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Tuesday 11 October 2016

TESTIMONY TUESDAY: MISSION TO MEND USA

Hey Guys!

Hope you have all had a lovely summer break..I know I have! 

Over the summer I was blessed with an incredible opportunity to travel to The United States of America, to carry out Music and Missionary Work in Atlanta, Georgia and Orlando, Florida! 
To say that I had an amazing time would be an understatement, so I figured why not share snippets of some of the things I got up to!.. 

THE TESTIMONY
In August 2015 whilst home from university for the summer, I had started to think about what I would like do during summer 2016. It's hard to explain, but the more I thought about it, the more I started to have a really strong feeling that I was going to be in The United States. Weeks went by and I continued to have that same feeling, but what made it strange was that I felt like I wouldn't just be going there for a holiday. I didn't know why or how, but I knew that I was going to be going for a bigger purpose. Even when friends would ask if I had plans for the summer after graduation I had already started saying I was going, even though I did not have any definite plan yet, because I was so adamant that I was destined to go (I know some of them probably thought I was a little crazy lol)..

Fast forward to June 2016 as my university graduation was approaching, I started having that feeling again and even had a dream about going, but I couldn't understand why it was weighing on me. I wanted to know if it was solely a personal desire or if this was a sign for real, so I really started to pray about it and asked God to make a way if it was His will for me to go...


Exactly one week before my graduation day, during a conversation with my friend Ricky on a completely separate topic, I found myself being presented with an opportunity to go to the USA in August to do two things I love: music and ministry! To say I was shocked would be an understatement! I kept asking him if he was being serious because secretly, I was blown away by the fact that a vision I had had a year ago was actually coming to pass, and he had absolutely no idea about it!
From my graduation day, I had about a month to prepare for my trip, which consisted of music rehearsals with the team, getting the low down on the culture and climate differences, the type of missionary work we would be carrying out, and of course a little shopping for the hot weather! 

THE FLIGHT
August 17th came around way faster than I had imagined, and I remember as I made my way to the airport I was felt so happy and so grateful.
Having known each other for years, as each of the 22 members of our Mission To Mend team began to arrive, you could feel the excitement among us continue to grow and the laughter was infectious!
Our flight ended up being slightly delayed which meant we had time to have some lunch, listen to music and have some fun as we watched some of the other flights take off.
One thing I wont forget is the feeling I had during our take off. As the plane left the ground, I feel like thats when it really hit me, and I actually grasped just how much of a testimony this adventure was. I literally remembering having the most cheesy grin plastered across my face as I looked out the window and reflected on the crazy amount of struggles I had overcome in the months leading up to this day (check out my previous blog post). Everything I had been through leading up to that day just made the moment of take off feel even more awesome. It really confirmed the power of trusting in Gods plan and not allowing your happenings to destroy your happiness.

 As you can probably tell, I did not sleep for the entire 8.5 hour flight lol

It goes without saying that I love hot climates over cold climates any day, but I don't think I was prepared for the 38°C heat to slap me right in the face as we left the airport! Arriving to a hotel with a gym, pool, breakfast and sunshine, as well as reuniting with my friend Warren whose currently studying stateside, it was safe to say I already knew this was about to be a blast! 


MISSIONARY WORK
One thing I really loved, was that after having breakfast together, we would have Morning Devotion starting with worship and a short word shared by a member of the team. Doing this helped to ensure that we all shared the same mindset as we entered into the tasks for the day. It always reaffirmed that even though we were away from home and in 40+ degree weather, we had a purpose for why we were there. 
When I found out that part of our missionary work would involve working with children, I was ecstatic! Anyone that knows me well will tell you that I really love and have a heart for children, and having had previous experience working with both primary and secondary school children, I knew I was going to love it! Plus, who can resist their adorable little accents! 


Part of our experience was working with 
City of Refuge in 'one of Atlanta’s most impoverished and crime-ridden neighbourhoods, where nearly 40% of the residents live below the Federal Poverty Level'. During our induction, we were fortunate to have met a previous resident at City of Refuge who has returned to help others, and her story alone really made us all realise how much our attitudes, our love and our efforts could really make a bigger difference in their lives than we may even realise. 
One of our tasks involved being part of an after school program where we were rotated in teams working with different age groups ranging from 3-13. We had a wide range of tasks to participate in including having after school snacks and reflection time, helping them with their homework, assigning and assisting them with worksheets, supporting them during extracurricular activities such as sports games and dance classes, running Friday movie nights and having one on one time with some of them to really get to know them and encourage them.


For obvious security reasons, I cannot disclose any of the names or specific details regarding the children I worked with, but what I will say is that 
the experience I had is something I definitely will never forget. Hearing some of the stories of the types of environments and experiences some of these children had come from and been exposed to, (some of which I could personally relate to) I was literally flawed. 

Seeing how much they warmed to me on the very first day, made me super determined to be a positive example of affirmation, support and joy for them. I can still remember all their individual personalities, stories and smiles and I still pray for them knowing and believing that God is going to lead them all to amazing futures!

MUSIC MINISTRY


It goes without saying that the USA is home to some of the greatest gospel talents in the entire world, so you can imagine how excited (and nervous) we were to be in environments that would both teach and inspire us!

I always say that music is the only universal language so it has the power to bring people together from all over the world, so I was looking forward to listening and learning new songs from our new friends in The States and joining in with all the local festivities.

For our own performances, we had planned a setlist of songs to deliver to each audience we encountered and as we were from the other side of the world, we wanted to be able to introduce congregations to new songs.









Some of the lessons I learnt from our ministrations were:
- To effectively minister to others, you have to really believe in what you are saying and have passion. Plus, you are ministering to yourself as well!

'Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet...
dancing..
 the clash of cymbals..' -Psalm 150:1-6
- When working as a team, your chemistry and mindset off stage can often translate into your delivery on stage. So always ensure you all remind as one in sound mind and have each others backs!










[Ministering At Mount Olive] 
- Prayer is an absolute must. You never know the kind of burdens or feelings people in your congregation may have come in with, so pray that God will use to speak directly into their situation as well as your own.

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace."

- Phillipians 4:6-7a


'In all things set for them an example by doing what is good, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity and sound speech'
-Titus 2:7
 
[
Ministering at West End SDA Church]
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 
- Psalm 104:33
Sing to him, sing praises to him;    tell of all his wondrous works! -Psalm 105:2




The Gillin Brothers: Ricardo and Warren
All in all, it was evident that we all really enjoyed our experience and learnt a lot as individuals and as a unit. 
For me personally, the experience has given me a deeper understanding of the power of lyrics and encouraged me to get into Gods word even more.







During a recent discussion on songwriting with one of my friends from the trip, we acknowledged that for artists to be able to write songs that were so relatable, heartfelt and scripture based, they really had to immerse themselves in Gods word and include Him in ALL their circumstances, whether they be good or bad. 


Warren Gillin Preaching
It affirms the fact that ministry isn't just about your gifts; its about what you do with them and how your lifestyle and decisions can influence them for the better.

At one of the venues we ministered at, Warren Gillin also shared a really awesome word and touched on some of the lessons he has learnt during his transition into ministry and moving stateside. His word really reminded me of the importance of stepping out in faith and not being defeated or disheartened by the unknown and 'what ifs'. 

We also visited House Of Hope Atlanta, headed by renowned Pastor E.Dewey Smith, and home to some of the biggest musicians in the gospel music industry, including bassist Darrell Freeman. 

Despite its membership of over 15,000 people, we were able to get front row seats, and thoroughly enjoyed both the awesome praise and worship and the sermon. 

We coincidently visited the church on the same day that Alexis Spight, renowned for her success on Sunday Best, (who we had previously hosted an event with in the UK) was ministering. What a random reunion!  







VACATION MEMORIES..

ROAD TRIPS

Travelling back and forth from state to state, and with long drives to various tourist attractions, shopping outlets and restaurants, there was never a dull moment on our travels.

The 6 hour convoys in our 3 minivans from Atlanta to Florida had to be my favourite.  
Each car had its own little 'squad' and mine was filled with endless sing alongs, dance routines and of course laughter!  


FLORIDA ...

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD!
I think its safe to say I was determined to try pretty much everything when it came to food and this isn't even all the places we visited!
If you ever plan on living there long term I would definitely advise getting a gym membership lol
One thing I did love is that across
The States they have restaurants to accommodate the diversity of cultures that exist across the nation, so I was really spoilt for choice! 




SITE SEEING
It had been two decades since I last visited the USA, and having come from a completely different climate zone, waking up to piercing blue skies, palm trees, and attractions around every corner, I basically had minimal sleep the entire time I was there as I didn't want to miss out on anything!

In our free time we were able to visit several shopping outlets and at one of them our team bought a total of 17 watches between us from the same store!
The staff there really loved their British visitors that day! lol




I love creating memories and being adventurous so I was super excited when we decided to go-karting! Our first go-karting experience was in Florida where we went on what can be best described as a 'roller-coaster go karting track'. I think some of the team underestimated my competitive nature lol, but nonetheless that experience started some healthy competition and we then went go-karting twice more on different tracks in different states, but each time was equally as fun. 



HOTEL SHENANIGANS

Our hotel escapades were both fun and hilarious, ranging from lounging by the pool to Sunday nights all gathered in one room to catch the latest episodes of some of our favourite American TV shows, which we could watch live for once!



ATLANTA

Being in Atlanta really confirmed what I had heard about 'southern hospitality'. Whether we were in Target or dining at a restaurant, we were always welcomed and made to feel at home which was lovely. 

Atlanta is also a place that really allows you to tap into black history so we thought it only fitting to visit the Martin Luther King Museum while we were there.

We were able to sit through a short film which really took us back in time and we also visited the church Martin Luther King attended, and sat through a performance of his famous 'I Had a Dream' speech.


We were also able to visit the Underground Rail Road and pick up some souvenirs, eat some good food and take a walk around Downtown Atlanta and speak to some of the locals who were really lovely! On some of our free evenings we went to hang out at some of the restaurants (All you can eat =] ) and Arcades (Shoutout to Deshawn Preston for taking us out) which are a lot bigger and more advanced than any I had ever visited in London (my friend called it London on steroids). Playing Laser Tag guys vs. girls was probably the funniest experience- I never thought I'd see the day where so many men would be so willing to try to kill me all at once! Nevertheless we had a blast!

I could write so much more about this journey but this would turn into a book! Next time ill be sure to film and document even more of my experience!

Overall, my experience was such an awesome blessing and something I will definitely always treasure. How a dream I had had a year ago came to pass out of nowhere still amazes me, and I am beyond grateful to God for making every aspect of my journey incredible and for overriding every obstacle that tried to block my blessings! 
If you have a desire in your heart, ALWAYS submit it to God and trust that He will reveal His will at the appointed time and He will always come through with the absolute best!

Never allow worldly limitations, nay sayers, 'what ifs' or anxiety to stop your dreams from becoming your reality. Even if everything and everyone around you is telling you no, or making it seem impossible, but you feel the voice of God is saying yes, obey and trust that whatever He has for you will come to fruition. 
I am learning more and more to always remain and live in consistent faith and pursuit of the best everyday! This experience is a testament that if you seek and truly trust God with all your decisions, He really will do exceedingly and abundantly above all you could ask of Him! (Eph 3:20)


Stay Awesome!
Iz x













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