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En Out of Your Element
Out of your depth, you freeze for a moment. Everyone else looks confident, but you’re still trying to catch your breath. The moment won’t wait—so you push past the fear and take one small step forward.
Alexandre knew that feeling too. The 27‑year‑old man had travelled from his home province of Quebec, Canada, to the tropical coastal nation of Ivory Coast in West Africa. On his first day of the GO Trip—a short-term gospel outreach with ShareWord Global—he stood on unfamiliar ground. The humid air wrapped around him, and his hands grew tense as he realized just how nervous he felt.
It was his first mission trip, and he had never shared the gospel on the streets before. Since he’s naturally shy, the idea of walking up to strangers—especially in a different country and culture—felt overwhelming.
But that first morning did not stay overwhelming for long. With each conversation, something inside him started to change. He grew a little more confident. Then a moment came that he couldn’t ignore. While his group talked with some young people about Jesus, he noticed someone standing nearby, listening quietly. Alexandre decided to go to him. When he reached the man, he learned the man had never heard of Jesus.
So, Alexandre shared his testimony. He shared the gospel. Then he asked, “Do you want to accept Jesus?”
The man said yes.
They prayed the prayer of repentance together, and Alexandre prayed for his life, his family, and his health. Watching someone turn to Jesus for the very first time was a moment he knew he would always remember. And God was not finished with him yet.
A few days later, Alexandre was asked to share his testimony at a school filled with hundreds of kids. Public speaking had always been hard for him, but there he was—standing outside, facing rows of kids in bright yellow uniforms, their voices buzzed with curiosity as he stepped out of his comfort zone once again...
Afterward, he was glad he said yes. “If there’s even just one person who could relate to my story, or if it helped them in any way, then I’ve done my job. So, I really enjoyed it,” he later said.
Alexandre reflects that anyone who feels hesitant, unsure, or inexperienced should remember this: the hardest part is taking the first step. But once you take it, things get easier. Your shyness might not disappear, but you learn to move forward, little by little, until the people around you no longer feel so scary.
You may remember that feeling too. That first step—the nervous one that led to something unforgettable.
The GO Trip was never just a trip you took once. It shaped you. It stayed with you. And maybe, like Alexandre, it left you with a quiet pull to step out again. Because you already know what happens when you say yes. And perhaps, this is simply another invitation to take that step—once more.
