Shaping My Future: God’s Work Through a Short-Term Trip
Growing up, I always thought I knew exactly how my life would look after high school. I would save up enough money to go to university, study English literature, and get a job in the publishing industry to eventually become an editor. Taking a gap year was never a part of the plan, until I realized that I needed a break from school and I had started to reconsider the pathway I always had planned. It no longer seemed ‘realistic’ and I felt lost as to where God wanted me to go.
Taking that year to work and reflect on my plans, God led me to take a year to study at Heritage Bible College for a year certificate. It was a year full of unexpected friendships, adventures, lessons, and opportunities. It’s where I learned about the short-term vision trip to Gdansk, Poland happening in April-May 2025. As someone who rarely travels, I was nervous to even consider the idea of applying for the team. Even after I had applied and joined the team, I had serious doubts in myself. I had to surrender so many fears to God and trust in him.
After many team meetings of preparation and getting to know each other, our small group of seven was boarding our flight to Gdansk, Poland at the end of April 2025. Though I thought I was ready, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. God made my world explode in the most precious and beautiful way. In a way, I got to see God’s creation in a whole new light. Not only the nature around us, but the people, the architecture, the communities, the music, the food, the art, and the history.
There were many memorable aspects about this trip and lessons that I will forever carry close to my heart. As I’ve had time to reflect on this trip, however, there is one aspect that is most prominent for me: learning about Poland and its people. Every single day we heard stories of people, both from the past and in the present, and I was eager to hear them. God is working in so many intricate ways that we could never comprehend. I met people who had lived in Gdansk their whole lives and were a part of so much history. I met people who were new to the city and learning about Poland for the first time. I met people who had such heartache in their life, yet I still saw their joy for the Lord so clearly. I met missionaries who God brought from America and Ukraine. I met Polish citizens trying to learn English. I met youth with a heart for reaching their city with the Gospel. These are the parts I remember the most.
As said before, my plans for life after high school had been put on hold. Before I left for this trip, the college programs I had applied for were being cancelled. With not many options left, I decided to apply to Canadian universities even though I had given up on that dream. God opened that door though and I was accepted to an English Literature Co-Op program. Even after accepting the offer, I had doubts that this was the plan God had for me. It had always been my dream, sure, but it never ended up being my plan when it came to enacting it. Then, I went to Poland. And God overflowed my heart with these stories and their importance. This is where I started to realize that God can still use my dreams to glorify his name. I am not sure how that looks exactly, but he brought me to Poland where he cleared many of my doubts. Reflecting on this vision trip, I can see the many ways in which God is at work in Poland and he used that to stir me towards a future I had given up on: helping people share their stories.
