Outreach Part 3: Mahahual & Xcalak

And now, the long-anticipated concluding post about my YWAM Denver Outreach! Here a few stories about our travels to Mahahual and Xcalak.

Mahahual

While in Mexico on Outreach, we spent about a week and a half traveling to 2 remote fishing villages in the southern regions of the country. Up first was Mahahual, a village on the ocean with lots of cruise ships and tourism.

Street where tourists from cruise ships come to shop

Picture of beach down the street from the church we stayed at

While there, our entire team stayed and slept in a one-room church building just blocks away from the beach. We visited the surrounding villages, as well as the tourist district, praying for people and leading many to the Lord.

We also led several church services at the church that was hosting us. It was a great opportunity to encourage the pastor and congregation. The church had experienced a lot of division and conflict, so it was good to help them regain perspective and hope by reminding them that God is here to heal all their wounds.

One of the things that struck me the most about Mahahual was that the vendors and restaurant owners realized very quickly that we were not tourists, and they were quick to open up to us as a result. Building relationships with them was super easy, and the restaurant workers were happy to direct us to where we could go for more reasonable food prices, among many other tips they provided that helped us along the way.

One man even gave one of our ministry groups an entire grilled chicken just as a sign of hospitality! It was really tasty too. =)

Here are a few of my teammates hanging out by a beach home in Mahahual:

In Xcalak

Xcalak was an even smaller village than Mahahual, and we were one of the first groups (if not the first group) of missionaries to come to that region of Mexico. We spent quite a bit of time praying for and encouraging the pastor of the church there. He has been living and ministering in the village without much of a support system for many years.

The village itself is very spiritually dark, so the pastor there has come up against many conflicts and challenges as he continues doing God's work there.

We were only in the village for a couple of days, but we hosted a few church services, did dramas in the park in the center of the village, and did some door-to-door evangelism. Xcalak already has seen a shift through a decrease in drug and alcohol abuse, and we were able to continue making a positive impact in the community and atmosphere by ministering to the people we met.

At the end of this post are a few photos of one of the dramas we used at the park in Xcalak called "Forgiveness." It portrays how Jesus saves us from various distractions and temptations in our lives.

So, I hope you have enjoyed reading about the various places we traveled and the types of ministry we did there! Seeing all these new places and seeing what God wants to do there impacted me as well as the countless people we met. It has been a privilege to learn more about how God sees the world and to show others the gospel which is intended for all.

Outreach Part 2: Cancun

Hello, friends!

As promised, I am back to share more of my Outreach adventures with YWAM Denver. We spent the majority of our time in Mexico in downtown Cancun. Our team lived in an apartment building in the heart of the city and did a variety of ministries there. Typically, we had one ministry activity in the morning, an afternoon siesta, and an evening ministry. Some of the different kinds of ministries we participated in include:

1. Door to door evangelism - We visited people in a couple of colonias (small living communities) and prayed with them, invited them to local church events/meetings, and simply tried to bless them in some small way. Here are a few photos of one of these small communities:

One of the most memorable experiences I have from visiting one of these colonias was stopping by a family's house who had recently accepted Christ and had begun going to church together. The father said that they had been fighting every single day until converting. At that instant, a peace came over their entire home that they could not explain. We were able to pray with them that the Lord would continue to bless them with grace and peace and that He would grow their faith individually and as a family.

2. Street ministry - We had worship sessions, performed dramas, and delivered testimonies in parks around Cancun to create ministry opportunities for passersby.

Group of us performing a skit called "Me" in a local park in Mexico

 While the idea of performing and making public declarations of faith may intimidate and overwhelm some, it opened up so many doors for us to talk to people about their walks with God. Many people were introduced to Christ because of our team performing dramas in the streets and asking if those present wanted to receive Him.

One man even yelled out in the middle of one of our presentations, asking what he could do if he does not know Jesus! A translator pulled him aside and told him exactly what to do while we finished our testimonies and dramas for the rest of the crowd.

