Hello everyone! I am back from my mission trip to Ecuador. And I can confidently say the Lord preformed a big work within my heart! The impacts of this trip are hard to put into words. But I will try my best to communicate all of the incredible ways the Lord moved throughout the week and within my heart. The first thing I want to share is the depths of my love for the Ecuadorian people. My eyes flood with tears as I try to string together a rightful description of these precious precious people but words fall short. I am eternally thankful for all the moments I shared with these beautiful people. On this trip I had the privilege of leading and working within the children’s ministry! Each day we set up a children’s area outside the medical clinics and our area was full of games and bubbles and yarn dolls and the warm loving faces of our team members and incredible translators. There were plenty of stations for the kids to rotate through and a few times a day we would have an evangelism portion. That was my favorite part. We would gather the kids in one place and demonstrate the gospel using the evangelism cube. Each time was a precious experience and I pray a seed was planted that the Lord will continue to pour his living water into day by day! Though the week was full of deep joy it was not perfect, It was my first time leading children’s ministry and it was absolutely a learning opportunity! I am so thankful for all that I was able to learn in this short time and excited for how I can use newfound information in the future. But most of all I am so thankful for the chance to share in tender moments with these beautiful people! Here are a few of my favorite moments.
I got to hold the hands of a kind mother and had the opportunity to paint her nails as she smiled at me brightly full of deep gratitude. Next, I got to share in a warm hug with the sweetest lady who had a heart full of joy as she was given a bible! I also got to hug and hold the hands of another precious lady who was thrilled when given a yarn doll. Each of these moments are stamped upon my heart and I will never forget them and what they taught me. The next thing I want to share is how the Lord worked within my heart. But let me first share where I was before the trip began. If I am being fully honest I had been sleep walking through life. I had fallen asleep to the chorus of my distracting culture and all its pleasures. But the Lord woke me up during our time in Ecuador and I am eager to step into line with Him. I was seeking the Lord before the trip began, but without surrender in certain areas of my life! The Lord used multiple incredible people throughout this trip to speak his truth and life into me. During the beginning of the trip I was able to share in a conversation with two precious people about my current reality and the root and strings tied to it. We were able to dive into my past and direct me back to Jesus and His truth. The power of that conversation cannot be put into words. And one day I hope to elaborate more. But for now, all I have to say is healing has come and will continue to pass. The second way the Lord woke me up was through the spiritual warfare I had been experiencing prior to the trip and during it. A few days before we left an indescribable spirit of heavy anxiety had come upon me and was telling me to drop the trip entirely full of whispered lies and doubts! and a few days into the trip that same anxiety came with intent to disrupt what the Lord had for me to do. The enemy tried to distract me and fill my heart with his twisted lies..but what the enemy meant for destruction the Lord used for my good!! During this time God shattered each and every anxious thought and enabled me to pray in ways I never have before! I prayed with complete confidence in who God is and with deep expectation! I was also able to share in the most beautiful prayer time with others on my team and it is a time I will never forget. The Lord also enabled me to rely on him and his word in ways I never had before! It was the most beautiful experience and I want to always seek him with that earnest heart and expectation!! Another way the Lord moved is through the confirmation that was delivered throughout the week regarding the calling God has placed upon my heart. Since a young age I believe the Lord gave me a heavy burden for missions. For years I have pursued that burden by joining these short term mission trips and waiting for more direction or guidance from him. This time around the Lord gave me guidance for my next steps. I believe the Lord has called me to missions, now in what capacity I am not yet sure. But I have decided to study Spanish at Anderson University for the time being as preparation for what is to come. And I am praying over possible opportunities in which I may be able to get more involved in the work that the Lord is completing in Ecuador! So keep me in your prayers as well. I hope this blog has painted a picture of how powerfully the Lord worked during our time in Ecuador!! This trip was transformative in so many ways and I am eager to surrender my life each and every day so that I may be filled with Jesus!! Thank you to all who prayed intently for our trip! Here is a prayer I have been praying since coming home. I hope it encourages you as well. “Lord, I want my heart to be ablaze for you! I want every crevice of my life to be lined with a holy fire that points to you! After years of falling into a quiet sleep directed by the lulls and hums of my culture..I am finally awake for you with a deep longing to know all of who you are! Lord, reveal more of yourself to me! Break down the walls of lies and rebuild my life upon a foundation of your truth. Mold me and shape me into your likeness so that I may reflect you and your heart in all ways. Help me to paint every corner of my life with rays of light that speak only of who you are and of your transforming power. Thank you Lord for your love, for your faithfulness, & for your power. Amen” Thank you for reading! God bless you!! -Mikayla Kent.
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AuthorI'm just a 17 year old girl, who has a passion for Jesus and longs to encourage and connect with other people through the shifting seasons of life, and the lessons learned through them. Archives
July 2023
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