.

Baptist Student Ministry students from the University of Houston joined other Christians from all over Texas to serve at Beach Reach, giving their spring break to share God’s love. Beach Reach is an annual mission experience that reaches thousands of college students who flock to the South Padre Island in search of a good time. Close to a thousand missionaries served at Beach Reach this year, showing God’s love by means of pancakes, free rides and open ears.

Beach Reach student missionaries provided pancake breakfasts and engaged in meaningful spiritual conversations with students on spring break at South Padre Island.Despite the spiritual darkness that was discernibly present on the island, God moved mightily through the conversations and relationships formed in moments shared between missionaries and vacationers.

When speaking with beach-goers, missionaries sparked meaningful conversations with simple questions: “How would you rate your relationship with God?” “How do you see God in your life?” Those questions led to opportunities for the missionaries to share the gospel.

Kayla Ortiz, a senior at UH, returned to Beach Reach for her third year in a row. Throughout the week, Ortiz and a group of Houston student missionaries prayed for students at the local police station, served pancakes at popular beach bars, and shared the gospel with passengers on a free Beach Reach shuttle.

“With Beach Reach, my life has always come back changed. This year I was excited to see what God would do in my life. I knew God was going to do something,” Ortiz said.

Beach Reach student missionaries offered van rides.Another highlight of the week were the nightly worship services. Before going out to minister each evening, missionaries first gathered together to pray, worship and share testimonies of God’s work. Community amongst missionaries grew quickly during these times of vulnerable worship. Students arrived at the worship services “desperate for God’s fuel” and experienced something “so beautiful and refreshing,” Ortiz said.

After the powerful week, missionaries went home with a new passion for sharing the gospel on their college campuses. Beach Reach equipped the student missionaries with tools on how to evangelize and reach other students who may have never heard the good news.

“It’s reignited my passion to make sure that people understand the urgency of the gospel,” Ortiz said. “It’s something that I’m hoping I can be even more intentional about bringing to campus.”

Claire Andersen is a student at the University of Houston

At spring break, Texas Tech University’s Baptist Student Ministry sent a team to Del Rio, where we partnered with a local church in community outreach. The church also had volunteers for the week from a few other youth groups in Texas to participate in a mission to reach the Del Rio community through service, focusing specifically on the poor and the sick who could not maintain their homes.

We all spent four days serving the community. We Tech students were paired with the youth as leaders and given the opportunity to invest in them and share the truth of the gospel with them. Our BSM leaders reminded us not to assume any of the kids already had heard the gospel; rather, they encouraged us to jump at every opportunity to share the message of Jesus.

A student team performs yard work for a Del Rio resident.Some of the Tech students and youth were given the job of clearing out a creek that runs through Del Rio. One student from our BSM told about standing in the creek all day with some of the youth, clearing things out for hours, investing and building relationships. During their service, one of the youth asked her about the gospel and what a relationship with Jesus is. Soaking wet in a creek in South Texas, fishing for trash, couches and shopping carts, she was able to the gospel with a student she otherwise wouldn’t have met, all because she laid her “yes” on the table before God. It was just like the disciples when Jesus said to them, “I will make you fishers of men.”

Another encouraging event happened our last night with the youth groups. A girl walked up with her mother to another Tech student and asked to speak with her. The girl had told her mother, after seeing the Tech student worshipping in the church service: “That girl is worshipping God, Mom. Like, really worshipping God.” The mom encouraged her daughter, saying that is possible for her, too, and that meeting with God and worshipping him with all you have is possible because of Christ. The mother thanked the Tech student for not being afraid or ashamed of her faith, and for showing her daughter that all can enter the throne room of God. No experience needed, no certain status required, no age limit, no limits of any kind. The throne room of God is open to all who will accept his invitation to enter. Little did the mom or girl know, that Tech student was struggling with believing God’s face would shine upon her. God is using her life despite her doubts. God is faithful, even when we lack faith.

Our week was full of hard labor, both physically and spiritually. Our BSM group experienced unity and growth as a community in our yard work and community outreach in Del Rio. We also experienced spiritual warfare and fought hard in prayer and worship. And in it all, I am thankful I was there.

In Del Rio, I found Christ in the backyard of a family struggling through dialysis and cancer. I found Christ in the home of an 88-year-old woman who needed her Christmas decorations put away. I found Christ in a hammock in the backyard of a very generous woman who opened her home to us. I found Christ in the lives of my fellow students as we played card games together. I found Christ in a cooking class for kids in the park.

Throughout the week, God revealed to me that Christ is not limited by man’s idea of “the mission field” and that I had only expected him to move in the places, rather than in the people. Christ truly is all and is in all. Christ doesn’t need an invitation into a room or a city or a country to move there. But when Christ is welcomed with praise and prayer among believers, we will see him and feel his presence in ways we wouldn’t have if we hadn’t said: “Be in this place. Be all around us.”

Kayla Bolin is a student at Texas Tech University, where she is involved in Baptist Student Ministry.

Last week, I participated in a mission trip here in Houston. Although I have “missionary” in my intern title, I hadn’t been a part of a short-term mission experience since the beginning of college. Honestly, past experiences left me with some residual inadequacy and identity issues.

