If someone would've asked me a year ago if I follow God, I would’ve said no. Four months ago, I would've said no if someone had asked me to join FCA. So, how did I get here? How did I just get back from the most unbelievable mission trip if I was so set against change?
Most people who know me know I do not like doing things out of my comfort zone. I will say no and stick with it. This is how I responded when people were telling me to join the FCA. I never saw a problem with this until I realized that I was also saying no to God. I was treating Him like a friend. I was treating Him like he didn’t write me into creation. I was not treating Him like he was the answer to everything. I know I’m scared to jump all in. I was scared to jump into FCA, but I knew I would gain at least one good thing from the program whether that be growing my faith in God, or helping others grow theirs. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no idea what kind of challenges I was going to face.
We just got back from a mission trip to Tamarindo, Costa Rica. I am still in awe of how much
God moved on that trip. This was the first time I could see Jesus move in every moment. I had no idea that He worked to that extent. I knew He was doing amazing things at home, but I didn’t realize how often it was until I opened m eyes on this trip. In Costa Rica, I noticed Him moving every second of every day. People always talk about how powerful God is, but you won’t know unless you experience it. I finally got to experience His power this week. He brought people together who do not speak the same language. He brought people together who were once criminals and prostitutes. He brought people together who are on complete opposite sides of the socioeconomic spectrum. While being part of these moments, I was feeling the holy spirit more than I ever have. All I could do was thank God for choosing me to be a part of this.
I will forever be grateful for my time in Costa Rica. All week I was learning to stop being scared of jumping all in. The first night we had an altar call where FCA prayed for the members of the church. Anyone that knows me knows this is way out of my comfort zone, but I did it anyway. It made me nervous. By the end of the week, I could feel the emotions that were given off by the community. I could feel their pain and see their hearts. I loved this new feeling, but there were many other things that worried me about this trip. I was hesitant to jump off a cliff into the water. I was hesitant to try surfing. I was hesitant to do just about anything that wasn't normal for me. A wise man came up to me every time and said I needed to try, but I didn’t know why. I didn’t know why until after I did all of these things that he’s been asking me to do. After trying new things, I was shown that I need to start jumping all in. There was nothing to be scared of. Every moment showed me that I can jump all in especially when it comes to the Father. He has me just like the river did at the bottom of the cliff. I may go under at times, but he will always bring me back up. My trust is in Him.
- First year student Kassady Wiley
