Going places for the Gospel

As a follower of Christ, you want to make a difference. But with so many needs in this world, it’s hard to figure out where to start.

Rachel Polen, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, knows the feeling. She wanted to spend her summer doing something that mattered. But she wasn’t sure what. Or where.

God made things clear while Rachel was checking out thetask.org, the International Mission Board’s Web site for students. She spotted some job descriptions for summer missionaries and felt drawn to one in Mexico City.

“Everything felt right,” says Rachel, 22. “I had a peace about it.”

Last summer Rachel served in Mexico City, where only about 2 percent of the 28 million people have a relationship with Christ. She worked with an IMB missionary family and Mexican Baptists starting churches in the inner city.

“You see a lot of pain there: idolatry, prostitution, messed-up relationships, crime. People are seeking in all the wrong places,” says Rachel.

In the midst of that pain, Rachel made a difference. She fed homeless people, prayerwalked in rough neighborhoods and shared the Gospel through sports, drama and crafts. Rachel also taught God’s Word to children at a new house church.

Serving in Mexico City “changed my life,” Rachel says.

Wondering where in the world God wants to use you?

“Be prayerful. Surrender everything. Keep an open mind and heart,” Rachel advises. “When you do, God will take you to places you never thought you’d go.”