TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

When Anna Clark, a premed biology student at East Texas Baptist University, tested positive for COVID-19 just days before she was scheduled to leave on a Go Now mission trip in January 2022, she didn’t know God would equip her for something bigger.

Later in the year, Clark attended Discovery Weekend, a retreat for students to help them discover the next steps God has for them in missions. She was interested in a medical mission trip to the Amazon, but she was hesitant to sign up.

“I am a licensed vocational nurse, but being back at school, I hadn’t worked in the medical field in a little over a year,” Clark said. “That and past experiences made me nervous to jump back in. It’s a hard line of work. But then, I heard the Lord say, ‘Anna, you need to give me this. I want to redeem this in your life and show you what it’s like when I’m the focus.’ And so I responded, ‘OK, Lord. I want to be where You want me to be.’”

Clark followed God’s call and joined a team of six students and volunteers to share the gospel through medical missions in Brazil.

For a portion of the trip, Clark’s team operated a clinic in an indigenous community in the Amazon — a unique opportunity as special permission from the government is usually required to enter indigenous villages. However, this one was open to missionaries.

While there, the team treated over 300 patients. They helped diagnose physical ailments like irregular heartbeats and abdominal aortic aneurysms, as well as helped their patients understand basic medical education. They also sought to diagnose their patients' spiritual life.

One day, Clark was able to share the gospel with a woman who said she didn’t know who Jesus was.

“She wasn’t ready to respond, but I prayed over her. I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me, and I prayed that someone else would come along and share the gospel with her again today,” Clark said.

Later that day, Clark found out the woman had received the gospel message again during her visit with the doctor, and she accepted Christ.

“It was so amazing that Dr. Lee ended up sharing the gospel with her again. I was the sower planting those seeds,” Clark said.

When asked why she recommends other students take a Go Now mission trip, Clark said, “It’s a wonderful experience to learn about different cultures and the people God created. It is also a chance to join in and see God’s view instead of ours and grow in your faith. You also get to meet so many other missionaries. You learn who the body of Christ is and how God uses each of us."