Calvary School of Missions Newsletter
Hello friends and family!
I want to share with you how the Lord has led me to the Calvary School of Missions (CSOM), and the work He has done in my life to get me here.
Throughout my life, I have had some exposure to missions. I had read the biographies of Hudson Taylor, Gladys Aylward, George Müller, and others who had answered the call to serve on the mission field long-term. I occasionally heard updates in church from long-term workers who were back in the States for a short time. Looking back, it saddens me to say that I had a perspective of “that’s great for them, I’m glad people are going out and doing that long-term, but that’s not for me.” I knew that as a believer, no matter where I was, I was called to share the Good News with others, making disciples wherever I went.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
Matthew 28:19-20
Every believer has a role to play in God’s global mission, but in my mind, I was limiting what God had for me and my role in the Great Commission. I had always been curious about short-term missions and wanted to participate when I was old enough. An opportunity came up to go to France for a few weeks post-COVID, but the doors ended up being closed.
I previously thought I would go on short-term mission trips with my church, build my career, and eventually build my family in the United States. I allowed my fear and desire to control the course of my life to create an unwillingness to consider that maybe God had a different plan for me.
As some of you may know, throughout my time in college, I have had the opportunity to participate in a couple of short-term service projects - one in the U.S. and another abroad. Throughout my training for these trips, chapels, Spiritual Life nights, Bible studies, and discipleship groups I was part of at my school, God began to shift and soften my heart towards the possibility of long-term missions.
As is usual for the life of a believer, we often don’t know where God is leading us, and the next steps can be unclear. God wants us to trust Him and walk in faith, knowing that He is in control of the outcome. So, while I did not know what God’s plan was for my life, I heard Him saying, “Sarah, I know you don’t know where you will end up or what you will be doing, but I do. I may not be revealing what path I want you to take in your future right now, but I want you to at least be willing and open to the possibility of long-term missions.” This was challenging for me to hear, the conviction to “at least be willing,” but it was one that the Holy Spirit certainly used to grab my attention.
I always knew there were many unreached people groups throughout the world who had never heard the name of Jesus or the Gospel, and through these various channels at CBU, I began to learn more and more about them.
I had the privilege of serving for three weeks last summer in North Africa among an unreached people group, where I witnessed extreme lostness among the people of the nation I was in. The people we had shared with grew up in a culturally Muslim environment, which meant we spoke with many people who had hardened hearts toward the Good News that Jesus Christ had died on the cross and resurrected from the grave for our sins.
We knew that our efforts to share this Good News would not be wasted, and that God can use anyone and anything to change hearts and minds, even if we would not see tangible evidence of this on the field. There were difficult days and there were days that felt more hopeful, but we continued to rely on the Lord as our source of strength as we sought out more people to have conversations with.
The hopelessness that the women I’d spoken with had broke my heart, and for many, this was their first time hearing the Good News. Their only previous exposure to the name of Jesus was a distorted narrative that they were exposed to in Islamic teachings. This is just a bird’s-eye view of what I witnessed in my time there, and the Holy Spirit continued to press on my heart the urgent need that our world has, both domestically and internationally, to hear the Truth and for it to set them free.
I pondered what the Lord had taught me through this time and throughout my life, and prayed about what the next steps may look like. After continued prayer and learning about various next-step options, I believe the next faithful step in my life is to attend Calvary School of Missions (CSOM). Here, I will be trained, gain more insight into what long-term missions look like in practice, and participate in local outreach. I will continue to pray and seek the Lord before, during, and after this dedicated time at CSOM, and I am thrilled about the unique opportunity God has made available to me!
I am asking you to partner with me in prayer as I continue to seek the Lord’s direction for my life and prepare for my time at CSOM.
Additionally, a training and ministry opportunity like this comes at a cost. To participate in CSOM, I need to raise $1,350 by June 23rd, with the remaining $1,350 due by August 9th, for a total of $2,700. As I have counted the cost in many ways as I have prayed about this opportunity, I trust that God will make a way for me to go and participate; please consider making a financial contribution. There is a link here in this newsletter, and also on the Saving Grace World Missions website under CSOM 2026. You can find me under “Meet the Students.” After clicking my name, you will see my bio, newsletter sign-up, and a giving option.
Thank you for partnering with me in prayer as I prepare for this opportunity, and for considering a financial contribution.
Thank you,
Sarah Esterline
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