Beautiful Feet Mission Trip- Alyson Tofel

This week on the Champion blog, we will be sharing stories from the team that traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, on January 15-17, to serve alongside Beautiful Feet Ministries. The team's mission was to share the Gospel and love of Jesus with the city's homeless. Today, we introduce to you, Alyson Tofel. Read below to hear how the Lord moved in her life during the team's weekend in Fort Worth.

Looking back on my time at Beautiful Feet Ministries, I can honestly say I did not know what to expect. I came with an open heart and open mind to whatever God had planned, but I did not know exactly what I had signed up for. During our first night of ministry, our group went to the homeless shelter and shared a word to the group. As the men and women started entering to where we were, I started praying that God would give me wisdom and the right words to say to whoever I would approach.

I eventually sat down next to a man who was sitting by himself. I started talking to him and instantly God broke my heart for him. I asked how he got to this place in life, and he started to breakdown and answered that his parents had passed away, and that his life is pretty much chaotic. He could not speak much more from all the tears that filled his eyes, and that moment I started to pray to myself. I asked God, "How do You see him?" and as I prayed I looked up to see the man excuse himself and leave the room. I wanted to so badly run after him and tell him the truth about how God sees him and how he is loved by the Creator of the universe. I prayed that I would see him again if it was God’s will. The next day passed and I didn’t see him at all. I continued to pray and knew that God had given me words to tell this man, but there was no sight of him.

The following day, Sunday, our group cooked and served breakfast and then attended a church service. I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to say something to the congregation, but I was so nervous. I knew if I would just obey, God would take care of the rest. I did not know what I would say, or how it would even come out, I just knew that God wanted me to speak. The next thing I realized I was up in front of everybody with a microphone in my hand, all the nerves that were previously shaking me stopped, and I felt so at ease. “Be still and know that I am God.”

After I spoke, I looked up in the crowd and saw the man, who I had been praying to see again, exit the room. I was not sure if he had left or what, so I waited for a few minutes and then walked out. As I walked out, he was standing right by the door, and I approached him and said, "I have been praying I would see you again." I got to share what God had put on my heart the few days prior to that and to pray for restoration in his life.

Sometimes we forget just how faithful God really is. That maybe we think He doesn’t hear our prayers or that people can’t really change, and addictions can’t really be broken. God is a God of love and is full of grace. I often used to think who am I to tell that person who God is, or that God couldn’t possibly use a weak person like me, but I was wrong. Just like Paul said in 1 Corinthians, God uses the weak to shame the strong, and uses the foolish to shame the wise. I am weak in my own flesh, but by the power of God, I am a strong warrior for His kingdom, and that is what God reminded me of this trip.

Continue to follow along each day this week for more stories from the team! To view more photos from the Beautiful Feet Mission Trip, visit here.