I Said YES!

“You talking to me?”

I have the BEST Daddy a girl could ever ask for/want.  Many prayer requests that I tucked away, He has brought back out to the open, and has answered them in the most incredible ways possible.
 
Years ago, I remember having this desire in my heart, “I want to learn to become a strong disciple for Christ; to have a better understanding of His word, and to know how to lead people to having a stronger relationship with Him.”  Fast forward to March 2018, and here I am attending a DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING SCHOOL in Spain.  Spain is an important note to share because I have also had a desire in my heart to improve my ability to speak Spanish.  As I have been here in this school, I have not only drawn closer to Him, but I have also learned so much about myself as His little girl. 
 
God has revealed many things about the way He sees me, in the last 4 months.  Within these revelations, came the calling that He has on my life; He has called me to Colombia (I just don’t know when He is sending me there).  As He has been revealing this calling on my life, and helping me to understand my “hearts cry out”, my desire to become a stronger disciple and have a better understanding/stronger foundation of His word has grown.  
 
Back in April, one of our week’s classes we spent time studying the Bible.  The Bible is a big book, so of course one week was definitely not sufficient, but it sparked my interest/desire of wanting to further my study.  During this week, our teacher for that week shared with the class that he will be having his Biblical Studies school in September.  My heart screamed, “LET’S DO IT!”, but I began to allow doubt to fill me, “No Maiya, you cannot come back to the Biblical Studies school.  Remember, Daddy God said you have to go back home to rest for a month, and after your month of rest, you don’t know what else you will have going on.  And I mean, really, where are you going to get the money?”  Stupid stuff, I know, but I am human – things like this happen, and I have to make the decision to fight EVERY TIME!  
 
Fast forward to June 12th, 2018, to our community meeting.  During this community meeting, the Estudios Biblical Compacto (EBC) came back up again, this time with confirmed dates:  September 16th to December 2nd.  This time, I couldn’t get my heart to quiet itself – I HAD TO BE AT THIS EBC!  Daddy God wouldn’t allow me to forget my request I sent Him years ago.  During a walk I was having that day, I finally decided to say yes!  I decided that I would yes to coming back to attend the EBC in September, and if that was not what Daddy was wanting for me, that He would shut doors.  Well, Thursday of that week came, and Daddy sent me TWO confirmations that coming back in September is HIS will!  I was sooooo overjoyed!  God cares about what we care about; He hears our prayers, even the ones we may have forgotten about – HE HEARS THEM!  
 
I have loved how He has been opening doors for me to continue to walk in this preparation of the calling He has on my life; I’m becoming battle ready.  The good news doesn’t end there either.  As my desire to attend the EBC grew, my desire to return as a staff for the next Adventure DTS grew as well, as I began to remember my desire to become a stronger disciple for Christ.  I remember talking to Daddy God about having more time “training” for the calling He has on my life, and being able to do that as a staff here, for other students coming to attend this DTS would be very fitting for me, as it has already proven to be for me as a student.  Well, I have also decided to say yes to returning in February 2019 as a staff here!!  I continue to wait for Daddy God’s confirmation on the length of time (6 months, 1 year, 2 years, etc); when I know, you will know!
 
It doesn’t end there, either.  Just Sunday night, 6 of us spent a night under the stars.  Let me explain why this even occurred.  Justin, our director, and Ben, one of our staff, are part of this group called Strenuous Life.  As part of SL, they receive a challenge (reto) each week, and as this is an adventure DTS, many of us are very fond of retos.  This past week’s reto was to spend a night outside, in a place you’ve never been to, which is what led us to spending a night under the stars.  Justin, Ben, Carina, Ale, Graham, and I were the brave souls that took on this challenge, and it was a blast.  We went face to face with a goat, whom we named Herman, crossed some “rapids”, dodged (SOME of us) cow patties, saw shooting stars, and slept in an open field under the stars.  
 
