Sacrifice and subMISSION

Around last February I began the application process with a mission organization. One of the many things they required was a self-reference in which I had to list three strengths and weaknesses. One of the weaknesses I wrote was not submitting to leadership. The director who I was in contact with talked with me on the phone about the importance of submission on the mission field and challenged me to have a bible study about it. While going through some verses, journaling, and praying, I had a few realizations. The most impacting was that submission is really all about sacrifice. Romans 12:1 tells us to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God". I've always had such a negative view of submission. To look at it as something I'm volunteering, something I'm choosing to give to God, really puts a positive spin on it.

God eventually closed the door on the opportunity with that specific organization, but I'm thankful for the spiritual growth I experienced through the application process. As you all know, God kept the door open with Youth for Christ. After being accepted, right before I began fund-raising, I had the chance to be a counselor with YMCA resident camp for a week. I was really excited to go since I've grown up going to Y-camp and hadn't been a leader for 5 years. Also, I knew I was ready to receive my gold rag through the Raggers Program. For those not familiar, the Raggers Program is an opportunity to make a personal challenge for yourself and be counseled by someone who's already received that certain color rag (there's seven). I knew that my challenge was going to be about submission and sacrifice, specifically for my time with YFC in Mexico. I was counseled by an awesome brother in Christ who greatly encouraged me in my challenge. (Random God moment: before I told him what my challenge was and what verses I had been meditating on, [one of which was 1 Peter 2:17] he opened my bible to share a verse with me, 1 Peter 2:16!!Craziness!)

All this to say, I've been spiritually preparing myself to be open to sacrifice my will in order to submit to the leaders here for the benefit of my ministry. Last week my director talked with me about an upcoming meeting we had with a group of pastors in another city and told me that because I was speaking, I needed to have normal hair. It is only because Jesus has been teaching my heart how to live for him that I didn't argue or cry or get angry. Alright, I'll admit that right before I painted on that first glob of black dye over my awesome pink bangs, I really felt like crying. Hopefully one day I can have pink hair without it conflicting with my ministry.

This is a lesson that I'm learning and probably will be processing for some time. Thank you for being with me on this journey. Your prayers and encouragement mean so much to me. Also, the meeting with the pastors went really well. I spoke for 10 minutes about my call to missions and my experience with YFC so far. I had my speech written out so there were some parts were I was kind of reading, but I had it mostly memorized.

Tomorrow I'll be traveling to El Salvador for a week-long conference and then spend three weeks in Guatemala with part of the team. Please pray for safe travel and a time to recharge spiritually.

Muchas Gracias!!!

Speaking at the meeting with the Pastors. I was super nervous!


All the pastors we were meeting with plus our team from Monterrey.


Joventud Para Cristo Monterrey Team. Left to right: Pancho, the director of the futbol league, Kandy, missionary extrodnaire, Jose Carlos, national director, Gris, head of sexual education, Giezi, director of the drama team and volunteer training, and Cilia, the newly appointed Director of JPC Valle Hermoso (a city in a nearby state). We were visiting to introduce JPC to the pastors in that city in order to gain their acceptance and support.