I quit my job and went on a Missions Trip.
A lot of you may know that I left for my mission trip with Ywam Ships Kona on April 22nd. I wanted to update you all on what has been going on since I have been here!
To recap, I am currently in the discipleship training portion of my mission trip. This training involves laying down a foundation of who God is and who we’re called to be in Him. It involves a lot of inward work.
Upon Arrival:
Due to some confusion, I ended up in quarantine by myself for the first five days of being in Hawaii. At first, I was pretty sad when I saw that everyone else on base had a roommate. But I chose to count it all JOY since I complained to God about not having enough time alone to process this transition. Those five days flew by and God prepared my heart to receive and be open to what was next.
I have been here a month and at times I struggle with being homesick or just missing my old environment. However, I have been so preoccupied, that it’s hard to stay in that place for long. My favorite activity has been our classroom time.
Overall so far, we have learned about hearing and recognizing God’s voice, the culture of Hawaii, the history of Ywam Ships, and the Adoptive love of Jesus.
The Lord has been doing a lot of heart work in me with the topics about Him. The biggest thing is that He has given me discernment to make wise decisions for myself and trust that He will be with me in those decisions.
It was intriguing to hear the history of Hawaii and how as Western missionaries bringing the Gospel, we shouldn’t change the culture or system of a people group to match our culture. Instead, we should share the love of Christ in ways they will understand. Respecting different cultures helps us share the love of Christ by not asserting our cultural preferences. It is also important to learn world religions, especially the dominating religion of the place you are visiting, to understand their worldview better.
…I also learned that honestly, EVERYTHING has pagan roots (but that’s another discussion for another day).
Anyways,
Through learning the History of Ywam Ships, I was touched by the stories of how they got started. The main focus of Ywam Ships is to share Jesus, teach and train, and show acts of mercy. I knew the Lord was tugging on my heart to serve in that area for outreach, and MERCY was the word I kept hearing.
Well, I just found out last week that I will be serving in Papua New Guinea for two months! I will be going with a team of 8 and will have the chance to travel by ship to certain areas. Papua New Guinea is predominate Christian, so I expect this outreach to focus on healthcare aid and discipleship. I am super excited about what God is going to do through our team.
Lastly, I made a few friends but mainly have spent a lot of time alone each day meditating on what I’m learning and praying for myself, my team, and the people God is calling us to
impact. I’m fixed on not getting distracted from what God sent me out here for. I want to be intentional to be doing the inward work daily to be used effectively.
Well, that’s all for now. I will update my blog next month!
Thank YOU to every person who has supported me on this trip, both in prayers and finances.