Will I Ever Be Ready?

Happy Wednesday! I send you greetings from my beautiful homeland of Colombia. I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit my mom for her birthday and see other family members before my departure to Japan.

I still can’t believe I will be leaving in less than two weeks! It’s crazy how time flies but I’m grateful to have spent these past couple of weeks with friends and family. 

Bear, Not Strive

As some of you may know, I was in the Health & Fitness industry for thirteen years. It was just this past year, the Lord confirmed my call to full-time ministry and I left my career of many years. And so here we are, one year later, ready to make the full-time move to Japan. I don’t know if ready is the right word. Will I ever be ready? I’m not sure. But all I know is that the Lord has sustained me this far, and I trust He will continue to do so.

I can relate this to strength training- you make a goal, you strive to get there, but then you always keep going because the training never ends. The same goes for our faith and walk with God. It is a continual, daily process. Except spiritually, there is no striving. In one of my favorite chapters, John 15, we see that all we have to do is abide in Him in order to bear much fruit. Bear, not strive. That’s all it takes- a simple abiding in Jesus, remaining and staying connected to the one true source of life!

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 

John 15:5

Cherry on Top

And so the training continued at Calvary South OC. I’m blessed to have been able to work alongside strong and wise spiritual leaders that have allowed me to grow in the gifts that the Lord has given me. I will miss them all dearly!

I had the opportunity to go with the team to the Calvary Curriculums Children’s Ministry Conference in Chino Hills. I attended multiple workshops from youth evangelism, to safety and security, and even how to run local outreach programs. This truly was the cherry on top training that I needed before heading overseas and trying to figure out how to do cross-cultural kids ministry. 

Stress Is Necessary

The last part of the training I received was a course on Operational Stress First Aid through Crisis Training Center. The goal of this training is to learn how to preserve life, prevent further harm, and promote recovery, especially in the event of a national disaster.

Stress is necessary, it is important. However, there are varying levels of stress. Once it goes unmanaged and undetected, it can continue to cause harm to the person. During this training, I learned not only how to help others during times of trauma, but also how to assess and manage my own stress. The stress of planning and preparing for an overseas move was adding up and this was one of those training that I didn’t know I personally really needed!

Training Never Ends

I know for a fact, training never ends. We must continue to “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phillipians 4:14). Will I ever be ready- even with all the trainings, conferences, and experience? Again, all I know is I believe and pray that God will continue to fill me with His Spirit and He will continue to be glorified in it all!

For divine work can only be done with divine power and that power is to be found in the Lord Jesus alone. God never asks us to do anything we can do. He asks us to live a life which we can never live and do a work which we can never do. Yet, by His grace we are living it and doing it. The work we do is the work of Christ carried on through us by His Spirit in whom we obey.

– Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee

I’m so thankful for y’all and for coming alongside me on this journey. May His Holy Spirit continue to empower us to be witness to Him while there is still time!

To the Ends,

– Mayra Alejandra