Hello friends and family!
The last 2 weeks I have spent my time at a training camp in Gainesville, Georgia preparing to be sent out on missions for the next 11 months. God has stretched me spiritually, mentally, and physically in so many ways that I can not wait to share with you very soon!
One of the most exciting things God has done in my life, was stirring my heart to become re-baptized!! I was baptized at the age of 9, where I fully believe I was dedicating my life to the Lord, witnessed by my church, friends and family. It was an external declaration to something God had done in my heart, and a posture of surrender to Him.
This past week our squad was told that we would have the opportunity to become baptized following a revival message. When announced, I did not think I would choose to become baptized again, but over the course of the next 24 hours God spoke so clearly to me. We sat through the revival session, and truthfully, I felt a lot of confusion coming out of it. People began to be baptized but I knew I needed to spend some time with God to hear what He was doing in the revival room. I found a sunny patch to lay down in and pressed into God’s Spirit. I asked Him what His heart was for me and my squad during this time. I specifically asked for His peace and discernment through my confusion, and He answered! I immediately felt a rush of His peace followed by seeing a picture in my head of Jesus baptizing me and others in the pool! Seeing what God was doing in the room through a Spiritual lens got me so excited for my friends who were being baptized. I went back to the baptismal pools and celebrated my brothers and sisters who were either dedicating their life publicly to God for the first time or re-surrendering it. Gods’ presence was so tangible I could feel it. It was then that I felt God stir the desire in my heart to re-dedicate my own life to Him.
I remembered how this summer at a prayer room set at my home church I had felt God asking me to re surrender my life to Him. I got down on my knees as I felt His overflowing love pour over me as he was drawing me closer into a deeper relationship with Him. God was preparing my heart to reach the unreached, giving me a new passion and desire to share His love that I felt to the ends of the earth.
As my heart was beating fast with Holy Spirit driving me forward, I got in line to be baptized! To me, it was a dedication of my life from me to God alone. My church, friends and family were not there to witness it, but I felt that God was the one with me, and that He was all that mattered. As I was being baptized, many people were around the pool singing “My beloved is the most beautiful among thousands, Yeshua.” As I went under the water, I knew that their voices should have been dampened, but rather I heard their song growing louder, almost as if I could hear the saints and angels joining them in worship from Heaven, singing over me. After surrendering my life, I was prayed over by my new leadership and squad, who have quickly become family over the past 2 weeks. It is so beautiful that God allowed me to dedicate my life back to Him, right before being sent to Guatemala.
There were so many more details of what God did in my heart over this day that I would love to share with you personally! Feel free to message or email me if you want to hear more or have questions!
Lastly, I have some updates and prayer requests!
We are leaving for Guatemala this Sunday night and will arrive Monday!! Please join us in prayer that we will have safe travel, but also that we reach the heart of God’s people throughout traveling! We believe that God has called all Christians to a life with a mission of making disciples, and that does not just begin overseas, but rather should be our full-time privilege to share what Jesus has done for us. Pray God highlights people to us on our flights or even in the airport that are ready to receive Jesus! I also ask you pray for all of our ministries and hosts that we will be introduced to this next week!
I also want to personally thank each one of you for reading my blog, praying for me, and supporting me!! I have felt your prayers impact my heart especially since being here at camp!
Another praise- I am now 60% funded! Thank you for sowing financially in what God is doing in the world. Thank you for partnering with Him to allow me to bring the gospel to the unreached! I am so honored and privileged that you would choose to support what God is doing in my life and the lives of those around me!
My whole squad and our leadership!
A few of my new squamates I've gotten close to over the last 2 weeks!
Drying out our tents after Georgia flooding.
Kara! A little piece of home! She also went to Liberty!