MEET ASHLEY VARGAS: she felt the call, gave her best yes, and saw her comfort zone expand.

What led you to want to serve in Honduras?

I was at a church camp, and we had breakout sessions. One of the sessions I chose was a missions session, and they just talked about their experience. But before this camp I was kind of already leaning into missions myself, but that breakout session was really when I was felt God telling me to serve. So I knew that one of my friends went on a mission trip to Honduras, and I contacted him as soon as the breakout session ended and yeah; I knew that missions was something I wanted to do.

Your fundraising shirts said GO AND TELL. Can you explain why you choose this saying and what it means to you?

I used the 3 words for my shirt and they were simply “Go and Tell”. That is simple what Jesus said in the Commission. Go out and make disciples in my name. GO out and TELL the good news. That was my whole plan for my mission trip.

What role has fundraising played in your ability to serve others?

Fundraising has helped me just talk to people and helped me grow as a person. I am beyond grateful and thankful for everyone who continues to support my journey. But without fundraising I probably wouldn't have had the money to go to Honduras.

If you could tell the world one thing about serving others, what would you say?

One thing I would tell you guys about serving others is just to go ahead and do it. Don’t hesitate and don’t be scared. For my first day there, I was so scared of speaking to people, but that shouldn’t be a reason not to tell people about God’s love. The next couple of days were so much fun and so rewarding.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to serve but is scared to step out of his or her comfort zone?

Some advice that I personally give out is go ahead and step out of your box. I was really scared of going because I was the youngest person on my team, and that really scared me. Plus I would be flying overseas basically by myself and that scared me as well. But do it! It is so worth it! If you have the ability and the willingness to go out and serve people then do it! Other people can’t raise the money and do it, but if you can then step out of your comfort zone. Trust me, the rewards you’ll get are so good