3. Kid's Programs - We performed for kids in local colonias and helped out regularly with an after school program twice a week.

After school program

Trying to make 11-year-olds dance

 

 

The group I worked with was mostly middle school aged kids. We played games with them, taught them some English phrases, and shared a Bible story with them every time we met. Their favorite day was kickball day. It was great to get the chance to work with them over several weeks and to build relationships with these kids. Over time they began to warm up to us more, and we were able to share with them how they can have dynamic lives walking with God.

Other Ministries - We also visited a prison, a hospital, and a rehabilitation center, introducing many individuals to Jesus, praying for the sick to be healed, and encouraging whomever we met.

Of course there are countless stories and many more adventures to tell. There is no way any one blog post could give you a full picture of what our life was like in Cancun for 6 weeks. But here are a few snapshots of the activities we did and just a few surface pictures of the people we encountered. I hope to post a few more in-depth experiences in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading, and look out for Part 3 about our travels to remote Mexican fishing villages!

Outreach Part 1: California

There have been several requests for stories about the Outreach I went on with YWAM Denver. We traveled throughout California and Mexico from mid-December to mid-February and participated in multiple ministries as we traveled. I will do my best to detail the highlights of the trip in the next series of blogs.

Mexicali Outreach Team Photo

The first 2 weeks of Outreach were a road trip to multiple locations in California. We started in Redding, where we attended Bethel Church services and a class at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. We learned from the teachings there and even had the opportunity to go downtown in Redding and do some street ministry there. We worshiped and prayed with many homeless men in the area and were able to encourage them.

From there we headed south to San Jose where we helped with a youth service, spent time working on dramas for street ministry, and worshiped and interceded for the city. We also went to Santa Cruz and worshiped in the streets downtown.The small group I was with met an extremely talented street musician. We split a pizza with him and just spent time talking to him about his life, demonstrating God's love for him through our actions.

Group Worship in San Jose, California

 We spent the remainder of our time in California in Los Angeles, where we had some team-building time at YWAM's LA base. We were able to spend some time getting to know one another better and learning how to work together and encourage one another as a team.

In LA, we were able to go to the Griffith Observatory, where tourists often go to see the Hollywood sign. The observatory is also on a hilltop overlooking the entire city. After taking advantage of the great photo opportunities, we stood on the hill overlooking Los Angeles and worshiped and prayed over the city. We asked for God to open up opportunities for His kingdom to reign in that city and simply worshiped Him.

To the right is a photo of the team posing with the Hollywood sign in the background.


On Christmas Eve, we headed into downtown LA to minister wherever God led us. The majority of our team went into Skid Row and ministered to the homeless they encountered there. But a small group of us, myself included, felt led to go to Hollywood. We took the subway and got off right at the star walk.

We prayed over the stars and the street as we walked there, as well as the entertainment industry in America. Our country has an obsession with media and entertainment, and we prayed for godly leaders and performers to be given opportunities to be lights in the industry.




 The rest of our time in Hollywood was mostly spent talking to and praying with venders on the streets. We met multiple aspiring performers looking for a chance to tell tourists about their albums. We did our best to encourage them that day, reminding them that they are important to God. Our group bonded with one vendor in particular, and he showed us around the street and hung out with us for an entire hour.

In light of people that we consider famous and influential in the United States, like the celebrities on the Walk of Fame, it is easy to feel insignificant. But the amazing thing about God is that He has time and attention for every single being that He has created. It was such a privilege to be able to show this to the individuals we encountered in California.

I hope this gives a good picture of the types of ministry we encountered while in California and that you have enjoyed this post. I will continue writing about the team's experiences in Mexico to tell even more about our travels.

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it on the seas

and established it on the waters.

