For Zachary Fazio, a senior at Asbury University, the decision to apply for the Deese Grant was not immediate.
“I always thought someone else would be better suited for it,” Fazio said. “But after prayer and encouragement from a friend, I felt the Lord was calling me to step outside my comfort zone.”
The Deese Grant, a scholarship program unique to Asbury University, provides students with opportunities to serve internationally through missions and community engagement. Designed to encourage students to lean into service, the program has become a pathway for many to experience life abroad while pursuing vocational and spiritual growth.
Fazio used the grant this summer to travel to Peru, where he spent time in Lima, Pangoa and Cusco. For him, the trip was not only about fulfilling a project requirement but also about stepping into a deeper calling.
Initially tasked with creating a marketing profile and website for a local school, Fazio’s role quickly expanded. He taught English classes to second graders, took intensive Spanish lessons to strengthen communication, helped with cooking and cleaning and even assisted those living with vision impairment.
“Overall, it was a wonderful time of practicing the ministry of service, whether leading a devotional or scrubbing a toilet,” said Fazio.
The experience, he explained, was transformative.
“It woke me up to a feeling of sonder I never expected, transforming my worldview and deepening my relationship with Christ,” he said. “It taught me perseverance, surrender to the Holy Spirit and trust in the Spirit’s guidance.” Sonder is the realization that every other individual has a life as full and real as one’s own.
Fazio said one of his most memorable moments came while sharing his testimony at a church service during an earthquake. He recalled standing frozen in confusion as the ground shook. At the same time, his host mother, Wilma Grandez, raised her hands in praise and prayer without hesitation.
Grandez, whom Fazio described as “a Mother Teresa of South America,” spent years physically building a school brick by brick. The school now serves as a safe haven for children who otherwise would have had few opportunities. Her devotion, persistence and faith left a lasting impression on him.
“She would walk around the neighborhood inviting people to church, or even push me to share my testimony in Spanish despite my mistakes,” Fazio said. “Her life was a testament to surrender to Jesus and complete faithfulness.”
Fazio’s trip was made possible through GO International, a missions organization that partners with local leaders and churches across the globe. The nonprofit connects students, churches and volunteers with opportunities to serve in meaningful ways. From short-term mission trips to internships and long-term service placements, GO International has become a launching point for those seeking to engage in ministry abroad.
For students like Fazio, the organization’s model of partnership ensured that his work in Peru was both practical and impactful. Instead of arriving with a rigid agenda, he was able to step into the needs of the community and learn from those already faithfully serving.
Reflecting on his time in Peru, Fazio said the trip reshaped how he views missions. He no longer sees it as something limited to people who already feel “equipped.”
“It made me realize that largely Christ doesn’t call the equipped rather he equips the called,” he said. “I came to realize the deep and moving impact serving others has and just how faithful you need to be to serve in a missions context. It is a kind of faith and dedication that I long for and aspire to.”
The growth he experienced—both personally and spiritually—has led him to encourage others at Asbury University to consider applying for the Deese Grant as well.
“There’s no reason not to apply,” he said. “It gives you the ability to go and serve in a way that is deeply profound and transforms you in ways you’ll never expect.”
Photo courtesy of Zach Fazio.
