The Freshman that Inspired His Parents

As a freshman, Paul Compton wanted what his friends had. Not the newest electronic gadget, but the strength of character, integrity and compassion he saw in his friends returning from missions trips. Their excitement was contagious. It ignited a fire within Paul, urging him to get involved.

Paul had taken a short missions trip a few years before to nearby Mexico with a group from Wildside, Saddleback’s junior high school ministry, but he wanted to do more. The living conditions and poverty he witnessed shocked him. Paul was moved with a strong desire to help these people. He wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.

In high school, Paul continued studying Spanish. His freshman Spanish teacher had learned the language in Argentina. As the instructor began to talk about Argentina and its people, Paul was instilled with a desire to travel there and experience the culture firsthand. The more he learned about the energetic, compassionate and hospitable Argentine people, the more his enthusiasm came alive. He wanted Argentina to be his next missions trip destination.

There was one slight problem — Paul had to convince his parents to give him permission to travel 6100 miles away from home. His mom, Sharon, was adamant – she didn’t want him to go nor did she want to go with him. While she admired her son’s desire to help the Argentine people, Sharon felt Paul was just too young to travel alone. While both Sharon and Howard, her husband, were members of Saddleback, they didn’t know much about missions trips, known as PEACE Trips at Saddleback Church. Concerned about their son’s safety, their first response was “no!”

Despite the opposition, Paul didn’t give up. At a soccer banquet, Paul told everyone he was going to Argentina — within earshot of his parents. That’s when Sharon and Howard decided they needed to gather more information. They attended a reunion for Saddleback members who had traveled to Argentina in 2002. There they learned what the teams were involved in, and how they worked to make a difference in people’s lives through serving local churches and communities.

Howard, Paul’s father, thought a missions trip meant erecting a building, a skill he possessed and was eager to use, so he volunteered to go along with Paul on a PEACE Trip to Argentina. When some of their friends and family heard about the trip they tried to discourage them from going. They thought it was too dangerous for Paul and Howard to go. In spite of the concerns, they decided to go anyway. They both were excited to help others and Howard’s involvement alleviated his wife’s apprehension to let Paul travel so far from home.

Both Paul and Howard were excited for what lay ahead. But when they learned their team was going to be hosting short Purpose Driven Church conferences in several cities they grew concerned. Nerves began taking hold: What would they say? What knowledge could they share to help church leaders? They discovered, with each new stop on their trip, God was there to guide them and help them make a difference for all the church leaders that gathered at the conferences. The father and son were amazed how relational the people were, how humble they were, but more importantly, how God was able to use them in spite of the cultural and language barriers.

Getting to meet so many eager church leaders stirred something new within Howard. “I came home a different man,” Howard said. “Prior to the trip, it was always about what I wanted.” Despite my nervousness, I learned to trust God in each new situation, no matter how foreign. When I returned to the US, all I wanted to do was shed my self-centeredness.”

Sharon began to see big changes. “When they came back, Paul and Howard released their relentless desire for more. There was such a glow of peace and contentment. I wanted that in my life, also.”

The next year, the entire family traveled together to Argentina on a missions trip.  “It is amazing to serve as a family,” Howard said. “If you want your family’s appetite for God to grow, go on a PEACE trip.” He said he feels so rewarded when pastors thank him for faithfully coming back to help the people. Even though there are barriers, showing people love goes a long way.

Sharon and Howard developed an enormous passion for Argentina; they are now the PEACE team leaders for the country. Howard has gone on 20 trips to Argentina so far.

Sharon has learned that God always shows up. “You will do things you didn’t think you were capable of doing. God gives you everything you need. Your experience can help someone else thousands of miles away, but facing the same battle.”

They never realized Paul’s desire as a freshman would put them on the front lines of helping launch Saddleback’s Buenos Aires campus. “It is such a gift to experience how God is revolutionizing Argentina through that campus,” Sharon said. “There is a movement of grace in Buenos Aires, a hope that shines through the fog of poverty and other struggles many people face.”

Currently empty-nesters, Howard and Sharon can’t wait until they retire. They want to spend that time traveling to the different Saddleback campuses to help out. “We never thought in a million years this is what we would want to do in our retirement,” they explain. “Serving God’s people in other countries has taught us God will use us just as we are! He made us unique and we just need to show up and be available. And to think our high school aged son led us to this wonder.”

Click HERE to learn more about how to get involved in a PEACE Trip.