Fashioned for His Glory
Sandra Plett of Steinbach, Manitoba loves looking back at God’s divine hand over her life. As a college student God invited her on a journey of risk-taking obedience that would open her eyes to the world of cross-cultural missions. Sandra never imagined that she would be where she is today, but she is filled with joy knowing that God has confirmed every step toward her ministry with MB Mission in Guadalajara, Mexico.
As a child Sandra believed with naivety that missionaries were people who didn’t fit in with their own culture, so they went to live in another one. But this preconceived notion was challenged during her second year of studies at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, BC, when the school hosted a one-week mission trip to Fresno, California. As she spent seven days working alongside a mixture of cultural groups, God began to grow Sandra’s heart for cross-cultural missions. She began to understand missionaries for what they truly are: people who come alongside other people and live out their journey with Christ.
This experience led Sandra to take part in ACTION , a summer mission program offered through MB Mission. Sandra was sent to Peru, where she fell in love with the people and the language. She had a sense of feeling at home within the Latino culture. When she returned to North America she came back feeling changed in a significant way, yet not knowing what that meant. It was something more than she could fully grasp at that point in time.
Sandra used her last two years of college as an opportunity to serve on board with the missions committee, leading and planning trips for students. Upon graduation she planned to secure a job immediately in order to pay off her student loans. A friend suggested that Sandra invest a year of her life in TREK, another mission program with MB Mission. Her first and most logical response was “no” – she had bills to pay. But as the doors began to close to job opportunities, Sandra sensed that TREK was what God had in store for her. He confirmed this calling and before she even began the two months of TREK training prior to assignment, God had raised her full amount of financial support!
Sandra’s TREK experience took place in Colombia with Trever and Joan Godard, who were running a discipleship program with six Columbians and four Canadians. They spent every day living life together and serving within their church and community. Sandra felt things coming together. She had always been drawn to discipleship ministry – she loved walking alongside others in student ministry in college, and God had been growing and nurturing a desire for her to work with Latinos. Her year spent in Colombia was a season of inspiration and faith – she had hope that a ministry existed that fit who she was.
After TREK Sandra spent the next five years working as Residence Director at CBC, leading the missions committee and discipling college girls. While God was preparing her for an unknown path, the Godards were dreaming up a vision to reach Mexico. They wanted to build a team to bring the gospel to Guadalajara. They asked Sandra to pray about being part of the team. Her heart was already there. After participating in MB Mission’s Missionary Training and Equiping (MTE), Sandra became part of the Matthew Team, serving in Guadalajara, Mexico with an emphasis on training Latin Americans to go to the nations. Sandra recently completed her three year term in the Jornada program and has committed the next ten years to serving with the Matthew Team. She is currently sharing the vision with churches and supporters and raising additional finances to return to Mexico in January 2009.
God’s sovereign hand directs and guides His people. He who fashions the hearts of all men has called us and prepared us fulfill His good works for His glory.
If you would like to support Sandra’s ministry with the Matthew Team in Guadalajara, Mexico, you can donate to her now by clicking here .