Escape & Pray is a challenge that combines adventure, faith, and dependence on God.
The concept is simple: turn up at the airport, receive a mystery destination (a European university town), and spend a few days praying, sharing the gospel, and trusting God to provide along the way.
We had no accommodation booked, no food arranged, and no detailed plan. Our only instructions were those Jesus gave his disciples as he sent them out in Matthew 10:1-20: ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead… drive out demons… Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts… for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave’ (Matt 10: 8-11). Our hope was simply to connect with students, share Jesus, and trust God with everything else.
We (Alice, Rob and Ruby) arrived at the airport with no idea where we were going. When the envelope was finally opened, we discovered our destination: Malta.
On the journey, we chatted with people on the plane and gave away Bibles where opportunities arose. People were intrigued to learn that Malta features in the bible, and we read Acts 28 aloud. Rob was sitting next to a 21-year old from England who had experienced the presence of God in a chapel he wandered into during a night out just a few months before. He was super interested in hearing more about Jesus and started reading the bible we gave him straight away! We felt that if he had been the only reason we were on that flight to Malta, the whole trip would have been worth it. However, we quickly learned that God had more in store.
After landing, we began making our way towards the city (a three hour walk in the heat of the day), looking for churches and hoping to meet local Christians.
Church after church, however, were closed.
We spoke to some people, followed some leads, but all led to dead ends.
As the afternoon turned into evening, our optimism and energy began to fade. By around 7pm, we decided to change our approach. Rather than searching out churches, we returned to the centre of Valletta and sat down to pray, observe and listen to God. We were tired, hungry, wondering what God was doing, and our own strength had run out: we were totally dependent on Him.
Then something unexpected happened.
We noticed an elderly woman handing out leaflets about Jesus. We went over to speak with her and enjoyed a lovely conversation. Although she wasn't able to help us practically, it was encouraging to meet another believer.
While we were talking, an Australian PhD student nearby had been watching the whole interaction. Curious about why three young Brits were wandering around Malta without accommodation, he struck up a conversation with us. When we explained Escape & Pray, he found the whole idea hilarious. He mentioned that he was about to meet a friend for a film and thought she might be a Christian.
A few minutes later she arrived. As we talked, we discovered that she had become a Christian while studying at university in Durham, where she was baptised and became involved in a local church. Anna* now lived in Malta and was part of one of the island's few charismatic churches. She was excited, if not a little bemused to meet us. Almost immediately, she messaged her small group and within a short space of time, everything we needed had been provided.
A place to stay.
Food to eat.
Christians to encourage.
Even a lift back to the airport at the end of the trip.
What had felt impossible only an hour earlier suddenly became reality through the generosity and hospitality of God's people.
We stayed with a wonderful Brazilian man ‘until we left’ (Matt 10:11) who God had recently blessed with a new flat, which he wanted to use to build the kingdom and serve others. We were some of his first guests! He lived a short walk from the university, enabling us to head to campus easily.
Over the next two days, we spent our time meeting students, sharing our faith on campus, having conversations about Jesus, and giving away Bibles.
We met with and encouraged the chaplaincy on campus, and were blown away by their beautiful, creative prayer space which students had filled with the names of hundreds of their ‘not yet Christian’ friends whom they’re praying for. At the university, Ruby encountered some of Anna’s friends who didn't yet know Jesus, and was able to pray with them. We also had a long, beautiful conversation with a young person who believed in God but didn’t know Jesus personally; she was overjoyed to pray, read more about Jesus in the bible together and receive a New Testament so she could keep reading more.
Rob received a word from a partner about meeting a fisherman. Later that afternoon, due to a cancelled plan, we ended up by the harbour, where an older man was fishing. We began speaking to him, and he opened up about the pain in his life. We told him God sees him specifically, and shared the hope of Jesus.
That evening, Anna generously organised a BBQ on the beach for us to meet some more friends from church. It was incredible to receive such beautiful hospitality, hear others’ testimonies and worship together. She excitedly shared with us how she’d remembered that day that on Sunday, she had been praying over Luke 16:9 (NLT) ‘Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends.’ Only that day had she realised God had been preparing her to meet us! She also shared how our visit had provoked conversations about Jesus with her colleagues. The impacts of our adventure, our simple faith, were rippling further than we could imagine.
At Malta airport, waiting for our flight home, we prayed again, saying ‘God, we’re not finished yet! Use us as you will!’ Rob received a DM from the girls sitting in front of us on the outward flight who had overheard all our conversations and were wanting to know whether God had provided for us - we responded with a resounding yes! On the flight, Rob and Alice’s neighbours were asleep. However, halfway through, Ruby appeared, asking for two bibles. We had two left! The passengers in her row and the row in front were all interested in the bible, and she was reading passages aloud for the whole back of the plane to hear.
By the end of the trip, around thirty Bibles had been gifted to people, and countless conversations had taken place.
Most of all, we were reminded of a simple truth: God provides.
Escape & Pray isn't ultimately about travelling to another country. It's about learning to trust God when you don't know what's coming next. It's about stepping out in faith and discovering that He is already at work before you arrive.
Looking back, we are amazed by God. What stood out to us was how he weaved everything together, beginning before we arrived in Malta. From plane seating arrangements to a chance conversation in a city square; from inspiration through scripture to a church community ready to welcome complete strangers, he had clearly gone before us. We also trust that the impact ripples out even further than we can see.
What began with uncertainty ended with a powerful reminder that God's provision is more incredible than we think, and often arrives in ways we would never expect.
God is good. And in Malta, we saw that goodness on display in a remarkable way.
*Name changed to protect identity.
