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“Send Me.”

A statement that I have allowed myself to dwell within this past week.

I have never been one to say that I have the gift of evangelism- even still I wouldn’t necessarily say that I have a gift for it- but my affinity for sharing the Gospel has grown in a way that I never would have expected.

The Gospel is transformative. It is powerful. It is overtaking. To live a life bent to the Gospel is to live a life marked by Christ. A life that is not our own. Simply, a broken vessel chosen to bear witness to the beauty of the God we serve. Not I, but through Christ in me.

This past week, 14 broken vessels traveled halfway across the world to bear witness to the ways our lives have been transformed by the Gospel. We settled in Northern England, in a small town called Hexham. This town. Man, this town. I will never be the same.

For the past 22 years, Highland Baptist Church has partnered with churches in England to send teams over to share the Good News. And praise God, those connections have remained. For the past 10 years, we have sent 10 different teams (adding up to 250 Texans) to Hexham to do just that. Share the Good News.

This year; however, was different.

In November, I found out that I was going to Hexham (on my first mission!).  I had zero expectations going into the week, only hearing stories of the previous years. If I were to have had expectations, I think it would be safe to say that they surpassed each one.

This week was hard, do not get me wrong. It was taxing, challenging, and draining. The attacks from the enemy- towards everyone on the team- were tangible. But it called us to battle. Satan did not want the work to happen. The thing I learned about the Enemy this week is that he is not creative whatsoever. Where I felt inadequate, someone else felt insecure. Where someone else felt unheard, I felt unseen. How pathetic that the one thing the Enemy can come up with is attacks towards our identity? However, we fought back. We rallied in prayer. We sought truth. And after what took place in Hexham this week, I can tell why he fought so hard.

In Hexham, we were able to partner with Hexham Community Church and partake in each of the events they had this week. Amazing people hosted us in their homes with open arms (thank you Ian and Catherine!) and rallied with us. Whether that be a special needs ministry or youth event, we were there. Our main mission field? Hexham Schools. We went to Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham Middle School to take part in their Religious Education courses and talk about our faith as Followers of Christ.

Upon going into the classes, we were hit firsthand with how hopeless the schools are. With about 90% of students responding that they were Atheists, my heart broke with each answer. Oh, how hopeless and purposeless it would be to live a life without Christ. I got to witness that brokenness (which I resonated with) each day. It broke my heart. But I knew that the God I serve and love is far greater than that. Everything- sickness, darkness, brokenness, hopelessness, and chains- break in the name of Jesus.

In the classrooms, we would teach about our beliefs as Christians. We would explain the truth of the Gospel and how it has impacted our lives. And then, battles begun. We broke up into small groups, allowing students to ask us any- and every question- that they wanted to. Personally, I am never really put in the position to debate my faith or defend the Gospel on a daily basis. Fortunately, my life is filled to the brim with people that point me to Jesus and show me the Gospel every day. However, this week was challenging. I was asked just about every question under the sun.

From my beliefs on abortion, to the death penalty, to the validity of the Gospel, to Trump versus Biden, to Heaven and Hell, to why I believe in God, every question was a hard question. Answering them; however, wasn’t something that I did in my own will. It required me to lean onto the Spirit like I never had before. To be completely honest, I barely remember any of the 30+ conversations I was a part of in the classes. Yet, I remember feeling encouraged after each one. While they were taxing, they were rewarding in the Spirit. The proximity to the Lord was a closeness I have never felt before. My words were not my own. My joy was not my joy. My simple prayer was that I would be the face of Jesus- an imprint of His nature- in my minutes that I had with each student. I believe all 14 of us rested in that prayer this week.

The second day we went to the schools, it was unlike one this mission- in its history- had ever seen before. The spark of interest from the students was encouraging. Students took our Bibles- a book most had never seen before- and read them. They showed up to our lunch break to sit and ask us questions. They took the time to write lists of questions they went home and thought about. They were curious. The Spirit of the Lord fell on them, drawing creation to creator. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

It wasn’t because a group of Texans came to share the Gospel. It was the prayers of saints coming into fruition. For years. For months. For weeks. We have prayed. We have prayed for students by name. For the teachers by name. For the souls of the lost to come home. But again, it wasn’t anything that we did. It was the power of God moving in response to our interceding on behalf of Hexham. Our devotion to prayer and the ministry of the Word is what has marked this mission. Prayers that we have prayed for Baylor, for Waco, For Texas, and our nation transcended an ocean and rested in Hexham. God moved in ways that I have never seen before.

A fluency in prayer.

Over this week, we saw 20+ students raise their hands in response to Salvation. 7 students dive headfirst into a relationship with God. Bibles were handed out to students that had never held one. We saw students tune in to Highland Baptist Church- even while in Hexham. The joy of the Lord was shown as we danced with one another, played soccer, and even games. I have never seen something like this in Hexham. No one has. I am still in awe. All I can offer is a Hallelujah.

I am in awe of the Lord. Small seeds and small spouts of water over the last ten years have come to this point. Coming into the classes consistently to share what it is to love Jesus has led to this point. God did what only He can do, and he brought His children home. A Father rich in mercy. In compassion and love and grace. A God of peace, light, and selflessness. A God of consistency. The same God that remained near to Israel in their faithlessness remains close today. He is the same God that heard our prayers then and He hears them today. His love for us is unconditional and irrevocable. And students in Hexham got to bear witness to that love this week. Seeds were planted. Seeds sprouted. And seeds began to bear fruit. And they will continue to bear fruit as we abide. And we will continue to come to Hexham.

God’s children came home. Their lives are changed. Their reservations in Heaven have been confirmed. The Lord now dwells within them. They are forever marked, and so am I.

Lord, send me.

Romans 10.

Prayer List:

-       Theo

-       Freddie

-       Georgia

-       Amy

-       Grace

-       Willow

-       Amy

-       Sam

-       Ian

-       Catherine

-       Rachel

-       Ella

-       Charlie

-       Hayden

-       Nick

-       Zara

-       Oliver

-       Avery

-       Christina

-       Jane

-       Steven

-       Trevor

-       Esme

-       Lyra

-       Jasper

A big THANK YOU to the people who partnered with me- financially and prayerfully- in this mission!

-       My Dad!

-       The Johnson Family

-       Emery Wilkerson

-       Becky Weatherly

-       John Durham

-       Katy Parker

-       Alice Simpson

-       My Sister, Autumn!

-       The Withrow Family

-       The Figueiredo Family

-       Kylie Dawson

-       Emily Perin

-       Andrea Nolan

-       Ally Edwards

-       The Kooiman Family

-       LaTonne Erlanson

-       The Bullington Family

-       Nicole!

-       Hillary Anderson