How My Eyes Were Opened
Growing a Heart of Missions
I never thought I would consider being a full-time missionary.
I grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ at a young age. I went to church and was involved on the worship team and at every VBS. I even became a ministry major in college, yet I never understood my call to missions until this summer.
God used One Mission Society (OMS) this summer to open my eyes to the full call he has on my life. Before, I never talked about living overseas … Not because I was against the idea of missions but because I was never educated on missions in general. Growing up, I never knew the full extent of missions and therefore never understood my calling. My church scarcely talked about missions. Just two years ago, they started opening cross-cultural mission trips to Mexico for members of our congregation.
For many years, I thought of missionaries as celebrities. They existed, but I had never met one, and I never thought I would have the chance to. However, I learned that mission work, whether it be global or in our own homes, is for everyone. We are all called to help fulfill the Great Commission no matter where we are. Through my summer internship with OMS, I realized that anyone could become a missionary, overseas or homeland. God does not follow our rules and regulations when he calls us, either. I also learned that God does not call the equipped; he equips the called.
Working with OMS at the World Headquarters and serving on an OMS short-term trip to Colombia has moved my heart. From talking and processing with another OMS intern about my experience this summer on our short-term trip in Medellín, Colombia, I realized that God called me to missions in my first year of high school.
I was at a youth retreat with my church in early August of 2016. The Kansas air was hot and sticky, but the chapel was filled with God’s presence. I knew this retreat was going to impact me for the rest of my life. But until recently, I never knew how. During one of the last sermons at this retreat, our speaker told us that God wanted to communicate with us. To try and help us connect with God better, he had us draw a brick wall on a sheet of paper and write out what God was calling us to. For many of us, what God was calling us to seemed daunting. Writing it over the brick wall helped us symbolize that God would help us with our calling, no matter the challenges.
I wrote, “Worship leading in Africa.” I remember thinking that this phrase made no sense to me. I did not have a strong desire to go to Africa or to go anywhere overseas for missions. But little freshman Meghan knew what God was telling her, so I wrote it down. At the time, the only ministry I was involved in was leading worship. Looking back, I now know that I was trying to make sense of what God was telling me. God was calling me to cross-cultural missions. I just had no idea what that meant or looked like.
Now, I see that God has been preparing me since that day. I have been involved in leading many worship teams, teaching at VBS, preaching at my youth group, serving with my church’s young adult ministry, and so much more. Coming to OMS can now be added to that list. With each ministry opportunity, God is defining my call more and more by aligning my call with my passions and gifts.
I never thought I could have the opportunity to be a full-time photographer/videographer, travel, and do ministry all in one. This summer, I successfully achieved that dream.
Before coming to OMS I would have never entertained the idea of becoming a full-time missionary, despite being called to ministry. I never had a strong sense of direction of where to go with that calling. God worked on my heart this summer, and I see now that I am called to full-time missions.
Whether I go to Budapest, Hungary; Medellín, Colombia; or serve in the United States, I am following God’s call on my life, and I have One Missions Society to thank for leading me closer to God’s call.
By Meghan Spann, Summer 2023 Communications Intern
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is interested in an internship at the OMS World HQ or somewhere overseas, email us before March 1, 2024, at go@onemissionsociety.org.