A Message from a Short-Term Missions Goer
Written by Grace Forbes
Growing up, I had the privilege of being raised by parents who prioritized service, whether it be at home, in Nicaragua, Mexico, or Costa Rica. Those experiences impacted me. When I began to make plans or think about the future, I try to remember to ask the Lord to open or close doors according to his will for my life.
I reached adulthood when the world shut down, thus I began to feel antsy for my “young adult” life to begin. I started to get an itch to do something useful, and I began to pray that the Lord would open doors for service opportunities.
The first door opened and he gave me the blessing of co-leading a group of junior high girls in the student ministry at Christ Church Gilbert. This has been one of the greatest honors of my life so far.
The second door unexpectedly opened in August of 2022 when I was blessed to be selected to participate on a short-term trip team with 12 other members of my church family. We spent seven days and 168 hours on an island. Loving and being loved reinforced the direction of my life.
Pieces of my heart will forever belong to the island of Roatán, Honduras. To this day, I am reeling and in awe of the people there that the Lord allowed the team and I to experience. To say that I am humbled and grateful would also not come close to what he did in my heart while working down there. From becoming the “on call nurse” to being permitted to lead a seminar during a youth event for the girls of the island—God knew, prepared, and went before me through it all.
Everything that the Lord did in that week I will have the honor of carrying with me for the rest of my life. What God permitted us to do and allowed to take place was one of the most impactful things that I have had the privilege of being a part of. My heart has been forever touched by every soul I had the honor of encountering who loved us as we loved on them.
For those contemplating leaving the comfort of your home to go abroad and be his hands and feet—run like lightning! A week out of your schedule is a glimpse into the lives of our brothers and sisters abroad. Those relationships can continue forever. In fact, I am seeking the Lord’s will in returning to Roatán this summer to further deepen relationships and to help serve. This week rekindled my desire to form relationships in the church globally for what I pray is the rest of my life.
Dare to live and to love freely and boldly, following the example that our Savior set for us. Then, be prepared to watch as your life blooms in unimaginable ways.
