Journey to Dominican

Voy a la RD

Two years ago my momma said, “The church youth group is going to the Dominican Republic, and you and I are going with them.” Although I desired to go, my initial response was, “Linda, that will be a lot of money.” But we sent out letters to family and friends, and the Lord provided the way in full. I had no idea what to expect, but I was just eager to jump in, learn about GO Ministries, and hang out with the ninos. Little did I know that God had a bigger plan.

I just booked a one way flight to the country that I have grown to love so much to serve with a ministry that continues to vision cast and make reproducing disciples all for the glory of God. So right now, I am currently typing with my dog snuggled up next to me while my family is watching a cheesy Christmas flick, and all I can think about is, “Holy crap God is good.” I wish that, in this moment, God could physically be here so I could give Him a big old squeeze and celebrate with Him.

This week has been somewhat bittersweet as it is my last week working as a Children’s Minister associate at my church. I am so grateful to not only have grown up in a church that planted seeds in me for Kingdom work, but also be able to serve alongside and learn from such knowledgeable and God-fearing leaders. Anyone who knows me knows that I love the ninos, and the children at LCC will always have a huge place in my heart. It has been such a treasure to get to partner with the Holy Spirit and passionate, servant leaders to teach the children the Word while creating relationships with them and hearing about their worlds. While the children have been such a blessing, their parents have really blown me away as well. I have been really amazed at how invested parents are in their kiddos’ spiritual journeys as well as their desire for relationship with all the leaders. I am so thankful for Lincoln Christian Church and the opportunities that it presents to continue to equip and send out leaders for the Kingdom!

While this next month will consist of saying “adios” mucho, I am so excited to join the work that the Holy Spirit is doing through GO Ministries. I am eager to jump into training and expand my understanding of ministry and the Word, learn more about the Dominican culture I have come to love so deeply, create relationships with the missionaries and locals, and grow in my awe of our powerful and active God across the globe.

Muchas gracias for your prayers and joining me on this faith journey. The Lord continues to teach me new things and blow me away. I pray we never lose our wonder of our Creator.

Diez Cosas (Ten Things)

Over the past year, God has taught me so much. The more I learn about Scriptures and life, the more I realize I have more to learn. Here are ten things that I have learned through this faith journey:

“Teamwork makes the dream-work.” Partnership is not one sided. Partnership is a two-way relationship of doing and sharing life together, praying for one another, and aiming to make His great name known all around the globe. It is a beautiful image of the body of Christ, unified, to make reproducing disciples across the world.
In the wrestling, discouragement, and wondering is where God takes us deeper and pushes us to rely on Him alone.
Prayer is our most powerful weapon, it changes things, and it is all about constant conversation. I have learned that God wants to be a part of our every day, from brushing our teeth to driving in the car with us. He wants an intimate relationship with us where we share with Him even the things we consider “small,” or “insignificant.” Prayer is not all about our needs or wants. Prayer gives us the opportunity to fight on our knees for others while sitting in silence to hear the voice of God.
“SEEK FIRST.” When our eyes our fixed-on Christ, our whole perspective changes and God desires to bless us. God gives us His lens for His creation, our interactions are out of love, our motivations are for His glory, our thoughts are pleasing to Him, our attitude changes, and we start to see His hand in each part of our story as He only desires to prosper us.
Even when your heart longs to be somewhere else, or jump to the next season, it is so important to be present. Be intentional where you are, have a teachable spirit, deeply listen and invest in those around you. Each season has a purpose.
God is present EVERYWHERE, intentionally pursuing each and every one of His children all over the globe. WOW-I cannot wrap my mind around that.
God can accomplish His will without us but desires to use us. God has entrusted to us the mission/responsibility of making disciples of all nations. Whoa, what a stinking honor that God wants to use us for His glory.
Comfort does not produce growth. God does not want us to stay stagnant, and sometimes we are challenged to do what may feel awkward. But there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the fruit of when we are attentive and obedient to the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we must stop and think about our motivations. Are we in constant pursuit of God’s presence, or constant pursuit of His presents?
Tiempo de Jesus/Jesus time is the most sacred, precious time of the day. And there is nothing better than lingering in God’s presence.

Faithful to Bloom

Ever since I was little, I was drawn to missionary stories and ministry, but I knew I wanted to be a teacher. As soon as I stepped foot on my Christian campus, I started to doubt if I was making the right choice being in Elementary Education. After various conversations, I contemplated switching my major to Worship Ministry or Children’s Ministry. I knew that switching my major would cause me to lose scholarships and possibly stay in school longer than I had expected. I went back and forth for two years wrestling with “what is God’s plan for my life?”

As the summer before my junior year approached, I felt really prompted to fast and pray about actually switching my major to ministry. It just so happened that the week I decided to fast and ask the Lord for wisdom was VBS at our church. During this time, the Lord really opened my eyes, showing me that I needed to step out in faith and He would direct my steps and open doors. Following God’s lead, I chose to switch my major to Children’s Ministry.

A few weeks later, I went on my first trip to the Dominican with GO. Throughout this week, God spoke so clearly, watered the seeds He had already planted in me for the global church, and broke my heart leading me to action.

I am such a journal-er, and when I am wrestling, I love to look back and see God’s continued faithfulness in each season. I have been discouraged in my fundraising lately, feeling like I am not making any progress. One day I was sharing with my momma, and she said “You need to go to your room, shut the door, and just spend time with the Lord. Ask Him for wisdom. He’ll show you.”

So, I locked myself in my room, turned on some worship, and pulled out my journal from my first DR trip. I looked at an entry from the fourth day where I asked the Lord, “If at all possible, bring me back here. Open up doors that I may do Your work here, Father. These people, this place, this community, they have captured my heart completely. But wherever and whenever You lead, I will trust and be obedient.” I laughed with tears and my eyes seeing His faithfulness as I flipped to what I wrote on my flight back from this first trip.

I wrote about the night before as I shared (through many tears I might add) with one of our interns that I desired so badly to come back in March with my school and then intern that same summer, but I had no idea how I would get all the support needed. This intern looked at me and said, “I was in your same shoes, and I know God will provide. I know it, it gives me chills just thinking about it!” I look back with joyful tears because God’s hand has been on this since the beginning, and I know that He has already provided in full.

This journey has been stretching, but so fruitful. God has revealed so much to me about His unchanging character, heart for His children, the global church, and becoming fully dependent on Him alone. I have learned that we must ask boldly and in faith of God, fundraising is a beautiful illustration of partnership, and that when God plants a seed, He will be faithful to make it bloom. My number one prayer in all of this is that as believers, we learn how to become truly dependent on Christ alone, attentive and obedient to the Holy Spirit, and point every little thing back to the One who deserves all the glory and praise.

I am so thankful for you as you partner and share with me in this journey, and I am eager to continue to see how God teaches, connects, and provides!