DTS: Week 7

 

What a wonderful week! I have been in Durango México this whole time which has been such a great break from the constant busyness of Mazatlán. The YWAM base here is an extension of Mazatlán so things are done in similar ways. However, this base is just a house so feels like home. Us Kingdom Seekers are a big family and it's so comforting to me. Doing dishes, family-style meals, and life together is such a familiar atmosphere to me and is relaxing. 

During this week, we learned about relationships. It is deeply impactful. Even though I'm in a time of singleness right now (slightly forced :p), God has revealed so much wisdom for my life. First of all, we learned that being centered around God and making Him my first priority, cultivates a strong foundation for any relationship. When I love God, I love other people. These two things can not be separated. God measures my love for Him by the way I love my family, friends, and roommates. Also, by focusing on God's love, I can have a tangible love that covers a multitude of sins. We also learned about how sacred marriage is. It is a covenant to choose to love sacrificially every day for the rest of your life. I have been taught all of this growing up so it was just confirmation. However, God did reveal several epiphanies about how I personally think about romantic relationships. Because I've never had an official boyfriend, I want to do everything right the first time. This has made me slightly afraid to start anything. I tend to overthink and come to false conclusions or make rash decisions. Both aren't what God wants. I need to go slow so I can hear His voice and be dwelling in His presence at all times. It's encouraging though because our speakers made so many messes in their relationship but their marriage today is a beautiful example of Jesus. I need to have patience with myself as I figure out my feelings and when to act on them. 

This was kinda a summary of the teaching this week. Starting Monday, we'll be learning about the Holy Spirit. Half of the teaching will be done in the mountains! We will be tent camping for a portion of it. There are so many adventures to come but I want to recall the memories of today first.

Funny story, I jumped into a ceiling on Sunday night and was taken to the hospital (not necessary). It didn't hurt and the cut was small so I pulled an all-nighter. We stayed up watching movies, having pillow fights, having fun conversations, and seeing the sunrise. Jaden, Maddie, and Joel went to sleep but I started up all day to do laundry, pack, and get smoothies.

hospital

the sun is rising

fun group

Jaden, Maddie, and Joel

On Monday, we left base at 5:30 pm, and after a slightly hectic journey, we left on the bus at 7.

we all fit!

back row gals 

the gang's all here

we overpacked

ready to rumble

all the things 

On Tuesday the mountains were so beautiful in the morning and we ended with a bonfire. Praise God for singing, s'mores, and smoke.

the clouds :)

fire 

Wednesday was a chill day of classes and life.

sunrise

the bromance is real

On Thursday we had our day of ministry. I don't remember the name, but this group fed kids from the surrounding neighborhood every day. We played with the kids, told the story of Noah and the ark, served food, and cleaned up.

group game

all the kids

the girlies

Niqo and his banana 

 

delicious dinner

how I brushed my teeth without electricity 

Friday was a girls' night!! We did face masks, painted nails, and ate WAY too many brownies.

girlies

Saturday was our day of adventure. We packed into trucks and hiked to a river. It was such a fabulous time!

it's Mexico, we don't need real seats 

van crew

cold water

the whole group

hiking

what a wonderful life

Sunday was such a fun, full day. I woke up before breakfast, walked for 10 minutes, did my Bible time, and prayed. The Colombians, Nicky, and Daniel made arepas con queso with butter and salt on top. It was delicious! After breakfast, Bethany and I walked 5 miles to a coffee shop. It was so nice to talk and dive deeper into our friendship. I talked to my mama for a while and swung in the hammock which was so relaxing physically and mentally. Then, one of the base staff, Priscilla, had a birthday picnic that she invited us to. We ate sushi, made flower crowns, and took cute pictures. A group of us then went to the Centro for window shopping and ice cream.

cute lighting

breakfast prep

arepas

Coffee 

calling the mama

Nicky & I

golden hour

Bethany & I

a gaggle of girls

flower maidens 

cathedral 

fountain 

ice cream

Uber ride

It was such a fun week! Please be praying for financial help! Outreach fees are due this Wednesday and 7 people are still not paid off. We need around $20,000. Personally, I would love prayer for more spiritual growth and that I will be constantly becoming more like Christ. Also, that I will be comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

Thank you all for your support and prayers! God bless! 

