"When I enrolled at Pioneer Missions School, I knew I was saying yes to more than just training. I was saying yes to lay down my life for the gospel. But nothing could have prepared me for how real that would become during our overseas phase.
We were serving in a country where it’s illegal to share the gospel or even talk about Jesus publicly. My partner and I were out prayer walking, scouting the land, and seeking God for strategy. It was supposed to be a quiet day of intercession. Instead, it became one of the most intense moments of my life.
Because we were foreigners, people kept approaching us for food, money, or just out of curiosity. Among them were two kids who, at first, seemed harmless. The first came and demanded money. When I asked why, he got irritated and walked away. Moments later, a second boy approached asking for the same. As I started to talk with him, I had no idea what was happening behind me.
The first kid had returned with a large rock about the size of a softball and was preparing to hit me in the back of the head. I never saw it coming. But my partner, who was staying spiritually and physically alert just like we were trained to do at Pioneer, shouted just in time. The kid dropped the rock and ran.
If my partner hadn’t spoken up, I could have been seriously injured or killed.
That moment changed me. It took everything we had learned during the equipping phase about spiritual warfare, situational awareness, and boldness in persecution and brought it into real life. I understood in a new way what it means when Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Even after that, we continued on. God moved powerfully that day. Fear didn’t stop us because the fire in us was greater than the threat against us.
I came to Pioneer Missions School to be prepared. That day, I saw the fruit of that preparation. And I left more resolved than ever. This gospel is worth everything."