Update!!

Hi everyone! I hope you are doing so well! I am excited to give you an update on what's all been going on here with me :) The leadership track that I am a part of this quarter has been, while very stretching, so amazing in so many ways. When coming into the quarter, I wasn't completely sure what to expect. My heart was so ready to begin working on the spiritual disciplines that I knew the Lord was wanting me to grow in: prayer, intercession, worship, and learning how to selflessly love people well. It's so exciting to me to see the things that I need to grow in, because it gives me so much hope that I will be growing that much closer to the Lord. He has definitely been stretching me in all those areas, but He has also been showing me that intentional growth doesn't mean a lack of raw passion and love with the Lord. That's so amazing, right?! Our God is one we definitely cannot define or put in a box, and He wants to romance my heart and make me fall more and more in love with Him each day as He shows me more of Himself. I love it. I love Him. So I find that the Lord has brought me into a season of growth for sure, but also of just pure engagement in His love. I'm so grateful that the Lord knows exactly what my heart needs; and He knows what yours needs as well! One of my favorite parts of the week is Wednesday afternoons when I have community outreach and go out with a team and do street evangelism. We have the incredible honor to go out into the town of Kona and just love and spend time with people that otherwise would most likely go unnoticed. To share a testimony with you, last week my team and I went down to the pier where boats dock and locals hangout and swim. We brought a guitar and a cooler of sodas to hand out and had our hearts set on just spending time with people and loving them and each other. A few minutes after we got there, we met two local women (both 25 years old) paddle boarding in the water next to the pier. We offered them a soda and started talking, and they invited a few of us to come paddle boarding with them. Now, we were all fully clothed, not planning on getting wet. Two of my friends though saw the opportunity to be with people and make friends and so they immediately jumped in the water. I then was contemplating, wondering if I wanted to get my clothes wet or not. It then occurred to me, if Jesus were here and he saw that the way to minister to these daughters of his was to get in the water and paddle board with them, I'm almost positive he wouldn't have hesitated to jump right in. Now I'm not putting myself on the same level as Jesus at all, but it was amazing that He gave me the revelation that ministry and discipleship looks different for every single person, and the Lord wants to meet people on their level. So I hopped in the water and had an amazing time swimming and hanging out, and even ended up talking about Jesus and the gospel with these women while we were still in the water! It's pretty amazing how the Lord gives us opportunities like that when we step out in simple faith.

So I have an exciting announcement!

As you probably know, I lived in Fiji for 3 months last year during my DTS outreach. The Lord captivated my heart during that time; both for Him and for the Fijians and their amazing country. I have felt the Lord calling me back to Fiji for a while now, but haven't been confident on His timing for my return. I am excited to announce though that I am planning about a month long trip back next month! I will be leaving Kona to go back around the 20th of June and will be staying there for roughly four weeks, and then returning back to Kona to continue my leadership training program this summer. My leadership here in Konas hearts and my own heart behind this trip is to see long term relationships formed so that we can continue to send teams there, and fruit come out of the partnership with our contacts in Savusavu Fiji (short-term with long-term mindset)! I will also largely be focusing on assisting them in the fundraising for and building of their new church building that they are in the process of preparing for! I and possibly one or two others will be returning to the same place and people that I was with last year to continue in our ministry partnership and just be intentionally relational with the people in Fiji. SO EXCITING!My leadership and I all have confidence that this is completely from the Lord, and are excited to continue to see the Lord move in Fiji!

In order for this trip to happen, I am in need of about $2,200. This all goes to:

• Round trip plane ticket (roughly $1,500)

• Living expenses and ministry money for our time there (roughly $20 a day- about $600 total)

• Anything extra will go towards their church building funds! (They are in need of $15,000 by the end of this year)

Please pray and ask the Lord if you are being led to support me in this! Even if you have already given or are giving monthly, I would encourage you to support this trip as a large amount of the funds go towards building a church for a community that doesn't have one! Any amount will go a long way, as this is not a big amount of money to God at all! Also if you know anyone that has a heart to support missions please give them my contact information, I would be more than happy to talk with them!

If you want more information or feel led to give, please email me! I am so excited and grateful to have such a strong body of support partnering with me and the Lord in everything He has me doing!

More updates to come soon, have a blessed day! -Mackenzie Sheehan