Even in the darkest of places, light can shine through. Light withstands time.
The Lord brought me to a hopeful place during a night where we were sleeping on the beach in Cartagena, Columbia. I was lying out on the sand with the sounds of the ocean as my soundtrack and a blanket of stars laid out before me. That’s where the Lord sat with me. I asked Him,
“What do you like most about his creation?”
He answered,
“ My creation is beautifully and wonderfully made, remember that I outshine even the most beautiful of creations. I look at all my creation that way.”
He then reminded me of this verse…
“You are the light of the world- like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts in under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father.”
Matthew 5: 13-16
Why is it that we has humans can’t fully believe that the creator of the universe thinks this way about us?
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It’s now the beginning of month 5!
The Lord has grown me exponentially since the first day I stepped on the airplane to fly to our first country. For the first time in my life, I’m able to Be Still in my Father’s presence and listen for His voice. He has spoken truths over my life that now enable me to walk in boldness and confidence in the fact that I am a child of God. Nothing in this world can stand against that truth! He has always seen me as a star in the night sky, bringing light into darkness; the difference being this time is that I had to go on a journey with him to step into that awareness and belief.
Month 1: Peru
Ministry
Working with a YWAM base in the heart of Lima, where my team worked alongside a village church to bring VBS to the children. Along the way, we met people with whom we spoke truth into their lives, laugh with them and even play with them.
What I learned this month
This month the Lord showed me how the Holy Spirit has a place in my life. Throughout our ministry days, I could be confident in the fact that He would continually be guiding my words and actions .The kids we met along the way taught me what it meant to have joy in being a child of God.
Month 2: Ecuador
Ministry
This month my team worked at a French non-profit called Equasol. This was a safe place where kids could go after school to learn, play and stay out of trouble on the streets. During ministry, we created fun paper mache lanterns, painted murals, and repainted walls. Equalsol is a French government run organization, so we were able to bring Jesus into this place and plant seeds for others to come in.During the inbetween times of working on our projects around the building, we got to love on those kiddos!
What I learned this month
Just when I thought I was doing great, everything that I thought I learned in Peru crashed down on me. I was frustrated that I couldn’t hear the Lord’s voice, so instead of simply just asking Him what I should do, I dived into just trying force my relationship with Him with a routine of checking things off the list…
Read Jesus Call: Check
Read a verse: Check
Listened to Worship music: Check
Until one night, I cried out all my frustrations to him and sat there on a bench overlooking Quito, Ecuador just being still with the Lord to listen for His voice. That’s when I found Him. He told me…
“You are mine. Daughter, You are mine!
Stop trying so hard, be still and soak in my presence so that you may hear my voice. Believe the truths that people speak into you life, don’t belittle the qualities about yourself for I have made you unique. Now stand up and worship boldly on top this hill. Don’t let fear to trap you into hiding from me.”
Month 3: Columbia
Ministry
What I loved most about Colombia was seeing the hunger in the children’s eyes to hear truths about God. Even though a lot of the kids came from broken families, poverty, and difficult backgrounds, they still were reaching out for what truth was.
What I learned this month
At some point in the middle of the month after some of my teammates fell through a roof, the Lord brought me to a place of brokenness before Him. I felt like I was failing my team as a team leader and as a friend. He kept asking me to find Him! That if I could find Him and get over this hump of self-doubt, that big things were coming!
Month 4: Macedonia/ Greece
This month we had the opportunity to be apart of the refugee crisis in Greece. Idomeni was a refugee settlement in which we worked at, among other settlements around the gas stations nearby. I remember stepping into Idomeni for the first time and for some reason I didn’t feel overwhelmed by all the tents right before my eyes. I walked into a place where a lot of hopelessness was overpowering people, however the Lord was armoring me up with Hope. For I know the one who brings that hope, and I was ready to spread that out like wildfire. As we were walking along the dirt road in-between tent homes, we were waving to the people that called out to us but we were stopped by one family in particular. They invited us into what they now know as home. As we started to get to know them, they started to tell us a little of their story of coming to Greece from Syria. One of the families lost their two sons at some point during all the craziness. The mom and daughter started to tear up during that moment, obvious that the deaths were still fresh on their minds. In that moment I kept hearing the lord say “comfort my child.” I ended up going over to their twenty year old daughter and giving her the biggest hug? I could pull out. We just embraced, each of us crying for five minutes. After that I had the opportunity to still in the tent with her and just have some awesome girl talk. ( yeah, she loves one direction woop woop!) I got the opportunity to continuing building a relationship and to become friends with her throughout the month. At one point during the month, the Lord had me draw her out a picture with the word “hope” at the top. I know the lord has brought them out of their comforts of home to begin this journey of finding out where true hope is. I am continually praying for this beautiful family that have touched my heart in more ways then I could have imagined.
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So far on the race I am seeing children of the light being spread out among the nations.
There are people, like our host this month in Montenegro, who are spreading Christ’s shining light in a dark place. Hope can be seen in many different forms, whether it’s through a smile or even a simple welcome. As a world racer I’m so honored to be a part of what God is doing in each of these countries and ministries!
Update
I have arrived in Montenegro for month five! This month and the months to follow however are going to look much more different for me. Why you may ask? Well, I will no longer be a team leader nor even being on a team, for I will be squad leading the entire b-squad with two other women! I feel humbled and honored that the Lord is bringing me into this new season of growth. During this new season I will be jumping around to the five teams to be there as a supporter and to be able to speak life over them!
