YWAM Pittsburgh Fall DTS 2016

   FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, 

I left on September 14th to join a program called Youth With A Mission (or YWAM) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Youth With A Mission is a global missions organization that unites youth from all different denominations, countries, languages, and backgrounds to accomplish one goal: To Know God and To Make Him Known. The first three months of my time was spent in Pittsburgh living in a community atmosphere, attending lectures, and allowing God to challenge me spiritually. One exciting and also very scary task God put on my heart was forgiveness. Matthew 6:14-15 says "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive your sins." 

   I didn't know I needed it, but the cool thing about God is that he knows exactly what we need before we even ask him. I remember when a speaker came to the second week of lectures and spoke on forgiveness and instantly I knew I was suppose to forgive someone - someone who hurt me a long time ago and someone I tried to forget about. Well, God being God, revealed the deeper root of my bitterness. It wasn't until the speaker, Debra Tunney, said " we need to get over our hurt and pain and get healed because there are people out there who are hurting and need to know the truth and we need to tell them" that I finally surrendered. With the strength of God, I was able to tell that person I love them and I forgive them. I understood and felt God's perfect unconditional love and undeserving forgiveness towards me, and because of that, I am able to love and forgive others. 

   I realized that in order to live the sold-out-for-God life I desired, I'd have to be the clay and let God be the potter. This challenge called for a relinquishing of my rights. Another speaker, Dave Buering, spoke about surrendering ourselves fully to God and His plan for our lives. I knew that this went concurrently with forgiveness because just as we are called to forgive those who offend us, we are also prompted to let go of our feelings and emotions whenGod asks us to. And of course, this was a right I forfeited.

   Since the time of intense stretching, breaking down and building up, during the first three months, God has truly brought beauty to ashes. I remember one time in El Salvador when I was asked to share my story to a church called "Heaven" in Santa Tecla. Of course I dreaded the idea of sharing anything personal about myself to an entire church. However, I again felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share the transformation I had in my heart and how missions had contributed to it. So by the time night came, I was sharing to an audience who anticipated hearing of God's goodness when something so simple, yet so profound hit me - it's not about me. The story I was sharing isn't at all about me - it's all about God and how truly incredible He is. God wanted the glory out of it to reach the church. So there I was again, surrendering another right to God. 

   After I shared my two minute story, I was astonished by the Holy Spirit that fell down. People sobbing, laying face down, and crying out before God. I realized how foolish I was to think I even owned the rights to something magnificent God did in my life. The progression of God taking something broken and distorted by the world and turning it into something so impactful and beautiful is what inspired me to do missions. I never want to stay silent again. God is too good, too loving, too powerful, and too beautiful to keep to myself.

   I share to you just one of the life changing experiences I was humbled to have. As I write this letter, I am sincerely in awe of the wonder God has done in my five months with YWAM. The people I now call family, the victories through Christ I've witnessed, and the extraordinary power of God that was displayed leave me in tears. How humbled I am to have been apart of the great work in El Salvador and Colombia. 930 salvations, 247 rededications, 72 healings, and 1 deliverance is truly a reason to give God praise. 

   So I thank you encouragers, prayer warriors, and financial contributors for also being apart of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..."). In your obedience to God in equipping me to go overseas, you are blessed. (Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!") 

   I thank you all. With your help, I was able to jump into God's calling for my life.