Student Perspectives
For me, it was just a huge honor to be asked. To know that Roger saw potential in me meant a lot. It was really a chance for me to grow in my faith, and I really found that it helped me to be more courageous in living.
The mission trip really changed something in my life, and I grew more in my faith with God. It really struck me how life in Canada and in El Salvador are different, how different the people are and how the country is, and how people are more grateful there. They put Jesus first on top of everything. Here, we don’t always put Him first and we’re not as grateful. It really taught me something: to be more grateful, to talk more with God, and to build a relationship with Him.
Overview of the El Salvador Mission
Good morning everyone. We are back from El Salvador! Oh my goodness, it is so good to be back. It’s so nice to be in this cool room! Today I want to share a little bit with you about what this trip was like, what we did, what we learned, and why experiences like this are so important for our students—why they’re a growing and learning experience.
Before I talk about the trip itself, I just want to say one important thing: God was at work in El Salvador long before we ever got there, and since we’ve gotten back, He has continued to be at work in El Salvador. We just had the privilege of being a part of it for two weeks and getting to see what God was already doing. Trips like this don’t solve poverty or create lasting political stability; we simply have the opportunity to partner with the local church—the real heroes of this story—who serve faithfully week after week, year after year in their country. What we experienced during this trip was a beautiful partnership. We worked alongside local pastors, leaders, and volunteers in their community. We learned from them, were encouraged by them, and shared our testimonies with them.
One of the reasons we do these trips is because of the way it develops our students. We want to see what God can do in them when they’re put under a little bit of pressure, when they’re given risky responsibility and opportunities that really matter. In those moments, God works to refine them, giving them confidence and turning them into the leaders they will become. Our philosophy has always revolved around giving students more responsibility than they’re used to in order to watch them grow into what we know they can be. A lot of people refer to youth as the “next generation,” and they are—they will someday lead this church. But we also refer to them as the “now generation” because they should be involved right now.
What did we do on this trip? We went to so many schools and community centers. We’d walk in and be greeted by a room filled with children speaking Spanish. We’d lead songs, split into small groups, and have our students share testimonies through translators, lead games like soccer, lead craft stations with gospel bracelets, and do face painting. At the end of each program, we’d gather together, hand out snacks, and give a gospel presentation inviting them to accept Jesus into their heart.
We also worked with our global partners, Semillas (Seeds of New Creation). They create sustainable solutions in El Salvador by setting up gardens and farms with locals so they can grow their own food and generate income. We worked alongside them for four days—plowing fields, clearing weeds with machetes, and laying irrigation lines on hillsides in the intense heat. It was amazing to contribute to community projects that will continue bringing food and income to families for years to come. We also visited local churches, built upon relationships from previous trips, and even led a youth leadership seminar for local pastors.
Student Testimony: Finding Freedom in Surrender
I’d like to welcome up one of our students, Veronica. She was one of our amazing student translators, and she’s got a genuine story to share with you today.
Hi everyone, my name is Veronica Coxall and I’m 16 years old. I went on my very first mission trip to El Salvador, and it was amazing. Today I wanted to share a little bit of a testimony with you guys.
When I went to El Salvador, I expected God to use me to impact other people’s lives. What I didn’t realize is how much He was going to use those people to impact mine. One of the moments that impacted me the most was when we went to a really big private school. I had the opportunity to pray for so many of the students and hear heavy stories from their lives. My heart broke for them. As I prayed over them, I wanted them to understand that God saw them, loved them, and that their past didn’t define them.
When I walked away physically from those conversations, emotionally I didn’t. I carried their stories with me, and they became very heavy. I kept thinking to myself, God, why can’t I let this go? Eventually, God revealed something to me: their stories weren’t just breaking my heart because I cared for them, but because they reminded me of my own story. There were things in my own past that I thought I had given to God. I thought that because I wasn’t thinking about them anymore, I was healed. But God showed me that deep inside, I was still carrying a lot of unforgiveness. Not only was I carrying my own hurt, but now I was carrying theirs. I wanted to fix it and protect them. Somewhere in all of that, I forgot something very important: I was not their savior; Jesus was. I could love them, pray for them, and point them toward Jesus, but I couldn’t carry something that was meant to be placed in His hands.
