MEET KAYLA SULLIVAN: a change of plans led to a newfound way to serve.
What initially led you to want to serve in Belize?
Our church's young adult group was taking a trip, and we've always had the desire to serve abroad. We love people and long to learn about different cultures and ways of life. We didn't really know what to expect when we arrived, but we were welcomed with open arms and hearts. The village of Caledonia, Belize, is now another home. They're family. Our group has been serving alongside the church there for seven years. This would have been my 4th year back.
How did COVID affect your plans, and how did you work to still serve in the midst of these trying times?
Unfortunately, our trip was cancelled due to COVID. I believe it was the responsible thing to do, being that the country and village we serve in could be heavily impacted if we were to bring the virus to them. We were really sad but knew that we needed to use the resources raised to serve the village from afar. We were able to send any money raised to fund a local church to serve there. The details were planned with the help of the local pastor and local PrayingPelican staff members.
What has serving internationally taught you about yourself?
Serving internationally is a very humbling experience. You get the opportunity to see people rely on God wholeheartedly for their needs. They don't have the resources we do, so their faith and hope is sometimes so much deeper than ours because of that.
What advice do you have for someone preparing to fundraise?
My advice would be to have faith that God is going to provide. You can do the little things that come your way, like selling t-shirts/bake sales/etc, but ultimately it is God that provides. Make sure to take pictures and journal so you can share with those that funded your trip when you return home.
If you could tell the world one thing about serving others through missions, what would you say?
There is something so special that happens in your heart when you are obedient to what God has in store for you.
You are going to be blown away by the ways you are blessed in your serving -God will use you to serve others, but in the process you too will be changed.
