A Blog About A Little Bit Of Everything
Well it’s been about 16 days since I last posted, which is way too long with what happens here on the World Race. Let’s just say things have been busy but there’s also been a lack of WiFi opportunities. So here on this blog you’ll read what God has been doing in and through me up to this point. I’m going to try and not make it too long but get right to the point for your sake but more my sake.. Tbh.. I’m trying to go see Black Panther again at 4:15pm and it’s 2:52pm… Soo… let’s get started!!
Since my last blog post I have been in 3 areas and I’m now in a fourth. Things will be separated in that manner. Thank you guys for reading!
Quito, Ecuador
After Baños, Ecuador, me and my Team Zeal went to Quito, Ecuador. This was a very hard week for me. During this week we partnered up with a church, and our main focus was facilitating the youth service and kids service, plus testimonies during regular morning service. This week was just a continuation of some hard times I was having. Still having a broken arm plus all the other growing pains made it an emotional week. I had hard times sleeping because of the arm, I missed my girl Isabel a lot, plus many cool things were happening with my friends and church so it was really just a hard time being away from those things. More importantly and deeper was the work that God was and has been doing in my heart. I have been learning much about the Father Heart of God and what His plan is for my life. If you have been keeping with the blogs you will know more about what I’m talking about. During this week at Quito, the team spent a lot of time reflecting and looking back on what God had done in and through us. I could write a whole blog on this but on the World Race you are learning what it truly means to be a child of God. Here you don’t have everything that has ever made “you.” What this shows is truly where you find your identity. Many of us already know that our identity is in Christ’s love but there has been such a deeper awakening to what that really looks like. For me I have been pushed to really look at the course of my life. Why was I living the way I was living? Why was I on the path of ministry that I was on? Why did I still have some emptiness in my heart? Why did I make certain decisions? Why was I hoping certain things for my life? All of these questions drew me into more intimacy with the Father. I realized I wasn’t finding Abba Father to be my all in all. Other things learned through this week at Quito, I grew a lot in community. I had some hard conversations with some teammates as they called me higher in some areas. But allowing a healthy vulnerability will always produce an intimacy which leads to Christ’s sufficiency. It also was a tough week because I got strep-throat and had a fever for about 2ish days. One of the days in Quito for me was all about going to the doctors to get my stitches out from my surgery and start therapy plus going to the clinic and getting a shot in my butt for strep which hurt a lot… like a lot. Within that week we also had a Sabbath day. This is something all teams implement which simply is a day for us to learn what true rest with the Father really means. So Quito felt like a little wilderness for me, which I truly love those seasons because if you learn to become needy before the Lord, steadfast in devotion and surrendered in emotions during those dry spells, you’ll find yourself coming out of those times truly more in love with Abba Father and built up in faith. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James? ?1:2-4? ?ESV?? Sunday was my favorite day as it usually is but it was a special time. As mentioned earlier we were held responsible to lead the kids service on Sunday during 1st service and do testimonies during 2nd. The day before we helped lead the Youth Service were we did games and practically did a Q&A time which had a testimony time in it. That was super fun so that was the plan for Sunday morning. Although.. we honestly weren’t giving much direction so most was planned on the spot. God showed up and did a lot. Thankfully everybody was ready on the team. That morning felt like VBS! A total blast! My heart was definitely so encouraged being with those kids. Then we shared testimonies during the second service. Side note – it was truly wonderful to see another’s culture way of expressing their heart of worship to God. A lot of dancing and shouting and singing! Love it. Emily shared an encouragement to the Church and the Pastor practically changed the direction of his message based on what she shared. He told us after that the little story she shared was the perfect tangible expression for his message. It was a story about little Johnny being faithful with the task that was given to him no matter what he saw or felt. After the message the Pastor asked us to lay hands on the people which was unexpected but alright! Let’s go! This was a special moment for me. To go back a little further a very special father figure of mine Mark Kentner was prophesying over me during a time of worship and prayer. This is what was said, “It will be through your hands and not your words, You won’t need to know what to say, for His Spirit will flow and give you power. It’ll be through the touching of your hands, the power of your touch. You will heal and allow people to experience the presence of God through power of your touch.” Since being on the World Race I’ve prayed into this and just asked God to use me when He’s ready. Well besides other times of being out on the streets praying for people this was a time I felt God leading for me to simply lay hands and pray silently. Well I moved from person to person and gave some words to some but as I approached one lady I felt a larger tug so I laid my hands on her and immediately there was energy and connection. I began to pray and eventually I grabbed her hands. I could feel what she was feeling and it was just moment after moment of releasing and receiving of whatever God was doing. This happened longer than the other other people as I felt ready to move on I prayed a quick short prayer for her out loud and moved on. She quickly grabbed me and pulled me in and kissed my cheeks and in Spanish translated said, “Thank you so much. You have know idea what your touch did. I just felt so much and had a moment. Thank you.” After this moment I couldn’t help but thank God for this moment. I thanked Him for changing this woman, I thanked Him for choosing to use me, and I thanked Him for being faithful to the things He had spoken. Later that day we had lunch and then I got the fever and the next couples days were rough hahaha. But that Sunday was such a full day in the middle of the “desert.” So that’s Quito as short as I can get it!
