Thankful and reliant on the Lord from Going Near- Tanner Caton

One of the things that I am most thankful for is seeing young people emerge with a call on their lives to want to serve the Lord. One young man that we have had the privilege of “going near” with us is Tanner Caton. Read his testimonial and take a moment to pray for him as he steps up to answer the call to ministry. Be encouraged.

In the past few years I have been pursuing a call to ministry, and especially to missions. I have been able to “Go Near” to Kenya twice now, and both times were life-altering in so many ways. While on the trip, I was able to teach school children a Bible curriculum that covered the entire Bible. My favorite part of the trips is being able to sit with the kids, young or old, and have genuine conversations with them. I learn where they come from and how they live in the Kenyan culture. My relationship with God has also changed a great amount as a result of my trips. As we were at the school and the surrounding areas, I was able to see that the kids were lacking some of the basic necessities that I take for granted daily, yet they have so much more joy than I have, because they rely solely on the Lord.

From this experience, I have realized my true need for God in my everyday life. I have been much more thankful and reliant on the Lord because of it. I would highly recommend a short -term overseas mission trip for others who haven’t gone before. I would mainly recommend this because they can experience a culture other than their own, and are more able to view the world and their relationship with God in a newer and better way as they share the gospel with people in need. I am so thankful for the leadership and experience that was on the team, and I’m grateful for the spiritual growth that I was able to experience as a result. Going to serve in Nairobi, Kenya confidently affirmed God’s calling on my life for ministry and I am thankful for the love of the Kenyan people and the ongoing relationships I have as a result.