By STEVE Brackeen

Family.

Mission trips changed my perspective on Run for the Son. Initially, I had no desire to go on a mission trip because I couldn ' t see a reason to leave the country. However, a friend convinced me to join him on a CMA mission trip to Colombia. To be honest, I was not looking forward to it. As I stood at the airport, ready to leave, I still didn ' t want to go.

Once we boarded the plane, things didn’ t improve. I found myself sitting between two men from our group, which was quite uncomfortable. After a long flight, we finally landed in Colombia and then waited in line for two hours to gain entry. At that moment, I was convinced this was a big mistake.

However, as the trip progressed, I met many friendly people and witnessed the sacrifices local pastors were making for the Kingdom of God. Those experiences ultimately changed my outlook.

Saturday morning arrived, and I learned I would get the chance to ride a motorcycle we were giving away for the Run for the Son

event. As we drove to the dealership to pick up the motorcycles, my excitement grew. I was in a new country, about to ride a motorcycle in a place I had only heard about.

Once I was on the bike and riding through the streets of Colombia, I felt incredibly fortunate to experience this. However, the best was yet to come. There were many motorcycles in town, and the road in front of the hotel was closed off. Someone suggested we organize some bike games, and 60 motorcycle riders joined in. But then, something happened that changed my life forever.

We began praying for people and sharing how to accept Jesus Christ. However, there was one challenge: we spoke English, and they spoke Spanish, which made communication difficult. Despite this, they were praying as we spoke. I noticed a translator and asked what they were praying about. The translator informed me that they were reciting the exact words we had given them. We spoke in English, and they understood it in Spanish. This felt like a miracle of Biblical proportions. By the end of the afternoon, over 100

people accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. I had read about such miracles before, but I had never experienced anything like this myself. When I returned home, I felt as though my feet barely touched the ground because I was on a spiritual high. I eagerly shared my experience with everyone who would listen.

I want to encourage all of you to save your vacation time and your finances to take a CMA mission trip. It will change your life. If it doesn’ t work out to take a mission trip, please continue to pray for these pastors and give to Run for the Son because your efforts are truly changing the world, one heart at a time. CMA

Steve and Lynn Brackeen oversee the South Central Region as National Evangelist.

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