Nearly thirty years ago, I made a decision that would change the course of my life—I chose to walk with the Lord. I remember it clearly. With a heart full of hope and a soul desperate for freedom, I said, “I’m never going back.” Not to the emptiness. Not to the chains of sin. Not to the loneliness or the brokenness that once defined me. And by God’s grace, I never did. Life had its trials, but through every valley and mountaintop, He never let go.

Years later, I found myself at another turning point. My parents had passed, my children were growing up and leaving home, and though I was deeply rooted in my church, job, and community, something stirred within me. I felt the Lord whispering, “It’s time for something new.” Still, I could never have imagined just how radically different that “something” would be.

When I said yes to a short-term mission trip with Breath of Life International (BOLI), I thought I was simply going to serve. But that trip lit a fire in my heart. In the two years since, I’ve gone on another mission trip, sold my farm, moved 500 miles away, joined the BOLI Board of Directors, and most recently, stepped away from my career to enter full-time ministry.

I feel like a child again, standing on the edge of a pool—eyes wide, heart racing—leaping into the arms of my Father, knowing He’s already there, ready to catch me.

God gave us a clear command: Go into all the world and make disciples. Yet the Church has largely stayed within its own borders. Every day, an estimated 151,000 nonbelievers die. Of those, 66,000 will die never even having access to the message of Jesus. That’s like an entire city—Chapel Hill or Huntsville—wiped out in a day, never having heard the Gospel.

This is why I go. And this is why I invite others to go with me—whether by praying, giving, or physically stepping out.

Through my work with BOLI, I’ve seen the beauty of God’s redemptive plan unfolding, especially in Latin America. While church attendance in the U.S. declines, the Church in Latin America is rising. There are over 600,000 churches, yet less than 1.5% are engaged in reaching the unreached. But I’ve met the believers there. I’ve seen their passion. They are ready to go.

And in between serving on the frontlines, I have the incredible privilege of continuing the mission from home as BOLI’s Director of Operations and Strategy. From this role, I help equip and mobilize others to go—developing systems, training leaders, building global partnerships, and stewarding resources so that the Gospel can go further, faster, and more faithfully into places it has never been. Missions doesn’t end when the trip does. Mobilization is everyday work and requires the whole Church to be involved.

What a joy and privilege to have a front-row seat to God’s unfolding plan of redemption across the world!

And I can’t help but ask: What if you could change that eternal trajectory for someone? What if you could help bring light into darkness?

Together, we can.

Gabby Briar