YWAM MAUI Welcome NEWSLETTER |
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Update on my first month on Maui as a missionary in training! |
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Hello beloved friends and family! I am missing you all dearly as I am nearing the completion of my first month of missionary training on Maui and I wanted to send an update on how things are going. Please bear with me as this is my first attempt at an email newsletter! Woohoo, let's do this! |
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I officially arrived at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) base on April 6 and since then things have been in full swing! During these last few weeks, my team and I have been getting adjusted to our schedule, serving locally, team building, prepping for outreach, and welcoming the Lord into this next chapter! There are a total of eight other students on my missions team, seven girls and one guy, and what a team we are! For being such a small group, we have an incredibly diverse team including students from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, and of course, the United States! Our team leaders are from New Zealand and the U.S. Throughout the time spent together, we have shared our testimonies and gotten to know each other so well. Being handpicked from all over the world, it does feel like the Lord intentionally placed each one of us here, at YWAM Maui, for this season. In three short weeks, we have already grown to be an incredibly close-knit, purpose-driven, and God-seeking team, and I can only imagine how much more we will experience together this season! |
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First few weeks in training... |
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The first few days on base were mostly getting acclimated, but we had no idea how quickly we would be coaxed into team building. It was a Sunday evening when we were told to pack a light backpack, sleeping bag, and pillow. We could only take a T-shirt, a jacket, pair of shorts, pair of shoes, and a toothbrush and toothpaste. We left early Monday morning and headed off base, unsure of where we were going or how long we would be gone. Turns out, we were embarking on what YWAM Maui calls "Exodus," and it is an experience they take all students who are in Discipleship Training School (DTS) on, to push us out of comfort, and closer to each other and the Lord! By the afternoon, we arrived at an area called, "the gulch," where we were then told to unload the cars, head down to the gulch, pitch the tents, dig a hole for the bathroom, and create a fire pit. At this moment I realized I would be gone from the comfort of my bunk, cell phone, favorite snacks, and the rest of my belongings for an indefinite amount of time! |
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"Exodus" (as pictured above) was quite an experience, and some people adjusted to it better than others. Personally, I had a hard time enjoying it without knowing how long I'd be staying there. Some of us thought it would be just one more night, and others thought it could be another week before we left. While it was definitely out of my comfort zone, the goal was to put us in an uncomfortable situation, living in tents and eating nothing but ramen and oats, so we could experience the unexpected and being "out of control." On the third day of "Exodus," late in the afternoon, we were told to pack up the tents and our things, so we could move to the next location of camping. We all loaded back into the cars and set off for what we all thought would be another night of camping somewhere else. Eventually, we pulled up to a church, assuming we might be stopping for a bathroom break or to fill our waters. Still, as we opened the double-door entrance into the sanctuary, we were abruptly greeted with tablecloth-lined banquet tables, elegant place settings, and our entire base (all students and staff not in DTS) jumping out and screaming, "SURPRISE!" Oh, what a shock it was! After three full days, we had completed "Exodus," and were greeted by a celebration, called the "Love Feast." Soon, we sat down at tables (our chairs lined with trash bags since we had not showered in three days) and got to enjoy gathering together for a meal, just like Jesus did with His disciples at the Last Supper. |
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As the evening slowed down, the staff came out holding bowls of water, one kneeling beside each student in DTS. In this moment, we were told about how Jesus humbled himself before His disciples to wash their feet in the upper room. The staff, just as Jesus did, began to wash our feet, even though we had all been barefoot for three days, living in fields of cow dung and mud. I could only begin to imagine how much more powerful and moving this moment would have been with Jesus kneeling before me. Feeling so undeserving and yet so grateful, I cried as my staff member prayed over me and what the Lord would do in the next 6 months of my life. It truly was an unforgettable experience, and the perfect way to end our "Exodus." |
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The daily life of a missionary in training |
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Since then, I've been challenged to walk into each day welcoming whatever it may bring, but our days have only gotten busier! My team and I are now well underway with our daily schedules. Monday through Friday we are up by 6 a.m. and don't get finished until around 9 p.m. each night! Our day-to-day always looks a bit different but it ranges from worship, lectures, work blessings, meetings, prayer and intercession, mission mornings, team time, book discussion, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner! |
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We have had two full weeks of lecture topics so far, with incredible speakers the Lord has equipped to speak into our lives. The first topic we studied was "The Character and Nature of God," and the second was, "Hearing God's Voice." Each week we are left a little more undone, as the Lord is helping us wrestle and process so many new things. I've never experienced anything like these lectures before, and my first question was, "Why weren't these things taught to me sooner?" We've barely even scratched the surface and yet I feel like my eyes have been opened and I can finally see. The depth we've covered in just a few short weeks is inexplainable, and it is hard to grasp how the Lord is so holy, vast, and infinite, and yet still wants to have such an intimate, loving relationship with me... |
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One quote that has stuck to me as I was becoming overwhelmed with not being able to fully grasp the vastness of God was, "How can you fit the entire ocean in a cup? ... You can't." And can you imagine trying to fit the entire ocean into one single-sized coffee cup? It seriously is impossible, and yet that is still not a great example because the ocean is finite, and God is not. Nevertheless, it brings me peace that as the weeks go on, learning and getting to know God is not limited to just a few mere months, but it will take my entire life. My team and I also have community outreach and outreach prep each week to get us prepared for the country we will be doing missions in. This includes preparation on culture, expectations, language, communication, etiquette, currency, and more! |
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I could keep sharing for hours how this past month has already completely uprooted stubborn parts of my heart and is challenging me to go deeper than I ever have with the Lord. Each day it is something new, and I'm still in awe that of all the places I could be post-grad, I ended up right in the Lord's arms and dedicating six intense months to missions for His kingdom. Before I sign off, I'll leave you with our DTS school theme, and some food for thought... The world offers many enticing things, glimmering treasures that flicker and fade. The world even offers the promise of fulfillment, resulting only in momentary satisfaction. However, God offers us eternal and everlasting relationship with Him, bought by the blood of Jesus. We are challenged this season to truly embrace making Jesus the Lord of our lives, above everything else. Because though it tries, there is nothing the world can offer that is better than God himself. So... |
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Whom will you worship? The choice is yours. |
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Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Matthew 4:8-10 |
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Sending lots of love to all of you, and I'd love to hear from you through text or email! I would also love to know what you would want to see and know in these updates. Please reach out! Thank you so much for your unwavering prayers and support! My only prayer request for now would be praying for what God has for our team on outreach! More updates to come soon! |
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