Megan

Short-term cross-cultural trips are a great opportunity to serve with WEC. As well as partnering in global mission, they can also stretch and challenge your faith. Megan tells us how her recent trip to Brazil helped her faith develop …

Before I went to Brazil, I had felt God pushing me towards short-term christian service for years. But this time, I finally had the courage to go. I told my christian friends and my church that God had called me to go on a mission and they really helped in motivating me to start the process.

The main focus of my trip was in Belo Horizonte, teaching a two-week immersion course, ‘English for Missions’, for Brazilians who were missionaries already, or interested in mission. During my time there, I led many different classes: from English grammar to Bible studies. I also helped lead worship and shared my testimony. After the course finished, I helped out with laundry and other tasks at the mission base, preached at an English church service, and travelled to visit some of the students around Brazil.

Stepping out of the boat

Though all of these opportunities were incredible, the best thing about my time in Brazil was how much I grew in trusting God. Most of what I did there was completely out of my comfort zone; I had never done anything like it before. This was the most challenging part of my trip. I am used to learning from courses like these rather than teaching them, and I had not taught English before, so it was a lot of responsibility.

I sensed God letting me know that he had placed me there for a reason, and that I did not need to be the best at everything, because he is.

But God kept highlighting the verses Matthew 14:22-33 to me, encouraging me to ‘step out of the boat’ in faith, and reminding me that he was there, keeping me above the waves as long as I stayed focused on him.

Even though I did not know where to begin, God was tangibly present with me in all of this. I sensed God letting me know that he had placed me there for a reason, and that I did not need to be the best at everything, because he is.

This trip has had a lasting impact: now that I am back home, I am so motivated to keep evangelising to those around me. I find myself stepping out of my comfort zone constantly. God has shown me that mission is something he has placed on my heart, and I intend to continue going.