Eventually it became so heavy that I called my mom crying. She gave me a lot of advice, but the main thing I took from it was: Tell God how you actually feel. That hit me hard. Sometimes we think we have to come to God and clean up our feelings first, but God reminded me that He doesn’t want a polished version of me—He just wants an honest version of me.
That night, I went up to the balcony area of our hotel and sat there with God. No perfect speech, no perfect prayer, just honesty. I told Him about the stories, about my hurt, the unforgiveness I held in my heart, and the way I was carrying it. God reminded me of Isaiah 46:4, where He says: “I have made you, I will carry you, I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.”
I spent all this time trying to carry something that God was literally telling me to give to Him. I had been asking God for freedom while gripping onto what He was telling me to release. So I finally opened my hands, surrendered their stories to Him, and surrendered mine. We think that surrender means giving God our future—and it does—but it also means giving God our past: the things we don’t talk about, the things we hide, and the people we haven’t forgiven. He doesn’t just want part of us; He wants all of us. I went to El Salvador thinking God was sending me there to help other people find freedom, but He brought me there to bring me freedom as well.
Street Evangelism & Miracles
Today I want to tell you how God was moving in El Salvador. One night, we were evangelizing in the streets. I was praying beforehand, “God, bring us divine appointments.” God brought this one guy who was walking with a pink chick in his hand. It turned out it was his birthday, so we sang “Happy Birthday” to him!
When we started talking to him about Jesus, he began experiencing spiritual warfare and trying to switch the topic, his face twitching. I asked if I could pray for him, and prayed simply: “God, I pray that any spirit that does not come from You may leave him right now in the name of Jesus. Fill him with a spirit of conviction and Your Holy Spirit, that the scales may fall off his eyes.” After that prayer, something in him left—glory to God! He was changed. He started to cry as he felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. He confessed that he didn’t feel worthy of Christ’s forgiveness because of bad things he had done. I told him, “You’re right, none of us are worthy. But that’s why God sent His Son to die on the cross for us.” I shared the story of the Apostle Paul with him, and right there on the street, he prayed a prayer of repentance and accepted Jesus into his life!
Another time, a lady sitting at the back of a church service told me she had severe knee pain and couldn’t walk well. We prayed for her healing right there, and as she stood up to walk, the pain was completely gone! She was so excited that she decided to walk all the way home instead of taking a ride. Praise God for His healing power!
The Responsibility to Lead the Next Generation
While we do not have enough time today to celebrate everything God did through our team in El Salvador, this trip reminded me of something that matters deeply for the future of our church.
Parents, God has given you the primary responsibility and privilege to spiritually lead your children. No youth pastor, tribe leader, or church program will ever replace the impact you have on your children and their destiny to follow Jesus. How you raise your kids spiritually matters, and you are the number one influencer in their lives. But you were never meant to do it alone. As your church, we want to come alongside you, support you, and help you point your children toward Jesus.
When I talk today about our responsibility to the next generation, I’m talking about all of us—every parent, grandparent, pastor, youth leader, and church member. We have a shared responsibility to invest in a generation, helping them build a faith that is real and belongs to them.
Churches everywhere are wrestling with how to reach the next generation. Youth ministries are struggling, and young people are becoming disconnected. We often talk about students walking away from their faith after high school, but increasingly we see students disengaging earlier. They are surrounded by competing voices for their attention, identity, and values. Church, we cannot drop our guard or be content simply because students show up on Sunday morning. Attendance was never the goal—following Jesus has always been the goal.
We have a short window of time with these students to teach them Scripture, show them how to pray, and give them real opportunities to serve and lead. When I look at our youth, I don’t just see teenagers; I see future doctors, lawyers, pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, and parents who will raise their kids to follow Jesus. Our responsibility is to help them see what God has placed inside them.
If we want students to lead tomorrow, we have to start letting them lead today. We cannot place young people on the sidelines until they turn 18. When Jesus raised up leaders, He called young fishermen whom others overlooked, saw their potential, taught them, trusted them, and sent them out.
How can you be a part of raising this next generation?
- Get your students connected in a Tribe: Our discipleship small groups starting this fall are places where students are known, ask real questions, open Scripture, and build lasting faith.
- Open your home: Welcome a group of students in for discipleship and conversation.
- Consider leading a Tribe: You don’t need to have all the answers—you just need to love Jesus and care for students.
The future leaders of this church are already here in our middle schools and high schools. Let’s pray for them, celebrate them, and create space for them today.
