A Year of Surrender, Study, and Service

Hi! My name is Caris Campbell.

I am a 19-year-old girl who's developed a passion for missions through growing up as a missionary kid in France. Earlier this year I did a discipleship training school with YWAM and was on mission in the Philippines. It was an incredible six months that changed my life, brought me closer to God, showed me His loving power to change lives, and revealed to me so much of His heart for the nations.

Incredibly, I’ve experienced firsthand just how powerful and life-transforming the Bible truly is. God's Word is eternal, and the revelation of His love is endless. Like 2 Corinthians 4:6 says:

"For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

That is what God does in my heart through the Bible. He shines the light of His knowledge and makes my heart alive again.

I’ve developed such a passion for Scripture this past year through studying it more deeply, but the more I learn, the more I realize how much I still don’t know. I truly desire to gain the tools and contextual understanding to know God more intimately and to effectively minister to both unbelievers and believers alike. I've given Him my life and I long for Him to use me for His glory.

There is nothing more important to me than my relationship with God. If there’s an opportunity to dig a deep spiritual well in this season—one I can draw from for the rest of my life—I want to seize it.

YWAM has a 9-month Bible school that dives deep into Scripture and engages students in regular evangelistic outreach while living together in Christian community. The program, called the School of Biblical Studies (SBS), is designed to equip students with the tools and confidence to study the Bible thoroughly and apply it to their lives. Each student studies all 66 books in their literary and historical contexts. The goal of SBS is not just head knowledge but heart transformation through the study of God’s Word. It builds a foundation for a lifetime of studying Scripture and equips students to carry God’s truth to the nations.

SBS usually takes place at YWAM's base in Hawaii. But this year they are doing it for the first time at the base in NE Paris. When I heard about this my heart leapt for joy!

But then I thought maybe it's too much for me. The program is pretty intense: 45+ hours a week of Bible study on top of classes, lectures, evangelism, work duties, and more. But after prayer and reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s nothing more worth my time in this season. What excites me even more is that our community of students will be going out regularly and evangelizing in the streets and neighborhoods of the Greater Paris region.

SBS starts in late-September and ends in June.

To take this next step, I’m currently trusting the Lord for $9,500 to cover the cost of tuition, housing, and materials. My parents and I are working to cover as much of it as possible, but it's been complicated by my visa situation. My paperwork is blocked somewhere in the infamous French bureaucracy, and so without a visa I cannot work legally. Please pray with us for breakthrough for my visa.

And in the meantime, I felt led to ask you to please consider partnering with me in this project. I'd greatly appreciate it

If it is on your heart to help, I would deeply appreciate it whether it’s $50, $200, or $1,000, every gift goes directly toward equipping me for full-time ministry.

If you have any questions or want to hear more, I’d love to talk! I’ll also be sending updates along the way so you can follow what God is doing throughout the school.

More than anything, I would deeply appreciate your prayers—for provision, focus, and deeper intimacy with God during this season of intense training as well as breakthroughs to get the visa I need to stay here long-term.

Thank you so much for your love, encouragement, and support. I’m truly grateful to have you in my life and on this journey with me!