Jake
Jake Bennett spent 2022 in Mozambique with his parents and the Baptist Mission Australia team . Here he reflects on the experience and how it changed him .
Hi , my name is Jake , I ’ m 20 years old and I live in Australia . Last year I went on a mission trip to Mozambique for 11 months . I decided to go at the last minute as it wasn ’ t something I thought I would be interested in . Other countries can be uncomfortable and strange , and who likes being uncomfortable ?
Not to mention it would be a year away from all my friends and people I knew and trusted . I went to school in a relatively small town so this would be a big adjustment ! I ended up going purely because I thought that if perhaps God was calling me to go , it would be bad to ignore Him .
My time in Africa was completely life changing for me . I went with very low expectations and was amazed time and time again with God ’ s love and provision for me . Before I went , I prayed something like , “ Alright God , I ’ m doing this crazy thing for You so please look after me !”
God blessed me with good relationships , not only with the lovely hospitable Baptist Mission Australia family that we stayed with , who went over and above to meet my needs , but also a few local guys my age . He blessed me with amazing food , beautiful scenery , deepened relationship with Him , exposure to a completely new culture and escape from the superficial western world . My previous worldview was turned upside down by the beauty and rawness of a developing country .
I experienced so many blessings that it felt like my cup was always running over ! All the things I used to rely on were taken away from me , and I began to realise what I actually value and where I truly find my identity .
But even so , my year wasn ’ t completely without hard times . Many days I would feel lonely and awkward . Sometimes I would feel so exhausted that I couldn ’ t move , and so sick that tears would stream down my face .
No , my trip wasn ’ t without hard times . But those hard times made me so much more grateful for when life is going well and also put into perspective how fragile happiness is .
How much greater it is to your find your joy in the steadfast love of God ! Looking back , I can see that before I left for Mozambique my faith in God was weak and now it is firmer than it has ever been .
Coming back to Australia , I ’ ve found it difficult to not just let my experience in Mozambique be a distant memory . It ’ s a battle for me to serve God in a country with so many distractions and values that don ’ t align with Jesus . But I feel more confident to share my faith in Jesus now , even if other people around me think differently .
I loved my time in Africa . It changed my life for the better and I wouldn ’ t trade it for anything .
Want to explore short-term opportunities for yourself ?
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RESONATE ISSUE 41 | PAGE 17