Psalm 24: 1-2

Hebrews 11:3

Today during my quiet time, I read through Hebrews 11, which has been dubbed the “Heroes of the Faith” passage of the New Testament. It’s a great reference to review the major characters in the Old Testament that the Lord used to bring His plans of restoring the Earth to fruition. Pastors and teachers love this chapter because it is such a succinct summary of how the Lord awarded faith in many well-known Bible heroes, like Abraham and Moses.

As someone who has studied the Bible and attended church my whole life, it is easy to say to myself, “I already know all these stories. Faith is powerful, and God loves it.  Ok, cool.”

But I chose to come to this passage with a fresh perspective, open to what God may want to show me today. The chapter begins with the ever popular definition of faith,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

This verse is often used to encourage those that have been struggling with an on-going conflict of some sort, reminding them that God is true to His promises. Holding on to faith in the face of conflict and suffering is something the Lord holds in high esteem.

But as I read on, I suddenly became aware of verse 3, which is often glossed over in light of the definition of what faith is and who the ancient “Heroes of the Faith” were. It says this,

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

I literally STOPPED reading when I read this verse. Seriously, just think about it! Every single thing in this universe was not, until God called it into being.

This means that where there was nothing, God saw something.

This means that when there was only darkness, God filled everything with light.

God created not just you out of nothing; not just all plants and animals out of nothing. God created the universe out of nothing. He spoke, and it came to be.

What does this mean for us? First, if gives us significance. It gives us identity. God called us into being when nothing like humanity existed before. Not only that, but He took the time to create each thing individually. 

When we feel like nothing, God says, “You are something.”

But what else does this mean for us? It means that whatever we think is impossible is, in fact, possible with God! 

Whatever dream is in your heart that feels out of reach or unobtainable is possible.

If God gives you a dream that looks completely impossible for you, God is the God of possibility. He creates something where there is nothing. He calls something by name before it even has being.

God has placed dreams in the hearts of some men and women. But often we lack the faith that they will actually happen. 

I have lived without faith in the dreams God has given me, but He has relentlessly pursued me to remind me of these dreams. He continues to lead me to places where my faith will be built up so strong that I can no longer ignore what He is dreaming for me.

So today I want to challenge you to dream big with God. Even if He has not placed a dream in your heart, He wants to partner with you. He wants to help and watch you grow and step out in faith every single day.

When our dreams align with God’s heart, and we have faith that He will do them, there is nothing that can stand in our way. Scripture says that even faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain.

So what is it you want to see God do for the sake of His glory? Because He is faithful to His word and will move mountains on your behalf.

But here is the trick to it: in order for God to move on your behalf, you must seek Him first. While God wants to give good gifts and have His people live up to the potential He created them for, it is easy to get caught up in the idea of living these dreams of seeing churches double or becoming world-famous evangelists so much that it becomes more about becoming something ourselves and not about His glory.

These dreams should serve the end purpose of learning about and revealing more of who He is.

Ultimately, while all these dreams are amazing and will advance the Kingdom on Earth, it is important to remember that HE is our prize.

Seek the Lord in all you do and dream big with Him. He waits for you to come so He can show you what He can do.

Being careful what we pray..

Today I feel compelled to tell you all a bit more about what brought me to YWAM Denver.  Some of you know part of the story, but I want to give even more detail about some of the factors that led me to decide to put my life on hold and try some new things.

After I graduated from college in spring 2011, I was totally burnt out and never wanted to read another deep, academic book again.  I never wanted to sing another note.  Seriously, I was just done.  Not totally sure why, but that was the place I was at.  And in my exhaustion, I prayed that God would give me a job that would cover all my expenses, allow me to save for grad school in 1 year, and keep me in West Palm Beach until moving for school.

Well, guess what?  God gave me exactly what I asked for.  I worked as a sales associate in an office from 9-5, and all of the criteria I specified were met.  And guess what else?  I was miserable.  Not only was the job a terrible fit for me and not only was it something completely off from the music God created me for, the atmosphere at the office was incredibly negative and dark.  So I hated my life.

