This trip was a blessing and a turning point in my life. I had experienced a period of strong spiritual growth from the time I graduated high school until now. I was getting involved in college ministries and putting myself in a position to challenge myself and grow my faith. However, as I near the end of my college career, I felt myself becoming somewhat stagnant. This trip pulled me straight out of that and challenged me to become a man of prayer. The challenge of hiking through the beautiful mountains and disconnecting from busy life for a week provided an opportunity for me to listen to the still, small voice of God calling me deeper into a relationship with Him. For the first time in my life, I tapped into the amazing power of prayer that is offered to me through simply talking with my Lord and Savior. I claimed the truths of God’s word in which He promises to hear and answer my call and give me everything that I ask, for His glory, in Jesus’s name. Over the course of this trip, I began to see prayer as a privilege and a joy, instead of something I remembered to do. I have already seen proof of the Lord acting in a mighty way for the supplications that I brought to Him on behalf of my friends. That was definitely the most impactful memory from this trip. I’m so excited to see how God is going to work at UCF through me and the other guys on this trip.
Testimonials for Resolute
Words from the men in Resolute and those who have donated:
The trip really highlighted the fact that sometimes in order to grow, you have to face adversity, physical and/or spiritual. However, when you are able to face adversity with brothers around you, it is easier to remain on mission and accomplish what God is guiding you to do. And brothers don’t have to be physically present with you to support you, as evidenced by the amount of prayers and support from countless people we may never meet, in the letter to the Philippians, in which Paul describes the power of prayer and how it encourages, and in The Kneeling Christian, in which there are numerous accounts of how prayer and words from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ can keep you in the fight for the faith. Personally, the opportunity to get to know like-minded brothers in Christ on a deeper level, devoid of distractions, and to be able to share memories and times of pain and laughter is one that I will be able to look back on later in life, both to encourage one another and to keep one another accountable.
My hope is that this trip will prove to be immeasurable in all of our lives as we enter the next seasons of life and faith. I thank each and every person who came together to make it possible.
This trip has been a huge blessing for me. The time I got to spend away helped me refresh in order to get ready for the coming semester. Hiking up those mountains was a brand new experience that opened my eyes to what is out there. Hiking taught me how important it is to surround myself with Christian brothers, because I don’t know that I would’ve made it up without them. Reading The Kneeling Christian was very convicting and made me realize how little time I put into prayer. I got to really dive deep in the book of Philippians, which was a huge blessing. The most amazing part was the views we got to see up in those mountains — God’s creation is truly a blessing.
Ever since I heard about this trip I was immediately in. I knew this was going to be an amazing trip, but I never thought how impactful it would be on my life. From connecting deeper with old friends to making new ones, all while enjoying God’s creation at its best, was truly an experience I’ll never forget. Going through the book of Philippians and The Kneeling Christian really helped me realize not only what prayer really means but also how I can deepen my prayer life. I had a very loaded summer semester and am taking more classes in the fall, so this trip showed me how much I need to rely on God for strength, not myself, and how I also need brothers in Christ who can rally together when times get hard. Forever grateful for the opportunity to go on this trip.
Pathway Ministries is a Christ centric resource for individuals or couples that need some Godly insight spoken into their current condition. Dr. Charles has a heart for helping people walk on the path that Lord intends and he leads by example!
My wife and I benefited greatly from his premarital counseling and have been blessed by some post marital as well. It is our privilege to share some of God’s blessings, over which we are steward, with Pathway. This allows them to minister to those who cannot currently afford to pay for counseling.
It also allows them to directly minister to UCF students through regular Bible study, prayer and worship. The pilgrimage through the mountains this year, that Dr. Charles led, will have eternal impact on those young men’s lives… and therefore, the world.