While in Swaziland this summer, Passporter Shannon Stewart asked God to use her to heal someone. Then he did, but not the way she expected. This summer, I asked God to show me how big he is by using me to heal someone. It was a Thursday afternoon in Swaziland, and we were on what seemed like a typical home visit. The midwinter’s sun warmed my back as I sat on the faded straw mat, looking at the family around me. The one room mud hut this family lived in was falling apart. In a country where wealth is symbolized with cows, they only had two. But most heartbreaking of all, the father and...

While serving God in Botswana this summer, Haley Teel realized there was one other person God wanted to minister to in Africa – her. It feels rather stereotypical to talk about what I have learned about myself since coming to Botswana, how the Lord pulled me halfway across the world to reveal more of himself to me.   I guess that makes me cliché because that is exactly what happened.   Seronga, Botswana isn’t densely inhabited by any meaning of the word. It’s in the bush; goats outnumber the people and threaten property invasion anytime a gate is left open....

While witnessing heartbreaking poverty, Zambia Passporter Mikayla Sauerbrey saw a little girl named Precious redefine everything she knew about sharing selflessly with others. I learned so much from my time in Zambia, but perhaps the greatest thing I learned was the power of generosity. And it just so happened that my teachers were two little girls, Precious and Judy. Both girls were full of sass and laughter, but behind their giggles and tough girl facades, I sensed brokenness. In their beautiful faces I saw hurt, desperation for love, and sky-high walls. I saw it because I’m still trying...

Thailand Passporter Brenan Regian’s heart was already broken for the sexually exploited women in Chiang Mai. But then God showed her another group of people who also need to know God’s love and forgiveness. Twice a day, my team walks and prays down a street in the Red Light District in Chiang Mai, Thailand. During the day, bars are mostly empty, but now that night has fallen, they are filled  with men. As I approach the street, my heart begins to pound and I don’t know why. I tell myself, “All you have to do is love like Jesus. You can do this.” Still, my...

While in Mozambique with her team on an off day, Africa Expedition Passporter Ellie Hillhouse met a little boy who she will never forget. Our team sat, eating our dinner at KFC in downtown Maputo, Mozambique, enjoying a taste of the West on a day off from planned ministry. Sitting outside were a bunch of street kids peering through the window. They wanted our food. We had been told not to give money or food away because it could hurt more than help the needy here. The attendant chased them off the property and slung some colorful Portuguese words around. These kids were loud and rambunctious,...

When Passporter Marylou Springer and her teammates met Thida, she was bedridden after injuring her legs and back in a fall. Thida refused prayer, only accepting medicine and ice for her back. Then God touched her heart and she gave her life to him. One night before Bible study in Cambodia, we heard about a woman, Thida, who had just fallen down the steps at her house and was badly injured. So we walked to her house to see if we could pray for her. Thida was unable to walk for the first few days after falling, and yet when we asked if we could pray for her, she said no. But she welcomed medicine...