Yep.  Turns out that burn-out isn't really a good reason to stop using my gifts or whatever.  But I kept looking ahead to grad school, reminding myself that it was only one year away and that I could make it.  Well, when it came time to apply, God stopped me.  He got my attention through some members of my church who asked me if I felt like God was calling me to Music Therapy, the field I'd chosen to pursue.  I stopped to consider and realized that I had chosen to pursue this field in my 2nd year of school and decided that God would get my attention if He had other plans in mind.

So there's one mysterious answer followed with another mystery.  I'm not called to Music Therapy school.  Okay, but what am I supposed to do with music, God?

Because grad school was the hope propelling me forward, I became increasingly dissatisfied with my occupation.  So after about 3 months I began looking for another job somewhere else.  I immediately got a TON of leads and was offered several interviews.  But it was still a much longer and more tantalizing process than I preferred.  And I became more and more restless and more and more confused as time went on.

There was one position in particular that I was excited about, but it was taking FOREVER for the interview process to move forward.  Three MONTHS after I initially expressed interest in the position, and I was finally given a phone interview (we are now at March 2012, to give you a timeline), I was venting about how long this was taking to move forward to another girl at my church.  She asked me if I believed another office job would make me happy.  And without thinking, I replied,

"No, I need to do music."

Those of you who have ever talked to me know that I rarely, if ever, answer a direct question with a direct answer without hesitation.  It just so happens, that this conversation happened within the same week that my brother called me as he drove back from a visit to the base at YWAM Orlando.  As he told me how much he missed it and all the things he learned in his Discipleship Training School a couple of years ago, something strange changed within me.  And I remember feeling like someone else was speaking for me as I asked him,

"What if I did a DTS?"

Ever since mid-March I have followed God as He led me to do more and more crazy things than the last.  He called me to leave my full time sales job, work as an interim worship leader, while juggling 2 other jobs, move in with a couple from my church, and then leave it ALL behind as I left Florida for this adventure in Denver.

Needless to say, this has been an eventful year.  But it has also been so good.

Do I know exactly what's next?  No.  I do know that God is the one who spoke that I needed to come to this DTS, and I do know that God is the one who spoke through me that I need to be doing music.  I am confident that He has a future for me in singing, and I am trusting that He will reveal these things in His time.

Being in this school has been challenging, especially living in a small and involved community.  But it's opened up my eyes to how God sees the world.  When I look at things from His perspective, making a steady income that allows me to save just doesn't seem quite as important as doing what He's created me to be.  I've experienced so much more fulfillment being open and willing to serve than I was one year ago.

And so, while I don't fully understand why He has called me to be here for now, and while I do not fully know what's coming next, I do know this: He is trustworthy.  And He is good.  These things remain true regardless of my circumstances.

I know it seems a bit late in the game to post something like this, but I hope this testimony of my past year helps you in some way in your own walk with God and/or search for your passion.  As you fight through the confusion and the darkness, hold on to the truths that you know of God and who He is.  I promise you, He will not disappoint you.


"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" -Isaiah 30:21

Busking

Today a dedicated friend of mine traversed with me to downtown Denver, and we decided to be street musicians for the afternoon.  There was a troupe of students going to the museum for an art exhibit, so we hitched a ride in the van and picked a relatively busy street to serenade the passers-by and see if we could make some tips while we were at it!  [I found out after performing that this is in fact referred to as "busking," though Wikipedia says we are also minstrels or troubadours - Street Performing]

We had an acoustic guitar, a ukelele, our voices, and musical knowledge.  And that's all we needed.

Song selections included "Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson, "Better" by Regina Spektor, "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, and "Over the Rainbow" because that's basically the song the ukelele was created for.

We met several new acquaintances, some familiar with YWAM, others familiar with the local coffeehouse/open mic scene.  We were asked for our phone numbers once, if we can play any rock n roll, and whether or not we smoke weed.  We responded "no" to all three inquiries.

