Short-Term Teams Can Change You Too

5 Stories that show how God is at work in unexpected ways on-field.
June 30th, 2026 | Trey Campbell & Michael Proctor

Short-term trips are often described by what a team does: projects accomplished, meals served, relationships formed, and communities encouraged — which all matter deeply. Look deeper on any team however and you’ll often find a different type of change that’s unexpected.

This article highlights 5 short stories of the incredible life change that goer’s experience as they encounter God in new ways on-field.

Kate

Kate went to Ecuador expecting to give her time, energy, and knowledge to others. Instead, she found herself changed. “Little did I know, the people I came with and the people I met while in Ecuador would be serving me more than I did them,” she said. “This was not a mission trip, but a mission makeover for my heart and my life.” During the trip, nightly devotionals helped her reflect on who she was in Christ and how she wanted to move forward. Since then, Kate has continued growing in her faith, was baptized, and gained a clearer sense of how she could serve others with her life.

Mason

Mason’s story began with an invitation. After meeting him, Trey Campbell, Co-Founder and Board Member of Metanoia Missions & Ministries, sensed God prompting him to invite Mason on the first One Collective mission trip to Nicaragua in 2017. Mason had grown up without a father and carried some rough edges in the way he spoke and treated others. But on the trip, surrounded by people who offered both truth and grace, his heart began to soften. By the end of the trip, Mason prayed to receive Christ and was baptized in Lake Nicaragua.

Joshua

Joshua grew up as a missionary kid in Uruguay. He knew the language of faith and had been around ministry for much of his life, but for years he resisted going on the trip. After declining the invitation three times, he finally said yes. In Nicaragua, Joshua realized his heart had been hardened and that he was ready to fully surrender to Christ. Though he came from a missionary family, he had never been baptized. On that trip, he took that step of faith.

Jana

Jana’s baptism happened in a way no one could have scripted. She was from Saudi Arabia, had grown up Muslim, and began exploring faith after several women shared Jesus with her during a summer internship in the United States. She accepted an invitation to Nicaragua, but when others were being baptized, she got cold feet. Later that night, after sharing her testimony, she made a bold decision. At 12:30 a.m., in a pineapple cleaning station on a farm in Ticuantepe, Jana was baptized.

Taylor

For Taylor, her trip to Nicaragua became a turning point. “My mission trip to Nicaragua touched my heart and broadened my perspective in the most meaningful way,” she shared. “Getting baptized marked a significant spiritual milestone for me. Meeting the locals in their homes and hearing about their struggles while witnessing their unwavering joy was incredibly eye-opening.” Taylor came to serve, but left with a deeper understanding of faith, joy, and resilience.

These stories showcase part of what makes short-term trip experiences so meaningfu. When a team is rooted in long-term local relationships, when they are rooted in long-term relationships. Teams who serve with One Collective do not enter communities as outsiders, bringing all the answers. They come to serve alongside local leaders, experience the presence of Jesus, learn from the community, and participate in work that continues long after they return home.

Sometimes, as people serve, listen, pray, and build relationships, God changes them too.

So, when you support One Collective, you help create spaces where communities are strengthened and lives are transformed by the love of Christ. If your church, school, business, or group is interested in leading a short-term mission experience with one of One Collective’s communities, we would love to connect with you.