Testimony: Sharon S.

My unsaved friends and family members think that I'm so awesome because I go on missions trips, what a joke! They should only know how small I really feel when I go to love these people and they pour it back ten-fold! I knew from the second it was announced that I was going to Trinidad. I had to see these children. But God in His infinite wisdom had another plan. He gets you addicted. You know what I love about God? You can't out do Him. So as much as I try to pour out my love, the more it comes back.

I had three very special moments where God once again solidified exactly why I was on this trip. Lady Hochoy is a special school. The children do not live here but come every day for vocational training or traditional academic classes. What makes this school so unique is that it caters to all. We worked with children who were mentally and physically challenged, whose mom's were in a shelter for battered women, from orphanages, and from the neighborhood. The love that poured out from these kids was amazing, but more than this was how they interacted with each other. I was on the recreation team so we needed to come up with age-appropriate games as the children rotated in different groups. I was so blown away how the children did not show any prejudice towards each other but actually helped the other children who were not so capable to play. They showed patience and kindness well beyond their years. What a perfect place this world would be if we lived like Lady Hochoy's.

My dream has been to dance for God. For the past two months I focused on learning the steps to a dance we performed in Trinidad, and wanting to do it right, I lost sight of the big picture. God met me again. Standing on stage at the Salvation Show with the lights off, the music came on and the crowd of over 1,000 people went crazy to the sounds of Kirk Franklin's "Awesome God." We hadn't done anything yet but this is what it was all about--giving God the glory! We turned around and they saw the glow in the dark figures and went crazy again. What an honor to be able to use the talents He gave to glorify His name.

From the time of our first visit to Trinidad in September, I made a very special connection with the hotel staff I was dealing with to make all of the arrangements. I shared with them about what we would be doing and that I expected them to be at the Salvation Show. When we were checking out at the end of the trip, I was finalizing the bill with Colleen, the front desk manager. She said she'd planned to go to the show but I didn't see anyone from the hotel that night. As Steve came up to pay the balance of the bill I explained how he was "the man" and she agreed, commenting on how dapper he looked in his tuxedo the night of the show. Colleen has a friend who belongs to Faith Centre who'd been trying to get her to come for years, but when I explained to her about the show and told her I was dancing she promised she'd come. Colleen continued speaking about the show and how awesome it was and then very casually at the end admitted how she rededicated her life to Christ that night. Praise God! I know a lot of you are probably used to being used by God to save souls, but for me it was only my second time to know that I had a direct influence. (The first time was also at the end of a trip--Africa in 2003.) So I'm two for two! Amen!