Awakening Conference / Quito, Ecuador
After the church in Quito we went to The Awakening in Quito. The Awakening was a time where my Fusion Squad and 2 other Gap Year Route Squads met to do CHURCH for a couple days. Wow! It felt like Youth Camp all over again haha. Gap Year Routes are for 18-21 year olds who go on the Race for 9 months instead of 11 right after high school primarily as a “Gap Year.” So this weekend was no sleep, no breaks in the schedule and a whole lot of Jesus! It’s always great to meet new people and see what Jesus is doing in and through them. Hearing many stories that week in itself was very uplifting and encouraging. For me probably 2 big things happened. I had some intimate moments with Abba Father, and I learned more how to walk in the prophetic. I’ll start with the awesome moments. It was morning session and the Worship Team was leading us into a time to reflect on what God had been teaching about who He is. Then we were asked to write a letter about what we felt God would say to us in this moment. Eventually to go write what we learned about who God is on this poster. One of my favorite songs “Sinking Deep” was being played as I was writing my letter. Then after finishing this letter I got on my knees and began to worship the Lord in song. Once the bridge came up a flood of tears came out. In that moment my flesh and my heart was frail and I knew God was growing me and teaching me so much during these last weeks that I just fell to the floor and said God these words are all I can give you so please take them. “Your love so deep Is washing over me Your face is all I seek You are my everything Jesus Christ You are my one desire Lord hear my only cry To know You all my life.”
I began to just weep before the Lord and His spirit oh so came with power. And this verse here explains what I experienced. “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians? ?3:16-19? ?what I wrote on that poster was that Abba Father has forgiving me to come Home. That Home isn’t a place of four walls, a place with my favorite people, a place with my favorite things but the simple place of being in the arms of Abba Father, that’s Home. There in that place I’m fully known, fully accepted, and fully known. This is probably is the biggest thing God has been teaching me on the World Race and this Awakening just simply allowed me to truly experience this truth on a deeper level. Don’t worry.. I’ll soon write a blog about the bigger truths God is teaching me. Right now I’m just trying to download a lot so bear with me 🙂 There was also a time of worship where we were led to ask the Lord what our Idols are and give them up to the Lord. This will be another blog on its own 🙂 So that experience was truly amazing. The other great moments at the Awakening was being a part of the Intercession Team. During this conference we were separated into different groups of our choosing. Then there were teachings done by us on each different section. It was a very empowering weekend for many as I stayed back in the sidelines because of some things God is speaking to me which is another blog too 🙂 Well being a part of this team allowed opportunities to speak over and pray for people. My prayer was simple. God I know you have called me and equipped me to build your people up so please give me words of encouragement. As this certain session went on that we did I had many words for the men within the groups. Later during testimony time I found out that many of the words I shared were spot on. Other people I could see their reactions and for others I know God was leading directing the word. For me it was a time to grow and become bold in the ministry of the Holy Spirit within the movement of the body. I felt very encouraged by the Lord and others to know that He is building this muscle of communication within me. All in all the Awakening was a moment of lots of teachings, testimonies, fun, and simply the enjoyment of each other sharing our lives and the gospel as well.
Mancora, Peru
After the Awakening, us Fusion Squad left to go to Leadership Development Weekend in Peru our new country for the month. LDW is simply a time where people within our teams are giving opportunities to teach and share with the others on the team what God has been doing. Truly a time of fun and development as we head to newer countries. Here during this team we had team changes and positions of leadership were switched. We went from 4 teams to 3 teams. As well 3 people were raised up to be Team Leaders. So that was really fun. This will be a blog I’ll post at the end of this week as I explain what this new week has been with my new teammates. Here in Macora, we shared and hung out by the beach. After a short weekend we got on a 21 hour bus ride to Lima, Peru which is where I’m at now. Here this week is an all Squad week. All 19 of us are staying at one house and getting ready to leave to our new cities with our new teams.
Okay…..
I know that was a lot, at least it felt like it for me. I know some wasn’t said in detail but the things that God is speaking to me are BIG truths that will soon eventually come out on a blog over the course of these next last 9 months. So thank you for keeping up with my journey guys. Thank you for those who are praying for me and thank you for those who have donated and supported me. God is doing so much that I want to talk about it all so I plan to write at least a weekly blog of review with what God has done and then within those blogs there will be specific blogs as God puts them on my heart. Again, thank you so much guys! Please share this post with others and encourage people to subscribe to my blogs. Let’s get the truth of Jesus out to our friends and family. Remember.. God is always wanting to reveal Himself to you in a new way in order to do something in you and through for His glory and the world’s good. Love you guys! Thanks!
