“I’m a Christian, are you?” I overheard my history teacher, Mr. Carlson, ask the man beside him on our flight to Honduras.

Seated directly behind Mr. Carlson, I leaned forward in my seat, straining to hear the man's response amidst the buzz of the plane. Despite the snippets I could make out, I was inspired by Mr. Carlson’s desire to connect with a complete stranger. I was even more surprised as the conversation seemed to immediately flourish. It seemed as though Mr. Carlson and this man had become the best of friends, discussing their shared faith in Jesus —all because he cast aside any anxiety and befriended a man he’d just met. In this moment, it was so blatantly obvious that he loved Jesus.

But this was just the beginning.

“The reason that I went on the Honduras trip, or I go on any Renew trip, is because I want to be there for my students during transformational moments.”

My sister and I were on our way to Honduras as part of the Timothy Renew program. There were 26 students and 6 chaperones on the flight. Even though I could feel the excitement coursing through my veins, there was a hollowness inside of me where I experienced serious anxiety. I had never been away from my family for more than three days, let alone for a week! Not to mention, we would be in a completely different country.

Seven hours and a lot of worrying later, we finally landed in Honduras. Exhausted, we found our rooms and collapsed on the beds before the group met for devotionals. The first night that we had devos, all I wanted to do was call my parents and sleep. However, we ended up having devos every night, and it honestly became such a highlight of the trip. It was so impactful to hear from each one of the leaders when they shared their testimonies.

I vividly remember Mr. Carlson’s testimony. I sat at the edge of my seat and was so moved that I teared up. His story was beautiful and encouraging all at the same time. He urged us: “Don’t go it alone, because there is a Savior who has gone through it with you. And he is with you right now. I want students to know that because that’s changed my life.”

Mr. Carlson’s last words stuck with me. It was such a comfort to be reminded of this and I felt my anxiety start to diminish.

After Mr. Carlson’s testimony, it was clear to see that many students were moved by his words. Later that night, a small group of students wanted to talk to him, and despite being quite exhausted, he gladly welcomed the conversation.

Though we didn't do much physical labor on the trip, we were exhausted. Every day began in a bus on the long and winding roads through the mountains where we would make multiple stops at different service locations. In communities without infrastructure for basic needs, these local ministries provided meals, Bible teachings, and games for hundreds of local children every day. Even so, they had this immense sense of peace and joy that could only come from Jesus.

It was so emotionally and mentally draining, yet it was so encouraging to see Mr. Carlson serving with such energy and joy. He made an effort to guide us, encouraging us to turn to God. “The reason that I went on the Honduras trip, or I go on any Renew trip, is because I want to be there for my students during transformational moments,” Mr. Carlson said. “As a community, we can process things together.”

Throughout the rest of the week, Mr. Carlson’s faith inspired me. He made an effort to make sure anyone he met felt loved by simply offering a kind smile and starting a conversation with them.

One of the most important things the students and I expressed on the trip was the fact that we did not want to go back home the same. We didn’t want to go back to school and live on autopilot and not live out our faith because we were all comfortable in our “Christian circle.” We liked serving others and we grew in our faith in Honduras. What was to say that we couldn’t authentically live out our faith at home too? We wanted to bring the momentum back home. Mr. Carlson was such an inspiration to this goal that we all set for ourselves.

Back in Mr. Carlson’s U.S. History class, it was obvious that he continued to shine the light of Christ. He often started his class by reading a Psalm and asked students if they had any prayer requests. While teaching, he led Christ-centered lessons that aimed to thoughtfully interpret historical events through a Christian lens.

Having teachers like Mr. Carlson is a reminder of what really matters. He is willing to be in a vulnerable place to share his testimony and faith journey with students, showing how much he truly cares about them. “At Timothy, I can just be open about my walk with Jesus in a way that I’m really grateful for,” Mr. Carlson explained. “I want to share that.”

Mr. Carlson truly encompasses what it means to be relationship-focused with not only his students, but most importantly, with Christ. His faith has absolutely been an inspiration to me. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had to be able to be encouraged through his lessons inside and outside of the classroom.