A Leap of Faith The Lord works in mysterious ways and it’s the moments you expect God to show up the least that He shows up the most. Throughout my time in South Africa, I not only got to know a different culture and country, I got to know an entirely different people group. I got to learn their names, hear their stories, share my stories and build relationships that never would’ve happened if I decided not to go and backed out. Trust me, I had every opportunity to, but when you allow God to do a work in your life and also pour into your life through relationships with others. It’s a truly indescribable experience of what God takes you through and how He brings you to the other side.

People Over Projects When we arrived at La Iglesia Familia, we were greeted by Diane and Ed, who gave us a great overview of what our week might be like. From the very first meeting with them, we knew that God was guiding us in our work for the week. Our group really wanted to be able to make connections within the community. We had been praying for this before and during our trip, and our prayers were answered ten-fold. We had so many opportunities to talk with, pray with, and learn from people in the community. Every day was a different experience and we really got to live out the "people over projects" approach of mission. This, to me, is so important and I'm glad we were able to take part in this mission experience.

Count the Cost. It’s Still Worth It. The Lord used this time to point out areas of my life that needed to change. Being surrounded by imperfect but committed believers in a new environment is a bigger blessing than you can imagine. I hope that if you read this, that you choose to set aside time to break from the rush of American life. It’s worth it. I promise.

Pikeville, KY Our leaders were amazing! We loved the projects, outreaches AND People of Pikeville!! The week was well structured and the evenings were planned to allow some free time which was nice! Evening gathering was always great. The food was fresh and there were good options.

Good Trip, Good People The only reason that I am giving four stars was because I was frustrated with feeling like I was clueless as to what was happening with the budget. It was a Covid year so I do understand the difficulties but I just wish that it was more transparent with us. Other than that I loved the experience. Experience Mission was a great way to see the body of Christ in action. EM provides all the opportunities for YOU to make the best of your trip.