Sharing Faith Inspires a Heart for Missions

By Madison Bonis, Shield Editor

Senior Tyler Stavlas went on a summer mission trip to Bogota, Colombia, where he had the opportunity to share his testimony with over 1,000 students and tell them about his personal experience with entrepreneurship.

“I got to speak at a couple of churches there. Then we went to their public schools, and I got to spread the gospel to over 1,000 students and share my testimony. Over 200 of those students, I believe, gave their life to Christ,” he said.

Stavlas experienced the high-impact emotional aspect of mission work. After spreading the gospel and encouraging the kids, he shared that their reaction was something he would never forget. “Some kids cried. They were very receptive. It’s a very humbling experience. The kids were very open to hearing the gospel.”

Stavlas not only shared his testimony, but he also spoke about entrepreneurship and his personal business. “I got to talk in the schools about entrepreneurship as well. I told them how I got to start my business at 15 years old. It was my window cleaning business with my friend Ashton Dalton,” he explained.  

The experience left a lasting impression on Stavlas and strengthened his desire to continue serving through missions. He said, “It was my first mission trip, and I want to do it again.” 

He will be going on more trips soon. He has a second mission trip planned to Spain in December.