Hey everyone! I am updating from my phone in the Miami airport, while waiting for my flight to board, so this is going to be a relatively short one.
My journey to Haiti started Sunday night. Friends and family prayed over me at my sisters grad party, making me cry tears of happiness, fear, peace, anxiety, and just about every other emotion one could experience. It was an emotional day for me.
Then, my friends had a surprise for me. A journal with 'open in Haiti' letters for me as I take this step of faith and travel to children of the promise by myself. Once again, making me cry. I am so incredibly blessed by these beautiful, God-fearing, loving, fearless group of women (and men). Thank you God!
I started packing at 9 pm the night before I left. With friends on my bed watching friends and our 6th grade video, reminiscing on our many adventures in life together, I was a stressed out messing asking my mom to help me pack cause I didn't know how to even begin. After she helped me get my things together, she told me to grab my passport from the safe. I was planning on waiting till the morning I left to grab it cause I thought I would lose it. When I went to open the safe it was locked, and we didn't have the combination. My dad tried to open it until 1 am to no avail. Scared of being unable to grab my passport, I was a mess. Then a friend told me that this was just another attack, a way of making me stress out and not trust God. I said prayers all night, fell asleep and the next morning my dad called a locksmith. The locksmith cancelled his morning appointment to open the safe for us. He unscrewed the locks and got it open exactly 45 minutes before I had to leave for the airport. Praise the Lord! God is so good!
Getting to the airport was an adventure as always. LAX is a mess. But after going to terminal 6 and having to book it to terminal 4, I was able to check my luggage, get through security, and get a water and salad before boarding my flight to Miami.
The plane ride was long, but we made it safely and 10 minutes ahead of schedule. I was able to get my luggage with in 15 minutes and find the hotel shuttle 30 minutes later after waiting to go down in an elevator that only went up (because we were already on the bottom floor... Oops) But I flagged down my shuttle, verified its destination, and had a cool conversation with the driver, since I was the only one on it.
I checked into my hotel, got a soup, got ready for bed, called my parents, and fell asleep after figuring out what time the shuttle would leave.
Today, I woke up, unwillingly might I add (those beds are soooo comfortable), got breakfast at the hotel, packed up my things, got on the shuttle ( by myself again), chatted with the driver, who then carried my checked back to the door of the American Airlines international check in after telling me he was doing it cause I was pretty (awww... Shucks), I got in the right line, checked my bag, proceeded to get in the wrong security lines twice, before finding the right one, made it to my terminal with a tea, got a stranger to take my picture (awkward) which is on Facebook and Instagram, talked with my mom, and updated this blog:).
I am currently nervous, excited, peaceful, ready, scared, but confident in His unfailing love, His incomprehensible power, and His plans for me and this trip. Prayers are needed and appreciated! I love you all!
I will try to update in Haiti, but I'm not sure if I can. Otherwise, text or call my mom for information about my trip as I will be emailing her with updates!
Keep praying! And live fearless!
Fearlessly His,
Madi
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Monday, June 1, 2015
Learning to Abide in His Love
Learning to Abide in His Love
It has been a rough past couple of months. My weakness have been exposed, lies have been used against me, and the worst part is, in these moments I couldn't see the truth of His promises. The only word I can use to even remotely describe the place I was in is dark. An inexplainable darkness.
It is the scariest place I have ever been.
When I finally got the courage to talk about it, someone very dear to me pointed out that I was a target in spiritual warfare. I wasn't crazy, I was being attacked. That was the point that I realized the magnitude of what I am about to do. I'm about to go to a dark place to be a light and share God's love and Power. Satan doesn't want me going to Haiti to love on those kids, nannies, missionaries, and community. So, he finds my insecurities, my weaknesses, and he uses them against me. And
I was allowing myself to fall for his lies.
Unsure of how to combat the darkness, I was guided to the book of John chapter 14. I started reading and underlining verses that applied directly to the problem I was facing. Like verse 17 which reads, "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you". The first lie I fell for was immediately discredited. I am not alone. And verse 27, "Peace I leave with you: my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid". I have nothing to fear.
Then I read John 15 and 16. "Abide in my love... these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" John 15:9 and 11. That joy I had been longing for was waiting for me. All I have to do is abide in His love. So, I will Abide in His love. John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world". Be Fearless in Him. I have nothing to fear because I am in God and God is in me, and He has already overcome my greatest fears, worries, difficulties, and hardships.
