Because ‘One’ Is Never ‘Just One’

In 1921, Svea Flood left Sweden with her husband David and their young son, answering God's call to bring the gospel to the heart of the Belgian Congo. Rejected by the local community, they endured harsh conditions, isolated in a hut and weakened by malaria. Only one local child came near, a boy, selling them eggs. Svea, moved by tenderness and conviction, decided that if he was the only soul she could reach, she would pour her whole heart into it.

And she led him to Christ.

Shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Svea died at age 27 in the Belgian Congo. She never knew that the seed she planted would bear fruit years later: that same boy grew up to become a pastor, evangelized his village, founded a Christian school, and led a church with hundreds of believers. Svea’s daughter, Aggie Hurst, would eventually learn—in her spiritual memoir One Witness—that her mother was considered one of the most honoured figures in the region’s spiritual history. But it all began with a simple “Yes, Lord.” *

The impact of sowing eternity in people’s hearts is a process that is almost always invisible, especially at the beginning.

Just like Svea, GO Team member Julia discovered this during her May 2025 trip to Vila do Carmo, Brazil, a small town near Santa Isabel, where she and her team were warmly welcomed by a local family.

Guided by tenderness and conviction, Julia, a young university student from Canada, spoke to the children using Spark magazines and salvation story bracelets. And the language skills of the GO Trip interpreter, Tirza, became the bridge that made everything flow naturally.

The children were glowing—curious, excited, and thirsty to know more about God. Julia walked them through the 12 truths of the gospel while they asked questions, smiled, and marveled at every revelation.

Everything felt part of the ordinary rhythm of the GO Trip. But as always, the extraordinary belonged to God. When the team left, the bond was so deep that one little girl cried because her parents—who hadn’t been present—didn’t get the chance to meet the visitors. That moment revealed how deeply meaningful that small Bible lesson had been, it was her first encounter with the gospel.

That emotion prompted a subsequent visit by the GO Team to her parents, opening more doors and planting seeds that could blossom over time. For Julia and the entire group, it was confirmation that even the simplest gestures—telling a story, holding a short Bible class, giving out a Spark magazine, offering a bracelet—can shape a life’s direction... even their very own.

This was the case for Bella, another university student on the Canadian GO Team, who shared these reflections in her own words:

“This trip taught me that there is a strong power in prayer. That even with language barriers, the gospel has a power that must be shared with everyone. This trip taught me that every human being is so blessed by God and made in His image. It taught me that all we need in life is faith and community. That anxiety has no power in front of God. This trip taught me how God can unite everyone who serves Him, even if it's the only thing they have in common. It taught me that the glow of Jesus in people is real. That it's important to build deep connections with brothers and sisters in Christ. It taught me that God's goodness shines brighter than anything else in the universe. And it taught me that Jesus can be placed at the center of absolutely everything we do.”

Like Svea, sowing into a young life in a Congo hut. Like Julia, sharing with children in a corner of Brazil. Like Bella, discovering the gospel’s power to break common barriers. They all obeyed. They all trusted. And in every story, God was the One at work.

GO Trips aren’t just a missionary journey. They are divine invitations to say “Yes, Lord”—even when you don’t know what will come next.

Because even if you don’t see the fruit right away, an obedient heart is never without purpose. In God’s hands, that small act might be the beginning of a story that’s still being written.

“Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

[Footnote] *Svea Flood’s story is documented in various missionary accounts, including the book One Woman, One Tribe, One God: One Witness by Aggie Hurst with Doug Brendel (1986), where her daughter shares the legacy of spiritual impact born from simple obedience in the heart of the Congo.

https://archive.org/details/one-witness_20221208/page/126/mode/2up