DTS: Week 6

              

                This week has been so different from all the other weeks because it's Carnaval! Carnaval is one of the largest parties in Mèxico. During this time, the whole base changes its schedule and completely focuses on reaching the 40,000 people that come every night. These people come to party, drink, get high, have sex, and find fulfillment in fleshly things. The presence of evil is tangibly strong but the power and love of God is so much greater. Different ministries go out to the city, either inside or outside of Carnaval itself, to share God's love and preach the Gospel. We aren't afraid! The presence of the Holy Spirit will always make the darkness flee. During class time this week, we practiced preaching the Gospel to one another, learned how to meet people where they're at, and constantly listen to Holy Spirit. 

Some of the ministries include evangelism, art, worship, dance, intercession, miracles, and the Café. I am doing the Café. Our goal is to hand out free coffee and have heartfelt conversations with people about Jesus's love and the Gospel message. We're set up on a dirt parking spot overlooking the Malécon. This is where people walk to get to Carnaval. We have people greeting and bringing people up to the tables. Then, we have coffee servers and the table team. Our goal is to reach people through chatting with them, hearing their story, and sharing who Jesus is. 

On Thursday night, the first night of ministry, I was on the table team. We have 10 tables with 3 people at each one, a man, a translator, and someone else. Because translators are not as common, I was translating. Thankfully, there was a Spanish-speaking lady who was sharing the Gospel so well so I didn't need to do much. We saw 9 salvations that night!!

Friday night was really incredible! I was on the greeting team and got to talk to several people about the Café ministry, God, and His love for them. However, the most impactful part of the night was talking with this one lady. She sat next to me on the bench, and I just started asking her about herself, all in Spanish. I started telling her about YWAM, the free coffee, and why we were doing it. I asked her about her beliefs and she said she didn't believe in Jesus but she thought there was a God.  I shared about who God was and what He had done in my life. She didn't seem interested though so I asked if I could pray for her. Then, I tried to ask if there was something in particular she wanted prayer for but I accidentally said someone in specific. The Holy Spirit used that though!! She said her daughter, and after asking where her daughter was, she started crying. I hugged her for a minute or two and then she poured out her whole heart to me. Through that, I was able to share the Gospel and lead her in the prayer of salvation. It was such a beautiful moment I will never forget. God is so good and He even uses our mistakes to bring people to Himself.

Saturday was pretty good as well. I was greeting again and I had deep conversations. I was able to talk to a guy in English about his beliefs and life because he was a Christian but had left the church. Also, I talked to another man for an hour about his life and I think it really impacted him. I had a couple other conversations and really just had a lot of fun. 

Sunday was the last day of Carnaval and it ended with a long parade. We had ministry time beforehand and just walked around to evangelize to people. It wasn't my favorite day but it was good to step out of my comfort zone. After Carnaval,  we had our base victory night. We worshiped and have some really cool statistics. Around 1,828 heard the Gospel and 1,071 accepted Jesus as their Savior!! Amen! There were 34 baptisms and 29 healing. In the Café we handed out 530 cups of coffee. What an amazing time!! Being used by God and being apart of His plan in action is such a beautiful experience. 

Something to keep in your prayers, the kingdom seekers DTS is going to Durango this Monday. We're traveling by bus and will be there for two weeks. Pray for safe travels and warmth, it gets to below freezing at night and many of us didn't bring enough warm clothes. Thank you for your support! Enjoy the pictures!

a glimpse of worship 

Macy photobombed my Café picture and I forgot to take another ;)

one of my wonderful leaders 

Carnaval dump