As the time approached for me to lead a couple of the college students during spring break, I carried some anxiety, but also a strong desire not to bring my “mission trip baggage” along for the week.  After talking to a counselor, I felt better prepared to handle whatever was thrown my way because of the truth of Romans 5:3-5. It says: “We also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Jakora Frazier (left) learned God could refine her while at the same time using her in missions service.In addition to trying to work through old experiences, I was wary of doing ministry with my fiancé, who worked closely with the church directing the mission trip. How was I supposed to act as he led the group? After communicating my concerns to my husband-to-be, I sat before the Lord, writing down copious amounts of Scriptures that reminded me of who God is, aligning my heart and mind with God’s will and his desires for my life.

I actively engaged with God through prayer and Bible reading, communicated with those around me rather than hiding my feelings, and had faith that God would bring me through the week. And God did—just not the way I expected. He not only chose to sustain me throughout the week, but also to refine me.

Jakora Frazier poses with a couple of kids who helped write a rap song to tell a Bible story.All of the junk in my heart—selfishness, fear, pride, anger, insecurities and so forth—did not just silently dissipate. It was as if all of my foolishness wanted to make one last public debut before this particular process of sanctification was complete. So, here I am in the middle of this mission trip, in the middle of trying to be a good campus missionary, in the middle of trying to be a good fiancée, and I cannot seem to bury all this foolishness.

I was so confused, because I gave everything to the Lord, and I still saw my sin both glaring and affecting others. I felt like Paul in Romans 7, wracking my brain as to why I could not just get it together. I humbly confessed to others and repented to God for my sinfulness.

In the process, I learned some things:

• My fiancé is a saint. If I ever needed confirmation he will die to self for the sake of loving me, even—especially—when I don’t deserve it, it was this past week. And he only illuminated the mystery of Christ and the church—that Christ would die for an undeserving, unfaithful bride is a beautiful enigma. Glory to God!
• The Lord is sovereign in how he chooses to refine us. I didn’t want my fiancé or my students or anyone else to have to deal with—or have any knowledge of—my mess in this purifying process, but what if all of it was more than just about me and my sanctification? Is it possible that God wanted his strength to be made perfect in my weakness, so others would see him glorified in my struggle? Is it possible that my fiancé could be bold in loving me, and that my students could see how God can work through his children even when he decides to work in his children?
• God doesn’t need us to set aside our weaknesses so he can use us. He can choose to refine us as we serve him. Proof: The mission experience itself was great. Somehow, by God’s grace and mercy, my service wasn’t negatively affected by this inner turmoil the way I feared it would. It’s not because I hid it well. It’s because God can handle using me and sanctifying me simultaneously—because he is God. Yes, be present, yes, be faithful, but ultimately, trust God’s goodness, grace and timing with the process of sanctification.
• God is faithful. Because of this mission experience, I got to see this even more clearly than before. He is the hope that never disappoints. And for this I rejoice.

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who called you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Jakora Frazier is serving as a campus missionary intern at Houston Baptist University.

The Baptist Student Ministry at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a place for establishing relationships. Some have found Christ through this ministry. Many young Christians have found their walk with Christ strengthened. Many have found their spouse and strong friendships. A Christian organization is really not a bad place to search for those particular relationships.

As followers of Jesus, we understand the importance of fellowship. This year, we took our students out on a group date around Valentine’s Day to celebrate each other’s friendships and relationships. 

After dinner, we joined in a time of worship and prayer. We set up several prayer stations where students had the opportunity to pray for relationships—restoring broken relationships, praying for a future spouse or whatever seemed appropriate.

It was refreshing to see students not only gather to socialize, but also to spend time in solitude with the Lord. After all, that is the most important relationship anyone can ever have. 

Alexandra Granda is serving with Go Now Missions as a campus missionary at the Baptist Student Ministry at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Over and over again, I hear people mentioning their desire of having someone listen to them. Jesus himself listened to the hurt of people and gave his life for them. 

James 1:19 tells us to be “quick to listen” and “slow to speak.” I believe the general interpretation of the verse is that we should be more perceptive before we speak or act. For most of us, hearing simply happens. Listening, on the other hand, is more conscious and requires us to be more attentive to interpret what the words and actions of a person mean. By listening, I truly believe we will be more likely to reach out to people with an understanding of what we hear from them.

We first must be completely committed to perceiving the will of God through prayer and reading God’s word. After that, and only after that, we also must be perceptive to people—to what they say and how they feel. We often are told that the world is in a constant push against God. While I believe this is true, I also believe we must consider that Jesus said the harvest is plentiful. So, we Christians should take to heart that we could be guilty of missing people by simply hearing people and not listening to them. 

In attempting to listen more, I have been able to have more one-on-one meetings with people who are non-Christians. I truly believe this is because I had to really sit down and start to improve my listening skills, especially when it comes to perceiving the will of God. I initially thought they were good, but the amount of meetings I had with non-Christians proved that untrue. It’s a constant process and one to which we believers always must be attentive.

