10 things I've learnt so far on my gap year
Joanna Frith, when she's in the UK, lives in Gloucester. Last Autumn she spent 3 months in Bolivia with Tearfund on their ICS programme and is currently in Spain working alongside long-term mission workers with European Christian Mission. Here's what she's learned so far...
If you’re considering a gap year, do it. It’s the scariest, most challenging thing I ’ve ever done, but I ’ve had the best time of my life – and it’s not even over yet! I think one of the things that I’ve learnt is to push myself. Pushing myself to do things out of my comfort zone, to improve and speak more in Spanish, travel, work, budget, cook for myself and get out of the boat and walk on the water. So here are a few things I’ve learnt along the way:
The Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia have a combined average 4.3% evangelical population, which is above Europe’s average. Even so, the need is acute, so our desire is to serve this region where we currently have no ministry presence. 
A five-week sabbatical became an opportunity to strengthen churches, encourage believers, and serve alongside ECMI worker Eberson in Portugal. It is a reminder that even a short-term mission trip can leave a lasting impact. 
When war in Ukraine devastated the communities around Irpin, relief centres became places of refuge for those in need. But something even greater happened. As people encountered the love of Christ through practical care, new communities of faith began to grow. Today, Illia and Iryna lead one of those church plants.