TRUSTING THE CALL
Sara Donovan’s Journey to the Mission Field
If you're looking for a story that beautifully illustrates what it means to be called, equipped, and sent by God, look no further than Sara Donovan. Her journey into the world of global missions and Bible translation is a powerful testimony to God's provision, timing, and transformative grace.
Today, Sara is preparing to serve overseas as a representative with Pioneer Bible Translators, where she’ll join a team embedded in a local community, learning their language and culture to support the work of Bible translation. While she doesn’t feel called to the linguistics side of the mission, her role is crucial—handling everything from transportation and meal planning to finances and visa logistics. “Anything that would pull the translators away from the work,” she explains, “that’s where I come in.”
Her path to this calling wasn’t straightforward. In fact, it began from a place of uncertainty.
From Darkness to Direction
Before she ever boarded a plane for mission work, Sara was struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, and an eating disorder. “I had always wanted to do missions,” she shares, “but I never thought I was capable.” That began to change in 2018 when she traveled to Uganda with the Basaba family, missionaries with SOS Ministries. It was a leap of faith, especially given her health, but God met her in that risk.
On that trip, Sara experienced a shift. “That was the first time I gave God my ‘yes,’” she says. “And He transformed me, gave me a love for missions, for travel, and a confidence I hadn’t known before.” Her work in Uganda included helping at a school and assisting with basketball camps on the SOS compound, small acts of service that planted deep seeds of calling.
A Defining Gap
After graduating high school, Sara made the bold decision to take a gap year rather than jump straight into college. She wasn’t sure what exactly to study and so it didn’t make sense at that time. By God’s providence, she joined the A-Team, a missionary family relocating overseas, and spent four months living and serving alongside them. That hands-on exposure gave her a real glimpse of what long-term missions looked like.
During that season, she also attended an IMB conference in Thailand, where she heard firsthand from missionaries around the world. That experience cemented her desire to pursue global missions. “I remember sitting there, listening to their stories, and thinking, ‘this is something I want to do long term.’”
Discovering Her Lane
Still, there was the question of how. She wasn’t a linguist, and many mission agencies primarily offered translation roles. That’s when she was offered an internship with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Ecuador. Through the month-long program, she dove into the intricacies of Bible translation and realized its immense impact. “Bible translation is the catalyst for everything,” she says. “It’s the best way to help indigenous communities really accept and contextualize it into their own culture and language they know best.” When people can read the Bible in the language they speak, think, and dream in—it changes everything.
Sara fell in love with the mission, but not as a translator. That left her momentarily confused.
Then she discovered Pioneer Bible Translators. Last summer, she spent two months with them and found not only a role that suited her gifts but a community that felt like home. “What drew me to them was their humility and prayer-centered culture,” she says. “‘Prayer is their strategy’ is something you’ll hear a lot.” Their organization has grown a lot, but they are always quick to give the credit to God.
Training Ground
Sara is now pursuing her Bachelor’s in Christian Ministry with a concentration in Global Christianity at Gordon College. She’s part of a Bible translation cohort and is currently a deacon of finance at First Baptist Church of Sudbury, a role she took on intentionally to prepare for her future overseas. “I’ve learned a lot from Donna and others at church who have come alongside me to help me grow,” she says.
This summer, she’ll be leading an internship team and serving as a liaison between missionaries and supporters in the States, further refining the administrative and leadership skills she’ll need on the field.
Her future role will include supporting missionary teams by handling logistical operations—from cooking and budgeting to visa arrangements and communication with sending churches. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s essential. “The fewer distractions translators have, the more time they can spend doing what God called them to do.”
Looking Ahead
Sara has already been accepted as a field representative with Pioneer Bible Translators. While she doesn’t yet know her specific assignment, her heart is drawn toward regions like West or North Africa, the Middle East, or Europe doing diaspora work with refugees. She’s learning French to prepare for those opportunities and hopes to make a vision trip before final placement.
She’s aiming to launch in 2028, once she graduates and raises the necessary financial support. Like all Pioneer missionaries, Sara will rely entirely on the generosity of ministry partners. “It’s a leap of faith,” she admits. “But over and over, I’ve seen that God provides for what He calls you to.”
Trusting God in Every Season
Sara’s story is not just about going, it’s about transformation. She speaks openly about the healing work God did in her heart as she walked through recovery, naming that season as a key turning point. “I had to put it all on the table with God. That was when I learned to trust Him, even when it’s hard.”
That posture of surrender continues to define her. Whether it’s eating unfamiliar food in Uganda, stepping into leadership roles, or waiting patiently for God’s timing, Sara embodies what it means to do the hard thing and trust God with the outcome. “People say I’m brave,” she reflects. “But this isn’t who I was in high school. Everything I have now is because of what God has done in me.”
To date, Sara has traveled to nine countries and continues to grow in cultural awareness, mission ethics, and leadership. She's studying missiology and learning from the mistakes of the past. “One of the biggest things I’ve learned is how vital the local church is,” she says. “I’ve been deeply supported by my church family, and that gives me the courage to go.”
Sara knows the road ahead won’t be easy. But she’s confident in one thing: God is faithful. If He calls you, He’ll equip you. He’ll provide. And He’ll be with you every step of the way.
Editorial Photography – Rebekah Marcotte
Archival Photos – Sara Donovan
Written By – Rebekah Marcotte