WOW I’m finally writing a blog. This blog might be long compare to the ones I’ll be writing and that’s simply because I’ll be sharing with you what God has been doing in my life during these first four weeks=). These weeks have been full of many wonderful things, challenges, tears, laughs and amazing adventures.
Well as ya’ll know I am in Ensenada, Mexico =).The YWAM base here is pretty nice. It’s set up like a hotel with 3 floors, a kitchen, a dining room, a classroom, and an awesome roof with an awesome view of the ocean( that’s where I saw the dolphins =)). We also have a laundry room and a worship hall. Did I mention the ocean is literally across the street, I love it! We can see the ocean view from our room, the roof, and the dining room, and the sunsets are gorgeous. Every night I get to go to sleep by hearing the waves of the ocean right outside. There are 13 of us in my DTS (Discipleship Training School) and there are six DTS staff. My classmates have come from places like Switzerland, Australia, the Mauritius Island (little island near Madagascar), and all over the USA. There is also a lot of other staff around the base, that have different jobs and that run different programs. We have all bonded really well so far and get along like a family. I share a room with 4 amazing girls; Elizabeth from Ensenada, Priscille from Mauritius, Lani from Australia and Destiny from California! Yup God has blessed me with actually 10 wonderful sisters!! During my first week YAY I got to finally surf, it was an amazing experience =). And a more amazing experience was going to an orphanage to give love to children, children who stole my heart. It is so awesome to be able to share a little to others, of the much God has given us.
First week was full of challenges and freedom. For the first time in my life I shared my testimony from beginning to end, all for the glory of the Lord. I was afraid to share the most intimate moments of my life BUT after I did, felt so much freedom and realized how much I am loved and how God’s grace has always been with me. Every week we have a speaker from all over the world. Kay Charlette was our speaker during our first week. If I was to describe her in two words I would say she is transparent and bold! She spoke to me like no one had ever talked to me before, with honesty of what I needed to let go in my life and firm in a loving way. During this week the Lord taught me about my Identity in Christ and about how important and necessary is to live a life without masks, to be transparent in every area of my life, to live fearless. There are many types of masks; masks of fears, shyness, insecurities, self-pity, laziness, ect.; and this masks are things that wouldn’t allow me to live in boldness and be the woman God has created me to be. A mask can be the obstacle to be a woman of character and to know my identity that is found in Christ (so important to know this because I strive to be a woman of character and this opens doors to be a woman of impact, who glorifies God). During this week I chose to be obedient to the Lord and trust on His direction knowing He only leads me to freedom and leads me with LOVE. The greatest challenge was letting go and killing the dreams and desires that were holding me back from getting the best of this DTS, because were noises that distracted me from hearing the voice of God and from walking in His will. This was definitely a very very very hard, painful decision but I was tired of holding myself back and I was ready so ready to go all the way for the Lord. I’ve to say that after killing my deepest dreams I became a free woman and I’ve been able to hear the voice of God like never before!! I AM FREE.
Second week, we had Art Jcollens as our speaker and wow I will describe this man as a GIVER and HUMBLE man!! He took all the students to eat tacos.. yay Mexican real tacos hee hee! This week I learned about what a true DISCIPLE is. A true disciple is a person who follows Jesus, someone who places Jesus first in their life, living a life with two main basics; loving God above all things and above everyone else and to love others. During this week, God made me realized how important is to keep in my mind and heart at all times the meaning of being a disciple! That I need to give my best and I need to work hard in living worthy of His kingdom. Yes it’s written in the word and in my heart that with good acts we will not be saved, we are saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ but He also left us a task for us to get done after we are saved and that’s to make disciples in all nations BUT we have to understand, it’s impossible to make disciples if we don’t live the life of a disciple (our testimony speaks louder than our preaching!). It is truly a privilege to be here today and I am so grateful of how patient and loving God’s with me and now I take my responsibility and gladly strive to live for His glory, I recognize that’s the least I can give Him, At this moment I am striving to be the true disciple the Lord desires me to be. I AM HIS DISCIPLE!
Third week Chris was our speaker, yay he is an awesome 30 year old man of God who just came from spending 4 years of his life in China, what an example!! He has a beautiful wife and two beautiful boys. During this week I learned about the Heart of Father God and His Holiness!! WOW this week was a week of REVELATION, day by day God revealed His loved for me that it became impossible to be in His presence and not cry. He revealed the true of His promises “HE makes all things work together for my good because HE LOVES ME”! Amazing things happen when we get to know the heart of Father, God. He gave me a picture of me being on a cage and how He called me to freedom to become the woman He had purposely created me to be and that there is nothing absolutely NOTHING that can separate me from His precious LOVE. The more I know His heart and the more HE reveals His love for me the greater the desire becomes to walk in obedience, to walk in boldness, to walk in His will!! I honestly have become a more confident woman, full of joy and security in who I am in Christ! His love is unconditional and without limits, my main focus is to know His heart first and second, to walk in His will. Just knowing that the creator of heaven and earth loves me and cares about everything that happens to me and that He is the one leading my life, knowing that in my mind and really having that revelation in my heart makes a huge impact in my life. I will never be the same; HIS love stole my heart, ALL FEARS ARE FADING AWAY!!
Week four is named NIKO=OVERCOME!! I have loved every week so very much but I have to say that NIKO week has been my favorite! I hiked like never before, this week was about building character and really finding out what I was made of. I was confronting physical challenges that definitely can relate and apply to life challenges. One of the toughest challenges I confronted, was during one of our hikes, actually the one before our last hike, the toughest hike. The DTS was divided in 3 different teams and we were the last team to start the hike, about 15 minutes after the first team had started. During this hike I was selected as the leader of my team (Lani, Leah, Colton and myself) and my responsibility was to encourage my team, to make sure they drink sufficient water, to have a devotional and to finish the hike. It was in one of the hills where my legs felt really weak and I really felt like giving up when of the sudden I heard God saying to me –“You are the leader of your team, you are here to serve them and encourage them if you fall they will not have direction, get courage and be strong I AM with you and I will give you the strength that you need to get it done”. At that moment I didn’t mention anything to my team and kept hiking trusting the Lord, saying to myself I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me the strength I need!! After we finished all the hills we got to this place where we had a beautiful view of the ocean, city and mountains and we had our quiet time. I was thankful to the Lord for providing the strength, health and for helping me get to that place. After four hours of hiking we finished and for my surprise we finished first and it was a 7 mile hike (it wasn’t a competition, it was simply the fact of seeing the faithfulness of God.), God than said to me-“ Every time I’d give you a task or I’d give you directions, you can be sure I will also give you all you need to get that task done with excellence, for I AM your provider and your strength and you can walk confident on what I AM saying, I will be with you where-ever you go and you will bring me glory”!! WOW I was speechless and soooooo thankful for His faithfulness. I WILL NOT GIVE UP when HE says go, for I know I will finish strong and will get things done with excellency because He is the one who sustains me!. PRAISE THE LORD.
God is so awesome and I love how He used His creation to show me His LOVE and GRACE. One of my favorite moments was one of the nights of worship; we were at this high mountain at night and the sky was shining with gorgeous stars WOW it was beautiful like if I was in space. During worship I felt the touch of a warm wind around my body, I could feel through my fingers the way it was moving, it was so beautiful, it was a precious moment one of the most precious moments of my life because I WAS DANCING WITH JESUS CHRIST. I didn’t want that moment to end, the wind was soft but strong at the same time, it was warm and I could feel the delicacy of His love. I am dancing with JESUS!!