As I was studying these verses, marking my Bible, reading aloud, and praying relentlessly, my daily devotional shared similar themes.// I am with you // Clothe your mind in Me // Nothing, including the brightest blessings and the darkest trials, can separate you from Me// In this devotional I found my daily prayer. Holy Spirit, control my thoughts.
Almost as suddenly as I was attacked, I found the way to combat it. With God. I no longer feel alone, when I'm afraid I'm reminded that my God, who lives in me and fights for me, has already overcome my fear. And everyday, I'm learning to abide in His love. His love that is so much greater than any lie this world tells me. His love that overpowers all my fears and insecurities. His love that keeps me going every single day.
As I continue to prepare to go to Haiti, I am continually attacked. But at the same time, I am continually reminded of how powerful my God is. He loves me, He cares for me, and He fights for me. In an email I received from an amazing, loving, God-fearing woman and mentor of mine, I was encouraged to continue to own my faith. By going to Haiti, I am owning my faith. By willingly going to dark places, spiritual warfare is inevitable. But as one of my best friends reminded me last night, God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.
So, I ask each one of you to join me in prayer. Prayer that I might continue to grow stronger in my faith amidst the attacks. And prayer for protection, strength, and encouragement. Thank you for the prayers and support. In each struggle, I am reminded of just how blessed I am to have both God and friends who fight for me and with me.
Spiritual warfare is BIG. But God is so much BIGGER.
Fearlessly His,
Madi
It has been a rough past couple of months. My weakness have been exposed, lies have been used against me, and the worst part is, in these moments I couldn't see the truth of His promises. The only word I can use to even remotely describe the place I was in is dark. An inexplainable darkness.
It is the scariest place I have ever been.
When I finally got the courage to talk about it, someone very dear to me pointed out that I was a target in spiritual warfare. I wasn't crazy, I was being attacked. That was the point that I realized the magnitude of what I am about to do. I'm about to go to a dark place to be a light and share God's love and Power. Satan doesn't want me going to Haiti to love on those kids, nannies, missionaries, and community. So, he finds my insecurities, my weaknesses, and he uses them against me. And
I was allowing myself to fall for his lies.
Unsure of how to combat the darkness, I was guided to the book of John chapter 14. I started reading and underlining verses that applied directly to the problem I was facing. Like verse 17 which reads, "even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you". The first lie I fell for was immediately discredited. I am not alone. And verse 27, "Peace I leave with you: my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid". I have nothing to fear.
Then I read John 15 and 16. "Abide in my love... these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" John 15:9 and 11. That joy I had been longing for was waiting for me. All I have to do is abide in His love. So, I will Abide in His love. John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world". Be Fearless in Him. I have nothing to fear because I am in God and God is in me, and He has already overcome my greatest fears, worries, difficulties, and hardships.
As I was studying these verses, marking my Bible, reading aloud, and praying relentlessly, my daily devotional shared similar themes.// I am with you // Clothe your mind in Me // Nothing, including the brightest blessings and the darkest trials, can separate you from Me// In this devotional I found my daily prayer. Holy Spirit, control my thoughts.
Almost as suddenly as I was attacked, I found the way to combat it. With God. I no longer feel alone, when I'm afraid I'm reminded that my God, who lives in me and fights for me, has already overcome my fear. And everyday, I'm learning to abide in His love. His love that is so much greater than any lie this world tells me. His love that overpowers all my fears and insecurities. His love that keeps me going every single day.
As I continue to prepare to go to Haiti, I am continually attacked. But at the same time, I am continually reminded of how powerful my God is. He loves me, He cares for me, and He fights for me. In an email I received from an amazing, loving, God-fearing woman and mentor of mine, I was encouraged to continue to own my faith. By going to Haiti, I am owning my faith. By willingly going to dark places, spiritual warfare is inevitable. But as one of my best friends reminded me last night, God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.
So, I ask each one of you to join me in prayer. Prayer that I might continue to grow stronger in my faith amidst the attacks. And prayer for protection, strength, and encouragement. Thank you for the prayers and support. In each struggle, I am reminded of just how blessed I am to have both God and friends who fight for me and with me.
Spiritual warfare is BIG. But God is so much BIGGER.
Fearlessly His,
Madi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)