Changed Forever: Stories of Hope and Faith from Our Mission Trip by Selah Balli
On our final day of ministry, we visited a Christian primary school and a secular secondary school. Despite the primary school being a last-minute addition to our plans, it was much like the others: full of joyful, eager children ready to give their lives to the Lord. There were even kids from the community sitting on the walls outside the school, listening in. Around 35 students chose to give their lives to the Lord at this school.
Almost immediately after leaving the primary school, a strange sort of anxiety began to fill most of our team members, and by the time we were pulling up to the secondary school, I and others felt sick to our stomachs. As we sat and waited for the area we would be speaking in to get set up, we watched as hundreds of kids poured out of every building and took seats on the lawn. It is not often that I have felt as small as I did standing in front of those thirteen- to nineteen-year-old students. We went through the motions that we had gone through multiple times already: games, worship, testimonies, spoken word, a teaching, and an altar call. While we were doing what the Lord had called us to do, there were all sorts of battles happening—our voices vs. the wind, our emotions vs. the task at hand, the attention of those ready to learn vs. the boys laughing in the back, and the demonic vs. the King. By the time the salvation message came around, half of the students had left for one reason or another. However, a couple of hundred students were still there listening, and before I knew it, more hands than I could count were raised when my grandmother asked who would like to invite Jesus into their life for the first time. We were flabbergasted. We still are. We had the kids line up to write down their names so that we could bring them each a Bible in the near future. It was during this time that my team and I had many sweet moments of connection that I would like to share with you.
Zoe Morris: “As the kids were writing down their names for reference after accepting Jesus into their hearts, two girls came up to me and asked me these two questions:
How to stay encouraged when people around you constantly discourage you. (My answer: I physically remove myself from the situation, read my Bible, and cry out to God saying, 'God, I am discouraged. Please remind me of who I am and give me peace in this moment.')
How to trust God in hard seasons. (My answer: I always run to Jesus. I ask Him for peace that surpasses all understanding, and that God would give me encouragement and strength to last through this season and press into Him.)”
Tessa Bhola: “Several students came up to me after the program at St. Julian’s! I was so surprised and blessed by the many questions the students asked about AICM and Agape Chapel! Some students asked me when we could visit, and I was sad to answer that I wasn’t sure when we were returning, but it was so encouraging to look each one in the eye and say, 'But I know we will see each other again [in heaven]!'”
Summer Bhola: “At St. Julian’s Secondary School, I realized that I kept catching the eye of a little girl. During games, worship, or teaching, our eyes would meet, and I would smile or wink at her. Her sweet little face would light up, beaming back at me from under her hijab. We continued this little practice throughout the program, and I prayed that in each little exchange, she would taste the love Jesus had for her. When the time came for those who wanted to accept Christ for the first time to raise their hand and come forward, I witnessed my sweet new friend invite Jesus into her heart among a crowd of over one hundred. We hadn’t spoken the entire event, yet when the program had ended, I turned around to find that she had run up to me. Without a word, she threw both arms around me in a gripping, loving hug. I embraced her and asked her about her decision to allow Jesus into her heart. I was so moved by how the wordless exchanges with my little friend held so much love and purpose. I felt as though Jesus Himself had wanted to embrace her, lovingly smiling at her. I was so thankful that He expressed it through me!
I was able to speak with a handful of people after this event who had accepted Christ. There were teens with hard questions, seeking advice or insight. These conversations were both a gift and an opportunity.”
Katie Ragains: “After the salvation call, a girl came up to me and with sincerity asked me if I could give her advice. She said, ‘My parents are divorced. What should I do about it?’ I asked her if she had just accepted Jesus, and when she told me she had, I got to tell her that she now has the Holy Spirit, the living God inside of her, and she can ask Him for help anytime things get hard. She started crying, and I got to tell her how loved she is and that when Jesus died on the cross, He also took on her pain, so He knows what it means to suffer. She clung to me tightly and thanked me for my kindness.
Another girl came up to me not five minutes later and asked me the same question, and I got to speak the same truths into her life as well. She looked very contemplative, and I asked her what else was on her mind. She told me that she has always felt called to be a pastor but didn’t think she could. I shared with her a few times I felt disqualified in the midst of what God was calling me to and got to encourage her to shepherd her friends by pointing them to this new love that she had found, even though she said they often didn’t want to listen to her.
Another girl came to me excited to tell me her name was Katie! I asked her if she knew what it meant, and when she told me no, I got to tell her that her name means 'pure'. I could tell this impacted her in a way that I wouldn’t be able to understand in the few short moments we were together, but I got to tell her how important names are to Jesus and that now that she knows Him, He will continue to purify her.”
Savannah Johnson: “While I talked with a young girl, she pulled out notes she had taken during the program. She had written names, key takeaways from testimonies, and many scripture verses that had been used.
Getting to connect with some girls who were on the outskirts and invite them to engage in the ‘Child of God’ exercise.”
For myself, I got to stand at the beginning of one of the lines and hug each child after they signed their name. As I did this, I told them how happy I was to meet them, that I can’t wait to see them again in heaven, or that we are family now. And if they didn’t have a “Child of God” name tag on yet, I made sure to stick one on right over their hearts. These kids were given new identities on June 11, 2024. Their lives were changed and will never be the same again. I can’t stop talking about how silly it is that when we saw those hundreds of students marching onto the field, we all let the enemy terrify us with it, because as God saw those children walking onto the field, He saw hundreds of His children who were about to meet Him, or were about to hear His name for the first time. In the end, we took down 152 names. Praise the Lord.
This trip was an adventure of learning. What an honor it is to have to actively learn to trust our Father. I am so thankful that I have to work to do so because it forces me into a position of wonder. From the moment we arrived at the airport, God put us into situations where we were forced to trust Him, and every single time, we came out clothed in His victory and glory. In the end, we saw almost 500 kids saved. Overall, this trip was incredible. Our team, both Ugandan and Californian, was unified, peaceful, tireless, quick to serve, and never lacking in joy. We poured ourselves out every day in discipleship, service, dance, exhortation, and praise. We held so many little dark hands and kissed so many little shaved heads. I don’t think there was a single day that I didn’t have a baby on my hip. We were tired every day and laughed every day. Some days began with throwing up, left behind totes, and spiritual warfare, but every day ended with the angels rejoicing over new members of heaven and good food. I think that through our exhaustion and joy, we learned how to be learners on this trip. We made countless mistakes but still attempted to learn Luganda, honor the culture, and listen to the Lord throughout our two weeks there. We are changed people. Our theme scriptures for the programs we were doing during our trip were 1 John 4:14-21 and Galatians 3:26. However, if I had to choose a verse to describe our trip, it would be Philippians 4:4: 'Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.' I have never known a group of people to have such a continual, steady joy as my team and the people we encountered. I ask now that the Lord would continue to maintain that joy, trust, and heart of learning in us as we return home to the same old, same old as changed people.