After playing for some time, we decided as a band that it was time for our first break, so we headed across the street to a local coffee shop for refreshments and to use the loo.  We walked into the shop where the workers could clearly see us across the street all afternoon in our plaid shirts, instruments in tow, and me carrying my lunch sack in a brown paper bag.  Due to fatigue, I did not think everything through and asked the location of the restrooms prior to ordering anything, to which the barista replied,

"They're only for paying customers."

To which I replied,

"I'll have an Americano."

Apparently we looked convincingly needy.  That must be the reason we made exactly $11.99.

Well, actually it was supposed to be an even $12.00, but an overly-enthusiastic donor decided to throw a fistful of change down, causing a single penny to fall onto the sidewalk.  I didn't pick up the penny because I thought my friend had picked it up and she thought the same.

But the greatest treasure of all the outing - We were evangelized.

Oh yeah.  One guy dropped a false $1,000,000 bill into my guitar case, complete with information on "The million dollar question" in life - Will you go to heaven when you die?!?  Below are images of the "bill" and my friend reading the back aloud to me over my Americano.

We're just going to ignore all the theologically incorrect things on this piece of paper and marvel at the fact that this actually happened.  This is real life.




Well, friends, that was my afternoon!  What did you do today?  What songs would you want to hear us perform in the future?  How would you answer the "million dollar question?" ;)

Wax on, wax off

For those of you who don't know, I am currently a student in a Musician's Discipleship Training School (also referred to as MDTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Denver.  I would like to use this blog space to specifically update you guys on what I have been up to, and what I am learning here in Denver.  First off, I want to apologize for taking so long to start this blog!  I know I told a BUNCH of my friends that I would start one the weekend I arrived, but that just isn't how it seems to have worked out.  But, better late than never!  (My life's motto.)

Anyway, being in Colorado has been amazing!  I will post some photos in future entries just to talk about the different places I have visited thus far.  This is the first time I have ever visited this state, and it really is just a beautiful place.  Exploring a new part of the world (or, this country, anyway) has only made this experience all the more exciting!

As far as learning and curriculum are concerned, the first couple of weeks of DTS were more about refreshing things I have previously learned and restoring my relationship with God.  This past month was a journey in-and-of-itself to just realign myself with Him.

This past week, I have learned a whole lot about trust in the Lord, particularly in the area of money.  I have never participated in any sort of missions-related work before, so the whole process of fundraising has been totally new for me.  It's been difficult to learn to trust that my support will come directly from God by the hands of others.  Not only that, but my financial situation has also been tighter than I've grown accustomed to, so this is obviously an area that God really wants to teach me something about.

So I want to share a bit of the lessons I've been learning through this fundraising process.  Yesterday, I told a member of YWAM's staff a little bit about my financial situation, and he offered some very wise insights on the topic.  He said that it would be great and amazing and super relieving if God were to provide a HUGE lump-sum of money to help me with all the payments on my plate.  But here's the thing: How much would I really learn if that were to happen?

God might want to teach me something THRU this trial, rather than bringing me out of it right this moment.

The idea reminded me of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid.  When Daniel (played by Ralph Macchio) wants to learn karate, Mr. Miyagi immediately begins enlisting Daniel to help out with as many household chores and repairman activities possible.  This continues on for some time until Daniel has an outburst, wondering when in the heck he is ever going to learn karate already?!?

This is when the application begins.  As demonstrated in the video below, Mr. Miyagi reveals that the basic defense moves Daniel needs to know were taught to him through the process of learning these various cleaning/repair techniques.

Ingenious, right?

Mr. Miyagi ninja'd his student's brain by indirectly teaching him how to be prepared for future tasks.  And sometimes, God wants to teach us in this exact same way.  We may not see what the future holds, but if you are in a tight spot right now, be it financial or any other challenging situation, trust that the Lord knows what He is doing.  Ask Him to reveal simple joys and small lessons right now and believe that what you are living through right now will make more sense later.  He has your best interests at heart, after all.