Mission trips don't just change the communities we visit; they radically transform the people who go. Connor Graham recently traveled with us to Trinidad, where the team served in nursing homes, preschools, and ran a high-energy VBS. Connor had been on mission trips to Arizona in the past, but admits he didn't engage as much as he could have, finding the environment and the kids there a bit more skittish. Trinidad was a completely different story. The liveliness, joy, and deep passion for Christ among the locals were contagious.

"Going on this trip saved me from a dark path..."

Though Connor’s dad originally had to force him to sign up, Connor now looks back with immense gratitude for that tough love. Before leaving, he had been drifting into a spiritual wilderness.

"Before I even went on this trip, I was starting to disconnect from God," Connor shared rawly. "Going on this trip saved me from a dark path that I was going to follow. God showed up at the right time, which He always does. He shows up at the most perfect timing."

Stepping completely out of his comfort zone, Connor didn't just participate; he became a leader. When the team felt hesitant to hand out Bibles or pray over locals, Connor pushed through his own anxiety to pave the way. "I saw they were nervous. I was nervous too, but I was just like, 'I don't care about nervousness, I'm just gonna hand [the Bibles] out.'" His favorite moment of the entire trip was experiencing the breakthrough of praying over someone and sharing the Gospel for the very first time. By stepping up, Connor and the team didn't just minister to the locals, they poured into them, teaching them new games and ministry tools so that the local church can continue to disciple the next generation long after the GO team returns home.

join our next Trinidad team

email go international