God has called us to participate in His mission to proclaim the Gospel to everyone everywhere. The local church has a critical role in fulfilling God's mandate, which is found in Matthew 28:19-20, to "go and make disciples of all nations."

What an incredible and humbling privilege we have to be part of this!

Looking ahead to 2025, we have prayerfully considered opportunities where our resources meet critical needs. We will return to serve alongside many of our existing missions partners while expanding our efforts to GO to new and difficult places where we believe the Lord has called us.

We have intentionally and prayerfully created even more opportunities for individuals to serve using their unique talents. In addition to construction, medical, evangelism and media opportunities, we have added opportunities in kids ministry, the arts, vocational training, English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching, business leadership training, prayer and more.

Registration is open now for these four trips along with our three summer student trips. We invite you to check out our Missions page to learn more and register!
 

• Algeria Business | February 15-22 (Deadline: December 15)
• El Salvador Medical, Construction & Evangelism | March 1-8 (Deadline: December 15)
• Thailand Prayer | April 22-May 2 (Deadline: January 15)
• Navajo Nation Kids Ministry & Renovation | May 16-24 (Deadline: February 15)

This message was initially shared in our 2025 Commissioned brochure. You may access this brochure online, or pick up a printed copy at our Missions booth in the CLA Lobby.

Questions? Email us at missions@clacamphill.com.

We felt it was appropriate in our last Mission 10 update of 2024 to share several amazing stories of God’s faithfulness. The first article is a recap of our largest project of the year, the Kenya Burned Church Rebuild & Water Well Project. The second article features what being a short-term missionary meant to two young adults who are part of the CLA family.

Our team from CLA spent six days near Eldoret, Kenya in August 2024 working at a church in Kiambaa. We were the first church to be part of the rebuilding process of this church, which was burned 17 years ago due to political unrest. Nearly 40 people had died in this fire, but God is turning this situation around for His good. And, as a church, we came together to raise over $118,000 in 2024 to help with the rebuilding efforts!

As our team arrived, they quickly jumped into action by preparing, cleaning, patching, priming and painting the interior and exterior walls of the church. Additionally, they pulled electrical wires, installed new lights, constructed a loft floor and staircase, installed windows and so much more.

The blessing did not come in the work that was completed, but what happened while the work was being completed. The church usually has less than 20 people in attendance each Sunday, but approximately 100 youth and adults from the community chose to join our missions team to help with the project. Working together in a unified effort towards a common goal – HOPE!

The dream and the work do not end here. The adjacent property to the church was purchased to help increase the footprint in the community. Future dreams of building a football complex and basketball court will provide opportunities for the church members to pour into their community while building relationships with an eternal impact.

We will be taking a team back to Kenya in 2025 to continuing working on this project. If being part of this team is stirring in your heart, please be in prayer now about this opportunity. Be on the lookout for registration to open for this team in the next few months on our Missions page.

This past summer, we had several students say “yes” to stepping out of their comfort zone and enter into short-term missions. Their “yes” moved the Kingdom forward, allowing others to say “yes” to Jesus while seeing and experiencing their own spiritual growth. Below are two of their stories.

Being a student at Evangel University, I was required to take a trip to graduate. There was a wide variety of options but, as I considered those options, King's Castle really began to stick out in my mind. I said “yes” and reached out to schedule a meeting about interning for the summer. Through an hour-long Zoom call, I went from being 50/50 to being all in on the trip.

I quickly saw my funds come in and was super excited and expectant of what was to come. As the trip drew nearer, this excitement continued to grow with a little bit of nervousness, but that was quickly wiped away within the first week of being there. I felt like I had a lot of big picture ideas like "working with kids" and "clowns," but really, I had no idea what the finer details would look like. Ultimately, I wanted to touch the lives of children in need in El Salvador in whatever ways possible.

On one of my last days out doing ministry, the team I was with was doing an evangelism program at a school for about 150-200 kids out in a courtyard with a stage and a basketball court. As the program wrapped up, the nationals were leading the group into a closing time of prayer for salvation, healings and problems. However, in that moment, I felt pressed not to go out to the 200 kids surrounding the court, but instead to go behind the stage and into the hallway that headed to their classrooms.

Back there, I met a little boy named David. As I talked to David through my broken Spanish, I learned he was seven years old, he had brothers and sisters, and a mom, but no dad. In that moment, my Spanish could not take me any further into the conversation, so I simply hugged him, and he hugged me until our group's translator, Rodrigo, came over and helped me pray for David. After praying, I got down on my knees and, again, we hugged, this time until the bell rang for him to go back to class. As we looked at each other, we both knew we could not stay any longer, but in that look were so many words that could not be said. A reminder, as God was working on my heart and calling, that I was right where I needed to be.

I went expecting to gain a deeper understanding of my call and where I was headed after graduating in May 2025, as well as take another step in what has become my ministry of serving children. I had never even dreamed of what God would do and how He would grow me time and time again.

Now, being back at school, I have been able to enact habits and practices that I learned in El Salvador into everyday life as I interact with those around me. I want to encourage you that if God is calling you, just say “yes!”

I felt inspired by seeing my dad go on a couple of missions trips. He would describe them as life-changing and an experience I needed to have for myself. He would show me pictures of the work he was doing and all the new people he was meeting, and I wanted to experience that for myself. I wanted to be able to help people less fortunate than me and many others here in the states. God built up an urge and a fire in me to want to help and, once my dad invited me on my first missions trip, even though I was anxious and very nervous about going to a third world country, I knew I could not turn it down.

I hoped to help people and to be impactful in whatever I did. I didn't know how to do construction, I have no medical experience, and I have never been on an evangelism team before. All I did was make myself available to the Lord. To allow Him to use me to help those who needed it, and that was all it took. He places us in the perfect place at the perfect time to make an impact for His Kingdom.

On the missions trips, my dad was on the construction team every single time. The plan was to go help with construction just as my dad had done before. Unfortunately, he hurt his back a couple days before the trip, and it looked like he would not be able to do construction. He got moved to the evangelism team and, since it was my first time there, I moved to evangelism with him to have some sense of familiarity.

It ended up being a blessing in disguise because our ability to speak Spanish was utilized tremendously and was a great blessing to not only the team but also the nationals and the people we were with that week. Being on the evangelism team was surreal and extremely inspiring. What was disappointing in the moment turned out to be a true blessing for everyone involved.

My hope and prayers prior to and during the trip were to just get closer to God. I wanted to see His hand guiding us through the work we did and the people we impacted. I wanted to see how He would impact my life and how He would help me grow as a person and as a Christian. God gave me all of that and more. I made friends and built relationships with people I still talk to today. He has always exceeded my expectations and the expectations of others on our missions trips.

I have grown greatly spiritually and individually. I have learned to adapt to situations and to be still in the storm. The Lord continues to mold you and grow you once you come back from the missions field. He does not allow it to just be an experience, and something cool you can tell friends and family about. He wants you to go deeper into His love. He builds your faith day in and day out.

It's truly an unbelievable opportunity to serve the Lord and his people in different ways and in different countries, but the work doesn't stop there. He wants you to take that feeling and that experience back home and build on it. To share His love and blessings with others around your communities.

If the Lord is calling you to missions, it is because you have something to share with the world. Pray, pray and pray some more! Every missions trip I've been on has been amazing. Don't let your blessings and talents go unnoticed. He has a purpose for you, before you even have a plan. Make yourself available to Him and allow Him to work in your life. Just say “yes!”

If you would like to learn more about becoming a short-term missionary, contact missions@clacamphill.com or visit Wide Open Missions.