Update!
Aloha friends!
I have some exciting news! I am so happy to announce the plans the Lord has given me for the next year. Starting on October 1st, I will be staffing our Community Transformations DTS here in Kona! A DTS is a six month program that focuses on training young people in missions and helping them grow in intimacy with the Lord; and then sending them out for a three month outreach into the nations! As you probably know, I did my DTS last July with Community Transformations and went to Fiji on outreach; my life was radically changed! I grew in every area in my walk with the Lord and I got such a passion to see the Lord do that in other hearts as well. As a staff with this upcoming school I will be here in Kona until late December, helping facilitate and lead the school in our three month lecture phase. I then will lead a team out to an (as of right now) unknown nation for a three month outreach! Our staff will find out our locations before the school starts, and I am so excited to see what nation the Lord wants to bring me to next!
Until the school begins, I am still here in Kona in the Leadership Track and doing school preparations as well. The track has been incredible for me; it is such an amazing thing to be able to run with a community of believers that's only goal is to love Jesus and love each other. I have gotten a heart for intercession, worship and evangelism that I cannot wait to take to the nations again!
I would love to share a testimony of what the Lord has been doing in and through me over the past few months. Every Wednesday I go downtown with a group of people for a time of street evangelism. While praying every week and trying to see what the Lord wants for this time; I really feel that He has been highlighting consistency. By this I mean that I believe that He wants me to continue to minister to and pour into a lot of the same people each week. This is amazing and completely biblical, so it is what I have been doing! I have become friends with one older man who works at a Ukulele shop downtown, who's name is “B-Rad”. When I first met him, I entered into his shop while having quite a bad day. I went in and was looking at the ukuleles and within minutes we were talking about ukes and our favorite drummers. We talked for almost an hour, but never made it to talk about Jesus. I continued to go back each week to talk to B-rad and hang out, and the second week I visited him we got to talk about his family and how he is a christian! He at first wasn't very enthusiastic about the Jesus, but many times would show me his King James new testament bible and tell me how He believes in the raw truth of the bible and that's it. I would always encourage him and tell him about my faith as well. After a few weeks of talking to him, I started sharing with him about my time in Fiji and my beliefs. Just two weeks ago I went in to see him and I brought him a book about spiritual disciplines, written by one of the YWAM staff/speakers on base. He was really happy to receive it and promised he'd read it. This past week when I went in to visit him and bring him some pizza, he excitedly told me that he had given his bible away to a man on the street who he said “needed Jesus”! It excited my heart beyond measure to see this man, who when we first met was very closed off and kept to himself about his beliefs; now giving out his own bible to a complete stranger! The Lord is doing so much in the people of Kona and it is such an honor that He uses people like me to see people's hearts changed just by loving them. Our God is so compassionate, so loving, and SO worth following!
With all the amazing things that are coming up, I have a few prayer requests that I am excited to share with you!
Campus meal costs are going up as of next quarter, and it will cost $180 a month. ($2 per meal); so I need monthly support to cover this new cost!
Transportation: a friend and I are looking into renting a car for the next quarter. This would be such a help with what we are doing as it would give help us with hospitality things for the school, getting around town, and being able to better accommodate students! The price for this rental would be $150 a month for the months of October-December. ($450 total!)
Pray for direction on where to lead an outreach to! Our school leadership will be revealing to us within a few weeks of the locations we are to bring teams on out outreach to; so pray for clarity from the Lord and a willing heart to listen to His voice!
Pray for spiritual endurance, to continue to put my relationship with Jesus before anything else; especially with the crazy schedule that is to come with staffing!
If you feel led to meet any of these financial needs, please email me and know that it is SUCH an answer to prayers! I am totally believing on the Lord to meet all of my needs, and am so excited to see all that He has coming for me in the next coming months.
Thank you for your prayers and support, God bless!
-Mackenzie Sheehan