As I laid back on my backpack to look up at the stars, it was in this moment that Daddy reminded me of a time when I asked Him for this; maybe not exactly the way it panned out, because this was better than what I could have planned.  I remember saying, “Daddy I want to be able to spend the night under the stars.  Like, you know, I want a house with a sun room that I can open the roof and see the stars above through the night.”  Okay, yes, the roof idea is a bit unrealistic, but hey, when you are a child of the King, you can dream a little unrealistically because He can make all things possible; and He did. 
 
Daddy has been blowing me away with the way that He loves me.  I fall in love with Him with every moment, just seeing and knowing that He loves me so much.  He continues to show me how much He cares for me, and cares about that which I care about.  I am ever grateful, and ever spoiled – and I am okay with that.  
 
Here is where I am stepping out of my comfort zone, as I will need to ask for your support, to team up with me in this journey as I become a missionary – I am a missionary.  One thing I have learned is the importance of community.  Jesus even had His community with Him during His time of ministry.  
 

Your support can come in various ways:

  • Prayer Support
    • I will need your continuous prayers as I walk in this calling God has placed on my life.  There will be moments where I will need a team to stand with me for health for myself and/or others, for praying for nations, provision, etc. and I would love to know that I have a team that I can reach out to back at home to intercede.
    • My desire is to have a team in which I can reach out to send payer requests, and know that they are praying.  Also, to just know that I have a team that won’t stop praying for me.
  • Financial Support
    • I will need financial support for:
      • flight back to Spain in September, and a round-trip flight in December from Spain to USA, then in February from USA to Spain
      • fees for the Compact Biblical Studies (EBC) school from September to December, fees in order to staff the next Adventure DTS (beginning in February) for however long Daddy God says for me to stay here.
      • paying for a phone (having access to communicate with the team here in Spain, and with family back at home is very key)
      • Visa (I will need to get this before coming back to staff)
      • Health Insurance
      • monthly expenses
        • paying for essential oils (I don’t take medicine) is included in this
      • daily living needs
        • Going out for coffee or lunch outside of the base, purchasing food for the base, bus/metro/train transportation to be able to travel to and from church and visiting other cities, money to bless others, etc.
    • This could be a one time donation, a monthly donation (you can decide on how many months you would like to support financially)
      • I only ask that you PRAY for God to lead you in the amount – if there is one thing I have learned, it’s that OBEDIENCE leads to blessings.
  • Communication Support
    • I would love to receive text messages (groupme/whatsapp), direct messages (facebook/instagram), video chats, or even letters
      • This could be just to update me on your life, ask me how I’m doing, send me a word of encouragement, or whatever God puts on your heart – knowing that I have you with me helps in this time of distance

I continue to be ever grateful for your partnership in this adventure, whether it be through prayer (please read the “get involved” page), finances, text messages, social media posts, or letters (if you need my address, PLEASE message me). Thank you for supporting me as God is growing me as a disciple of His.  If you would like to financially support me in any way, please click the button found on the Home page, or send me an email.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Outreach Update:

Greece:  We head out THIS FRIDAY to work with children & refugees.

Spain:  In July, we will come back to work with children, to host a kids camp!  yay!!

 
Lesson I have learned:  Just say yes!  Stay out of my own mind, and allow God to lead me in the way that He wants me to go!  After reading The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus, I learned this: 
Psalm 37: 4 says, ‘Find your delight in the Lord. Then he will give you everything your heart really wants. ‘  This means, knowing our hearts, knowing our desires, and allowing those desires to first be informed and then formed by our love and worship to God.  He shapes His will in us far more than He speaks His will to us. In order to know what God wants, we need to give him our hearts and let Him build desires in us that we want more than anything else in the world.  This is why asking is so important. I have found this to be so true in my life.
 
My encouragement to you:  Give your heart to God and let Him build desires in you that you.  Then, be ready to have your mind blown as He begins to work!