If you are interested in volunteering or bringing a team down to help us serve this summer, please read some of these testimonies of how the lives of the people serving have been changed. When you are on mission, not only the lives of those you serve are changed, but your own life as well. Take a minute and read some of the things the 2009 Summer Missionaries had to say about how their lives were changed.
“Last summer was an amazing blessing for me! God worked in so many ways! Through the Vacation Bible Schools, the Beach Reaches, the Day Camps, the Evening Programs and the Sunday worship services God worked in many lives and brought me closer to Him! This is a wonderful way to follow God and to spread His good news!”
-Stephen Alford, NAMB Summer Missionary, Gulf Shores, 2009
“This was my first mission trip & I was so excited to get to serve God & do beach ministry! During the summer of ‘09 I grew closer to Christ! He taught me a lot while I was in gulf shores. One of my favorite
memories is the daycamps, beach ministry, & evening programs. We did salvation bracelets to share the gospel & handed out water bottles with scripture on them. The biggest witness impact we had on the beach was definitely July 4th & it was an amazing! Another thing I loved was all the songs and crafts we got to teach to the kids at daycamp! Also, it was great to serve with so many ‘on fire for God’ college students! I love each and every one of them & by the end of the summer we all had bonded like family. God has so many awesome things planned for this summer & I can’t wait to serve Him again in Gulf Shores! To God be the glory!”
-Shayna Marlowe, NAMB Summer Missionary, Gulf Shores, 2009
“Most people call it a ‘mission trip’ but i would say it’s a life changing mission experience. Through witnessing on the beaches in gulf shores I came to see that people are not projects but we as Christ followers are called to build relationships with each person we come into contact with. We are called to proclaim the joy we have so graciously been given through Christ Jesus. Most people go to the beach to relax and have a restful vacation, but I saw a restlessness in many hearts as I walked along the shores;
people searching for temporary satisfaction when God’s love is all sufficient. Being a barefoot believer has changed my life forever. I met amazing new friends with the same passion thriving in their hearts as I have. These friends, I will have for eternity. We also worked with many kids this past summer. There is nothing like a child’s faith and the look in their eyes when they final understand a bible story. Christ calls us to be like the little children and have faith in the things we can’t see but we can feel. These are just two of the amazing things you will take part in if you are a barefoot believer, however, there are soo many other opportunities that go along with the summer missionary position. I encourage anyone who is a Christian and wanting to serve, to consider being a barefoot believer. Believe me, Your world will be rocked for the better ;)”
- Jennifer White, NAMB Summer Missionary, Gulf Shores, 2009
“There’s alot I could say about working as a Barefoot Believer. It is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Seeing the look on the childrens faces when they first realize that Jesus is their Savior, and loves them so
much, or giving water to someone on the beach who is in desperate need of a drink is the most thrilling experience. Serving others is something I’ve loved to do for a while. I love just being there for people, and seeing their lives changed. However, as I worked with the team last summer, my life changed. For the better. The group of college aged kids just bonded over serving the Lord, and our focus was on making Him the center of our lives. Without Him nothing is possible, and I definitely don’t think that any of us could have survived the long days and short nights without His help. It is definitely an experience of a lifetime, and I would recommend this missions opportunity to anyone. 
-Angela Miller, NAMB Summer Missionary/ Semester Missionary, Gulf Shores, 2009-2010
“My first mission trip was with Barefoot Believers in the summer of ‘09 and, God changed me and chiseled me so much while I was down there. He completely blew my mind! Before I came down, I started seeking God’s guidance and for His will in my life. I came upon Matthew 6:33, which states “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” If became clear that if I put God FIRST, not second or third, in my life, that He will provide and give me everything I need and make me into someone even better than I even knew. So, I started putting Him first, above school, relationships, friends, family, work… I strived to make sure that HE is the center of my life, not me or someone or something else. When I submitted to Him fully, He transformed me in such a way that I can’t
even begin to explain on here. I started preaching and speaking when I was down there. I worked with youth for the first time in my life and shared Christ with more people than I ever had in my entire life. It was truly a life-changing experience to be able to lead someone to Christ, and to see the youth’s lives that are changed forever eternally in Him. One kid, named Sam, who was 13 at the time got saved in one of my camp classes. From that point on, it was a blessing that God not only used me to lead him to Him, but to envision the incredible things that He has planned for him was amazing. To this day, he is still on fire for the Lord. Again, there are countless other stories of how the Holy Spirit changed us in so many ways and taught us many things. From an atheist being converted, sharing the gospel with people from all over the world, preaching God’s Word, and being transformed in such a way that I never want to go back to the old me ever again. If you’re thinking about going on a mission trip, chances are, God has already placed a calling on your heart. If you are not sure, pray about it continually according to His will until you have confirmation. Or, as my pastor once said, “When in doubt, use the lifeguard rule and just go!” There is no negative consequences for going on a mission trip, because it is God’s sovereign will. There is no coincidences, just God incidences. :) I hope He touches your heart as He has mine… ”
-Jacob Marlowe, NAMB Summer Missionary, Gulf Shores, 2009