Meet MaKayla Sabo: she found her way to Ghana and left with her heart forever changed.
How did the Lord make a way for you to serve in Ghana?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33.”
This verse is so so good and holds true in every situation. After going to Haiti for my first international mission trip two years prior, I was in the waiting hoping for God to call me somewhere to serve Him. I had always dreamed of going to serve orphans in Africa, but prior to my trip to Ghana last May God had not provided me with the opportunity. In March of last year the sign I had been seeking so hard for finally appeared; an Instagram post inviting CU students to go serve at Great Mission International in Ghana. By seeking His kingdom I knew that this trip was were God had called me next and that He was going to bless me with an amazing opportunity to serve Him.
What was the hardest thing about serving in another country?
In Haiti I thought the hardest thing about serving was the language barrier, but in Ghana where they spoke English this was not a challenge at all. In Ghana I believe the hardest thing about serving was hearing the hurt that had taken place in the children’s lives I was serving. Unlike Haiti, the children could tell me why they were orphaned or why someone didn’t want them and this broke me every day. Obviously God had prevailed because they were in a wonderful place where I was serving them, but my heart ached each night because of the pain they had endured before they got there.
What’s one way you saw God at work in Ghana?
I saw God at work because I saw the love that the children had for Him. Every day I was overwhelmed by how much even the youngest of children loved Jesus. I saw this love in their joy every morning and their undeniable love for everyone around them. Each morning I was greeted with hugs and lots of “good mornings” because the children even though they had suffered from many different stories, all of them came down to one ending, and that was God’s redeeming love.
How did your time in Ghana affect you since returning home?
I believe my time in Ghana most affected me because it made me much more thankful for all that I have. It especially made me more thankful for my faith, but it also made me more thankful for the little things that we as blessed Americans take for granted every single day. Clean drinking water, a warm shower, varieties of food to eat, these are just a few of the simple things that I have become much more thankful for since returning home.
What would you say to someone who wants to go and serve but is scared— scared to travel, scared to leave home, scared to be challenged in that way?
The number one thing I would tell them is to trust. It may seem scary, all of it at times can be, but if you can get past your initial fear then God will bless you more than you can imagine. The places that I’ve grown most in my walk with the Lord have been while serving. Travel is worth it. Leaving home is worth it. Being challenged is worth it. You can handle much much more than you think you can, but you have to be willing to let God show you that each of these things can be immeasurably worth it by trusting Him.
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