(Photo taken by the wonderful Zia Yew)
Hey friends.
Life here in Mexico is pretty cool. There are many incredible things I get to be a part of. And I've only been gone 98 days.
So what am I doing here?
The Journey So Far
From a young age, God placed in me a desire to one day share the wonderful news of hope and salvation with the Latin world. I arrived in Mexico at YWAM Mazatlán in January, after spending 2 months learning Spanish and volunteering in Guatemala.
To be completely honest, I was skeptical and proud when I showed up. I wanted to do God’s work, yes - but I had my own ideas and plans of what that would look like. I promised myself I wouldn't become one of them - a YWAMer.
An Ironic Decision
'I don't need discipleship training, God. Come on. I grew up in missions,' I stupidly told God. I love that He has a sense of humour. I think He loves irony. In these 7 weeks in Mexico, He's been softening my heart. I've realised that YES, I have such a passion for this place, and for bringing the joy of God to Mexico.
But I've also realised that I have so much more to learn.
And so I've decided to undertake a Discipleship Training School here in April. The DTS is broken into two phases; 3 months of going deeper with God and receiving cross-cultural missions training, and then 2 months of an 'outreach' where we get to go out and put it all into practise.
YWAM’s philosophy is to equip students to ‘Know God, and Make Him Known’, and it’s a mantra I want to live by. I want to be so deeply grounded in my knowledge of who He is and what that means for us, and I want to learn the skills to share that with the world.
A Teensy Bit Of Fear
I was afraid to announce this decision. Afraid of the commitment. Afraid of being a failure. And afraid because I currently don't have the finances. But these past few weeks, I’ve felt God whispering to me:
‘It’s okay, little one. I’ve got you. Just trust me.’
So I find myself here, about to embark on a wild few months of challenges and encounters and rebuilding, terrified and excited and vulnerable and confident.
I want to see God glorified in my life, and in this nation.
I want to invite you all, my friends and family, to come on this journey with me. And I would love for you to pray about supporting me.
How You Can Support Me
These are my current financial needs:
$680 to cover YWAM volunteering fees, food and accommodation from Jan - March
$4500 for 3 months of Discipleship Training School
$4000 (estimated) for the 2-month overseas outreach
Medical insurance & other living costs
If you'd like to consider supporting me, through prayer or financially, please write to me! I would LOVE to hear from you, tell you more about the work you’re investing in, and answer any questions. Send me a message, or give me your email address. I’ll be writing updates and sharing them via this blog, too.
You can send funds directly to my missions bank account (using the Paypal link below), or via YWAM Mazatlan’s website. I am so grateful for your generosity!
Paypal: www.paypal.me/maddygracehope
Thank you for your prayers and support. Each and every one of you are family, and you make this big world feel a whole lot smaller.
Mucho amor a todos. x
-Madeleine