July Mission Team - Emma Stephens

This mission trip to Rwanda being my third and considering I’m only 15, I expected to be fearful in some sort of way; I have been on my past trips. Last year I went without my family and I was overcome by fear. God really taught me last year that I need to give that fear to Him and not let it overcome my life. I gave it to him 100 percent and it changed my whole experience. I can honestly say I had NO fear during this trip. One moment stands out as a shining example of this to me:  when we took two of our sponsored children (Yvette and Jean Peter who are in the Asante Children’s Choir) to visit their families. These children are beautiful, healthy, educated and even know how to speak English. When I saw them next to their friends who were wearing rags, and no shoes it just hit me that if these kids would have let fear overcome them they wouldn’t have auditioned for the choir and wouldn’t be who they are today. I remember we were sitting in Yvette’s home and we were using a translator, but as soon as the translator started talking Yvette’s grandmother said no, I want Yvette to translate. It just hit my heart that these kids now have a future and hope and God brought me to Africa for this moment, and if I would have been too full of fear to leave my comfort and scheduled life I would not have been standing in this little girls home overcome with the Holy Spirit; a moment that changed me forever. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Because of it, today, I am different inside.

Emma Stephens