co·in·ci·dence: noun a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.
Psssst, I have a secret to tell you… the above definition is only partially true.
There is an apparent connection.
That connection is The Lord.
Life is full of crazy “chance” situations. We all have them- moments when you happened to be in the right place at the right time, or some stranger said the exact words you needed to hear. Truthfully, these situations excite me… like a lot, but I never thought much deeper into them. I was always amazed at the sequence of events, but simply left it there. That was until something remarkable happened at training camp, and I realized that these moments aren’t chance at all.
It was a little over halfway through training camp, and we were diving into the gift of prophecy. This is basically allowing God to use you to speak into others. He may give you words, scripture, pictures, or a message to share with someone (see 1 Corinthians 14: 1-4).
After our lesson we paired up to give it a try. Our squad mentor was my partner (confession: she is an absolutely incredible woman of God who is a pure example of walking with the Holy Spirit. I was just beginning my experience with prophecy. Not gonna lie, I may have been a little nervous. But, looking back this was the beginning of the most powerful moment of training camp for me).
God gifted my partner a beautiful picture to share with me:
I began as a delicate bird- a dove. I was flying, and as I continued to fly towards the light, I began to gain strength. Transformation was occurring, and eventually I was a strong eagle, soaring fiercely towards the light. This image meant so much to me. Not only was it the first image God ever gave to me, but there was so much symbolism throughout this picture.
The delicate dove: I felt delicate at training camp, and I knew I had so much room to grow. That growth was beginning by shedding the hurt and shame of my past. I was becoming purified through Christ (hence the white color of the dove). As long as I kept flying towards the light (aka Jesus) I was able to gain strength through Him. His light was cultivating in me and allowing transformation. All I had to do was spread my wings, continue to seek Him, and I could soar like an eagle.
Fast forward to the next night. Our entire squad had gathered around before bed and began asking for prayer requests for our fears and concerns pertaining to next year. I had so much on my heart and was relating to so many of the painful truths others were sharing. The weight continued to pile on my shoulders, and I began to break. Reality was hitting me hard and it hurt. We began to pray and I was truly losing it, but someone grabbed my hand and held me through the prayer.
My sweet friend, who had grabbed my hand, pulled me aside after the prayer. She told me earlier that day she had written something down in her journal, knowing it was meant for someone, but not exactly sure who. As soon as she grabbed my hand, she felt the Holy Spirit telling her it was for me. She had written, “On eagles wings my darling”. I had not told anyone about the picture God painted for me through our squad mentor. When she spoke this into me, I lost it. It was the exact hope I needed to be filled with in that moment. I shared with her the image God had given me, and we both stood in awe of how our amazing Father is the One at work behind these miracle moments in our lives.
While leaving training camp something caught my eye. One of the homes right outside of camp had a little eagle statue. His head was facing the direction we were going. God whispered, this is the beginning of your journey; it’s time to spread your wings.
Soon, I was back at home in my cozy bed, sitting in awe of the entire experience of the past 10 days. Leading up to training camp, I had been memorizing scripture that spoke to me. I felt led to fill my soul with one of these truths, so I grabbed an index card holding one of my memorization verses. It was Isaiah 40:31:
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
The secret is out.
There is an apparent connection.
That connection is The Lord.
UPDATE:
-We have our official launch date- January 8th (only 57 days away!!!)
-We received our first ministry location in the Dominican Republic: We will be serving in Lajas de Yaroa with a ministry called Hope 4 the DR- I am beyond excited
I found this picture of a Church in the community:
Possible ministry we will be doing includes children ministry, prayer walking, construction and home visitations
I need your help!:
-Prayers would be very much appreciated for the entire squad leading up to launch
-Prayers for the people we will come in contact with during month 1 would be wonderful- that their hearts would be open and God begins working in their lives
-Financial help of any amount!! I am $10,697 away from my goal. Seriously every bit helps, whether it’s $1, $15, $27, $134, or $10,697 😉 Through every donation you are making a huge difference and it is appreciated beyond words. Also it’s tax-deductible!!!! (You can click the “Support Me!” at the top right of this page)
Have a super blessed start to this cozy holiday season, and THANK YOU for your love and support. I am forever humbled by your gracious hearts 
