I’m Glad I Said Yes!

By Abigail Soto

Abigail Soto was in twelfth grade when she wrote this story for her English class in Miami, Florida. 

I had never been to regular high school before; most of my schooling had been at home. So senior trips and banquets were things I had only heard about and imagined. That changed when my family moved from Jacksonville, Florida, to Miami, and I started my senior year at Greater Miami Adventist Academy (GMAA).

Moving during my senior year was tough. I missed my friends, my house, and my church. But people in Miami were kind, and the new experiences helped me adjust. Soon I was looking forward to big events, such as the senior trip.

By November everyone was excited about the senior trip and banquet. The trip, set for February, was a cruise to Mexico, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica. I really wanted to go, but my parents and I decided to pray about it first. Around the same time my dad mentioned that a couple from our church wanted me to join them on a mission trip to Romania. I didn’t even know where Romania was! I was nervous. Traveling 5,600 miles to a place I’d never been, with people I barely knew, felt scary. Plus, the trip was at the same time as the senior events.

At first I said no. I couldn’t imagine missing the senior trip and banquet. But my parents encouraged me to pray. After two days, I realized that God wanted me to go to Romania. So I said yes.

Once I made the decision, things started falling into place. I told my classmates I wouldn’t be going on the senior trip. Even though they kept talking about their plans, I didn’t feel sad or left out. Meanwhile, we began raising money for the mission trip. My grandmother visited during Christmas and helped sell more than 200 homemade Mexican enchiladas. With help from my family and church, we raised almost $3,000—enough for my plane ticket, warm clothes, and other things. I even had extra money to help others in Romania. I donated clothes to families in need and left my computer with the church there.

Another surprise was getting to stop in Paris, France, on the way to Romania for my eighteenth birthday. When I arrived, God helped me overcome another fear: public speaking. I had to preach every night for two weeks, with a translator. Normally I’d be super-nervous speaking in front of people, but I felt calm. I knew God was with me.

Not everything went well. One night the computer froze during an important part of my sermon. I quickly prayed, and finished without my notes. Seven people decided to give their lives to Christ that night.

When I returned home, I had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on. My teachers were understanding and helped me get through it. It wasn’t easy, but God gave me the strength.

I missed the senior trip, the banquet, and spending my birthday with family and friends. But I have no regrets. Proverbs 19:21 says, “There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” God’s plan for me to go to Romania was better than anything I could have dreamed. I’m so glad I said yes to Him.