Poland: The Church Matters 

It has been said that we are more than bodies, we are stories. However, when looking through the lens of scripture, we are not a series of unconnected stories, but a part of the greatest story ever told– the story of God’s love for a fallen people and His mission to rescue, redeem, and build His church. This story is as true today in Savannah, Georgia as it was thousands of years ago in Jerusalem, and as it was in Zakosciele, Poland, where students from The Habersham School served for ten days in June. Christ’s continual and effectual work in the lives of our team, the campers we served, and the missionaries at Proem was certain because God has promised to build His church, “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:5). The following is the testimony of Lindsey Norman. Her story demonstrates why being a part of Christ’s mission to build the church matters: 

Before going on this trip, my faith was present and I desired a strong relationship with God. However, I was lacking in so many ways. The idea of it sounded good, but I wasn’t willing to give up my earthly desires. I was lukewarm. I struggled to see a real need for God in my everyday life. Going to Poland, my perspective switched, and all my problems became small. I saw the need for God, not just within myself, but within the community. I went into our trip to Poland expecting to do work, see God moving, and grow closer to Him. I underestimated just how much the Lord would use this trip to work within me. 

I had never worked a kid’s camp before and was nervous going into it, but it ended up being the best week of my life. Seeing the Holy Spirit within each of those kids, and their joy for life despite their truly heartbreaking trials, changed something within my heart. I continued to work with kids in the summer and fell in love with pouring into the lives of children. 

I have prayed over and over for the Lord to make known His plans for my life post-high school, and I will continue to do so. I feel that He is calling me to take a year off and continue His Kingdom work abroad. I hope to work with Proem Ministries in Poland because I absolutely love how they are using camps to transform people’s hearts, but I trust that God will put me in the right place, no matter what. This trip changed the plan that I had for my life. God stepped in and revealed what His greater plan for me was all along. I would have never seen this coming for myself, and I actually would have said I could never work with kids prior to this summer, but God has changed my selfish heart into desiring to work for His glory. He has made me new. I have never been so close to the Lord and actually integrated Him into my everyday life, solely 

trusting in His ways. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have gone on this mission trip, and I would recommend it to anyone. We are all sent by God to make disciples of all nations in any way we can. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’” Mark 16:15.