Guys… Guess what.
Today is my HALF BIRTHDAY! WOOT!
I usually don’t acknowledge half birthdays as a thing, but why not celebrate?!
I’m halfway done with my 22nd year and it’s been such a crazy ride thus far. Best part is… IT AIN’T OVER YET!
Also…
I’m 80% FULLY FUNDED!
This means I just need $3,175 in order to reach my total goal of $17,561. We are SO close! In honor of my half birthday, I’m looking for some people who would love to support and partner with me to reach my goal! Are you in!? You can donate directly right here.
I’ve been so blown away at how God has been providing and I have NO doubt that I’ll be fully funded. I also have no doubt that this is exactly where I need to be in this season of my life. I’ve found the beauty of resting in the peace that God grants when we wholeheartedly surrender in obedience.
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I’ve loved being here in Colombia and I can’t believe our first month of ministry has come to an end! We’re currently debriefing for the week so all of the teams from our squad are back together here in Cartagena taking a week to process, reflect, and rest.
Here’s another mini photo series with some pictures from the overall month as well as some pics from what we did this week 🙂
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Meet Luisa (in the middle). She’s part of the staff here at YWAM Cartagena and she blessed my life. One night, Kelsey and I were chilling in our room and she came and sat with us. During our conversation, Kelsey asked her what she does in terms of fundraising in order to maintain a position on staff because they also need to raise support for themselves. Luisa shared how basically, God has ALWAYS provided. She doesn’t have much family support even though she comes from a pastoral family because her parents think she should be pursuing an education and career instead of becoming a missionary. She told us how anonymous givers have sent in offerings JUST in time to meet deadlines and how she’s believed in God even when those around her have questioned her faith. She’s gone through some hard stuff, but her story was so encouraging to hear. She’s a face I won’t forget. 🙂
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Meet Vinnie – one of my squadmates. (You can visit her blog here). Both of our teams were together for this first month of ministry. I just wanted to give her a little shoutout for her willingness to be intentional with the people we served at every place we went to. She was always engaged and constantly practicing her Spanish. It encouraged me on the days where I didn’t want to give 100%. (let’s be real, we all have those days). Thanks Vinnie, for teaching me how to press in even when I don’t always feel like it.
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This week, we worked with a charity called Amigos Del Mar. It’s run by a guy named Pedro and his mission is to give back to a community on the island of Tierra Bomba. This community has almost no government support and the children to adult ratio is 1:1. His heart is to influence the kids in the community and give them a better future. One of the ways he cultivates a positive environment is by creating a space where kids can come and learn different subjects such as Art and English.
We took a ferry to Tierra Bomba this Monday and gave Pedro a helping hand with the children. It was a blessing to see how much they respect him and how much he pours into them. They had an art class and Pedro taught them how to make disco balls. We helped cut out old CD’s to use as the pieces and they glued them onto styrofoam balls. Talk about creativity! To learn more about Pedro and his heart for the people of Tierra Bomba, you can watch this video: https://youtu.be/492gt6uLkMI
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Here’s Anouk (another awesome squadmate and her blog can be found here) and I on the island of Tierra Bomba. You can see the contrast of the city of Cartagena (behind us) with the island. If you think of it, be praying for this community and the ministry of Amigos Del Mar as they continue to pour into both the children and adults of this community.
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I’ve loved my first month of ministry, even the super hard parts. I also really enjoyed working with YWAM this past month. Both the students and staff encouraged me in my spiritual walk with the Lord through their discipline in seeking Him. Every morning, I’d see them wake up and have quiet time with the Lord before starting their day. I know it sounds simple, but for so long I’ve had a hard time waking up and just sitting with God before starting my day. However, these days I’m finding it much easier to spend time in the Word and journal. It’s also helped not being on social media and spending my time being more productive.
Welp.
That’s a wrap for month one.
10 more to go.
And just 6 more until my birthday.
But in the meantime, happy half birthday to me. 🙂
Stay tuned as we embark on new grounds this month in the countries of Guyana and Suriname.
Xo
