When we were asked to lead a youth mission team, it was hard to imagine what that would look like. This younger generation, now in their teenage years, is often labeled as “distracted,” the “TikTok generation,” the “anxious generation,” and so many other things. What we discovered, however, is a generation that is on fire for God—seeking to grow, stepping into their God-given gifts, and boldly sharing the Gospel.
When we were asked to lead a youth mission team, it was hard to imagine what that would look like. This younger generation, now in their teenage years, is often labeled as “distracted,” the “TikTok generation,” the “anxious generation,” and so many other things. What we discovered, however, is a generation that is on fire for God—seeking to grow, stepping into their God-given gifts, and boldly sharing the Gospel.
Our journey began on Wednesday as we headed toward Brașov, Romania, with 12 youth from Sweden and three leaders. The next day, a team from Kalisz, Poland joined us — three youth and one leader. In Brașov, we got to join what God is doing through our local missionaries, Alexandru and Salomea Bela.
We began each morning with devotionals—time together to worship God, listen to His Word, and reflect on it individually or in teams. This set the tone for the rest of the day, keeping our focus firmly on God.
When we went out to the streets of Brașov, we were divided into several teams, each led by one leader. Our focus was prayer for the city and evangelism. Each day, we saw every youth step out of their comfort zone—whether it was praying in tongues, praying out loud, approaching strangers on the streets, sharing the Gospel, giving their testimony, practicing the gifts of the Spirit, encouraging people, or pointing them to God. We felt truly proud of our youth.
Each day we closed with a debrief, where we got to hear the testimonies from the outreaches. And besides outreach, on Saturday we joined the revival night hosted by the local missionaries.
Too often, we underestimate the younger generation. We wait for the “right and ripe” moment, or for them to mature before stepping out. Sometimes, we unconsciously label them as something they are not. Yet, in the New Testament, Paul wrote in the letter to Timothy:
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12 (NKJV)
Over the three days of missions, we reached more than 65 people—65+ individuals who either heard the Gospel, experienced God’s love, had someone to talk to about God, received fresh hope, or were prayed for—all because the younger generation carried out the Great Commission.
