“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Matthew 9:37–38 NIV).
The workers (Bellevue’s Young Adults Ministry team) set out for the harvest in Honduras the first week of October. Harvesting is an illustration used throughout the gospels, one that the team saw come to life as they served.
“I feel our team got to live John 4:35–36,” team member Rachel Farmer shared. “’Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.’”
The fields were undoubtedly ripe for the harvest as the team worked with Impacto Church in San Pedro Sula. They began the first day at an orphanage, where they taught the story of Joseph and hosted a teen conference. Several children rededicated their lives to Christ, and one put their trust in Jesus for the first time. The team spent the rest of the week with Impacto’s church partners in three surrounding cities. Mornings began with door-to-door evangelism, and the days wrapped up with vacation Bible school (VBS).
The young adults team, the Impacto team, and local church members worked together toward a common goal: reaping and sowing Gospel seeds.
“To be able to travel across the world and serve with believers in a different culture for the cause of sharing Jesus Christ was an incredible experience,” Bellevue team member Aaron Alexander described.
Through door-to-door evangelism and VBS, there were many professions of faith. The local churches will follow up with and continue to disciple those who received salvation. The Body of Christ worked hard, but it was the Lord of the harvest who did the real work.
“It is not us but the Lord! We can present the Gospel the best we know how, but the Lord is the one who changes hearts and saves,” Young Adults Director Tanya Franks said.
Six months before the trip started, Young Adults Ministry began preparing for sowing and reaping. They memorized Scripture, learned specific ways to share the Gospel, and prepared to teach people of all ages. Clinton Alexander expressed how impactful that training was as the team ministered in Honduras.
“Because of our preparation time, we were able to fully rely on the Holy Spirit’s work and guidance throughout the trip, especially during evangelism opportunities,” he said.
For Kali Hernandez, this was her first time sharing Jesus and her first time on a mission trip. When asked to go on the trip, she was unsure.
“I had no idea what a mission trip looked like,” she explained.
But through a lot of prayer, God confirmed that she needed to go despite her hesitation. In Honduras, she saw how the Lord planted seeds in the hearts of the people there and how He led the way through Gospel-sharing opportunities.
During door-to-door evangelism, God led Kali and her partner to share the Gospel with a man on his lunch break. As they walked him through the Good News, the man revealed that he never even knew salvation was an option.
“I didn’t expect a place like that to have people who haven’t had the Gospel explained to them,” Kali said. “I’m sure there’s people like that here, too. I just realized the urgency of sharing the Gospel and the need.”
There is a need–everywhere. People need to hear about Jesus in Honduras, Memphis, and to the ends of the Earth. Do you have faith that God has planted the seeds and that He will lead the way? Where is God calling you to be a laborer and take part in His harvest? To find opportunities and learn more, visit bellevue.org/missions. For more opportunities to serve and get involved in Young Adults, visit bellevue.org/young-adults.