Volunteers step out in faith

Have you ever known anyone who volunteered overseas? They never seem to return home the same person. There is something about how they speak and act that suggests they have experienced God in a new way. The transformation is beyond our understanding, unless we have lived the experience.

Currently, there are two Avondale College students volunteering overseas. Carly Fletcher is serving for a year in Kazakhstan teaching at an English language centre, while Krystle Praestiin is in Denmark serving as an assistant girls dean. Monique Rogers volunteered in Ukraine last year.

The common denominator in each of their stories is a testimony of faith experienced far greater than ever before. It is in the midst of a foreign land that the three have learned to trust fully in God and learn the value of prayer.

Ms Rogers writes that during her time in Ukraine, "I prayed, asking God to give me an idea of what I could do." Eventually, she came up with the idea to stage a play. But she encountered all sorts of obstacles, including having no actors, costumes or musicians. However, she says, "the way God led us in the play was nothing short of amazing. All we had was a dream and many a prayer that God would provide all He knew we needed."

On the night of their first major practise, the weather was so severe that all the lights went out leaving everyone stranded in the dark. "Huddled in a group, we bowed our heads hoping God would provide a warm, lighted place for us to practise. The faith that shone in each person's face was unchanged," she says.

However, with any challenge, there is also going to be some tough times. The language barriers and absence of loved ones are the most common feelings of anxiety. Currently in Kazakhstan, Ms Fletcher says, "these are the times where I feel the closest to God—because only in His strength can I achieve anything."

She says that being overseas in a new environment has helped her become a more confident person, but it has also "helped me see my total need of God and His grace."

Ms Fletcher offers one piece of advice for anyone who is thinking of volunteering. "Go with God and go with Nike—'just do it.'" She says that if you are willing to experience a new culture, new people and to grow closer to God, then you should definitely give volunteering a go.