God is so good and the transformation that we get to witness everywhere we preach the Gospel is one only God can produce. This last month our team has preached the Gospel in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California and Hawaii and we are finishing in a few weeks with ministry in Colorado before we take off to Asia.
The past two weeks we ministered in three islands of Hawaii: Oahu, Big Island and Maui.
Here are some moments that spoke to me while doing ministry and sightseeing.
Our first day of ministry was with The Ranch church. The Ranch community goes out once a week to a homeless community that lives in tents by Waimanalo Beach Park. At this moment, I was simply reminded that I should pray when I can, influence when I can, encourage when I can because you never know who needs to hear the reminder that Jesus is greater than anything they face and that He has a good plan for their lives despite the circumstances of today. Children are resilient and they remind me to never lose my child like faith!
As we walked around I met Sean, who had friends who lived in the homeless community we were ministering at. I asked Sean how I could pray for him and he said for his friends to be happy and blessed, I said can I tell you what has been the greatest source of happiness for me? I then proceeded to tell him about my relationship with Jesus Christ and even invited him to pray the prayer of Salvation.
This mission trip I had the opportunity aside from ministry days to also explore the beautiful island of Hawaii on one of my days off. There is something amazing about connecting to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit while being in nature. I encourage you to take opportunities when possible to connect with God in nature. One of the things I am discovering in my walk with God as a missionary is that God is whispering to me and saying that He is not done with me yet and that I should not give up dreaming and hoping new dreams. Whatever it is you are facing today, please know that God is a good father and He is for you in every season of your life.
Surprise, it is Nikita on the bass!! Currently, My pastor and his wife are giving me a new opportunity of growth and that is to play the bass guitar. I was so nervous, but I also have made a promise to myself that every time there is an opportunity for me to grow in a new area, that I will always accept the challenge, even when I feel inadequate or anxious, and to remember that I can worship God with another instrument aside from dance or singing.
Here is the bottom line: You are never done learning new things in life, no matter how old you are and you can bloom right where you are planted!