God could’ve just let us live in our condemnation, and he would have been completely in his rights. Instead, he listened to our pain, and Christ died for us. I’m so glad that we serve a God who is such a great listener. We must renew our minds every day to be more perceptive listeners. It’s not because we owe any person anything; it’s because we owe God everything.

Jonathan Price is serving with Go Now Missions as a campus missionary intern at Rice University’s Baptist Student Ministries.

The University of Texas at Austin Baptist Student Ministry spent three cold days in Fort Worth on an “All-In” mission trip. From a crowded refugee apartment church, to playing with kids, to teaching youth line dancing, we definitely had to be “all-in.”

We partnered with Steven White of World Relief and Karen Morrow of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to serve at the LaDera Palms apartment complex. That’s where they lead programs and minister among Bhutanese, Nepali and Congolese refugees who live in the 700-plus-unit apartment complex.

During our orientation, kids from the complex flocked to the clubhouse and began pounding on the windows in excitement. All I could do was smile. The pure joy of these refugee children and their desire to make friends with us warmed my heart.

When the orientation finally ended, we went out to meet the kids, and a spontaneous game of something broke out. No rules were instituted and no consistent way of scoring established, but we had a ball, and that is all they needed. As the yells echoed throughout the apartment complex, more kids began appearing. The game moved to a tennis court, and the rest of the group came to entertain the growing crowd. What a sight it must have been.

We had kids on shoulders, freeze tag, duck-duck goose, sharks and minnows, and kids climbing on the fence doing backflips. It was chaos. But within two-and-a-half hours of chaos, bonds were formed between the kids and us. Kids refused to let go of our legs until we promised to come back the next day.

We went to a house church within the complex called Eternal Life, a Bhutanese church consisting of 35 families. If you have ever lived in a college dorm room, imagine upwards of 30 people all sitting on the floor in a space only slightly larger. Sitting with legs criss-cross for more than an hour with no leg room in a house church where everyone is speaking a language you don’t understand doesn’t seem like a great experience. But when the music started to play, all my complaints dissipated. Even though I didn’t understand a single word of the songs, I felt the love for the Lord that these people had. They weren’t ashamed to sing their hearts out to glorify God. The families graciously served us a Bhutanese dinner, and we assembled in groups to go visit families in the community.

My group visited a family with a paralyzed son. As we walked through the door, it was like entering another country. The floor was completely covered in rugs, and the walls were decorated with posters of Hindu gods. The family was sitting around the dinner table eating noodles with their hands, while the mother cleaned the dishes. The living room had two couches, a TV and an elevated bed where the youngest was jumping, despite his father’s commands. Our translator sat in a chair in the middle of the room between the family and us. It seemed like a perfect personification of the barrier between us.

One student, Alex, talked about her community rallying around her in a time of need, and she said she hoped the family could find the same support within the complex. Before we prayed over the family, the mother brought us cans of Sprite. We politely declined, but she insisted. We prayed and said “dhanyavad” which means “thank you” in their language.

The next day, after eating lunch at the Stockyards, we prepared for our youth program. As the kids walked home in a freezing monsoon, we handed them fliers with the American flag and invitation to a Texas dance night. It was sad to see so many young children having to walk home in horrible conditions, but their enthusiasm and camaraderie gave me hope.

As we distributed fliers, another group visited in the apartments. When they first arrived, Asha, a 40-year-old mother of a 3-month old boy, made them “chai” (tea). While her husband, Daniel, who is a pastor, worked on his sermon for the night, Asha told them about her struggles as a refugee—moving, motherhood and adjusting to everyday life in America. She and her immediate family moved from Nepal only five months before, leaving behind their extended family. In their culture, names hold important meaning. When they are born again in Christ, the pastor changed their name to their “Christian name.”

“It shows how much their life changes when they find Christ, because they go so far as to change their names,” Gracie, a freshman student, said.

At 6 p.m., the youth night began with around 20 kids of all ages. We mingled for a while, getting to know a few of the older students. Caleb taught and led the kids in Texas line dances. After transitioning from line dances to modern hits, we separated into groups to tell Bible stories. Maria, our BSM intern, sat down with the younger kids and told them the story of Jesus’ birth. While the raucous elementary school kids yelled out all the things God created, another group of BSM students talked to the older youth in a back room, including a young man named Jon.  Jon is a Congolese refugee and a believer. He told us about his family and school, and he proudly said he will be the first person in his family to go to college, attending UT-Arlington in the fall.

We saw Jon again the next day when we led a youth service at the house church. We played a game and sang a few worship songs. Shiva, a freshmen at UT, gave his testimony to the youth. He talked about his difficulties moving from Panama and how hard it was to be a Christian when his parents are Hindu. We wrapped up the weekend with a message from Jon, a senior at UT, and another awesome, home-cooked Bhutanese meal.

All in all, (pun intended) the All-In mission trip was an amazing way to serve the nations in Texas neighborhoods. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and into God’s hands. It showed me that not everyone in America is as fortunate as I am, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t filled with the love of the Holy Spirit.

Turner Barnes is a student at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is involved in the Baptist Student Ministry.