The Simple Life | 2014 Marriage Of The Arts

Life in Florida has been great. Yes the sun is glorious and a lovely surprise in February. Yes the sand on the beach is like powder and the sunsets are out of the movies jaw dropping type of sunsets. Hey someone has to live this life, right?  haha

It has been hard at times for sure. Moving to a new state, saying bye once again to my family, being away from my fiancé, living in multiple houses with fellow staff I never really met prior to this and jumping into this unknown adventure of pioneering a discipleship school with not quite all the pieces into place. Hey someone has to live this life, right? Haha

In all seriousness, this is one of the hardest things I have stepped into, but at the same time an incredible privilege. One of the coolest things ever has to be hearing the joy in a students voice and seeing the awe in their eyes as they explain the first time God’s love truly reached their heart and wasn’t just an idea or theory in their head. Who I am to witness the Author Of The Universe melt walls that have been built up for years right before my eyes? He has seriously been pouring out His love on us. Lavishing his love.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 john 3:1

I love how so often I set out to serve, pour into others and change the world, but walk away feeling more changed, more challenged and more poured into than I gave. Being a staff member in this DTS is no different. Our Father is so good to never leave us as we are and have grace on us to use us as we are. He has had so much grace on me to be in this leadership position.

If one thing has been repeated over and over this last month as speakers have come in and out it is that we are unconditionally loved by our Father. And from that place of knowing, not only with our heads, but with our hearts that we are loved beyond reason, we are compelled to love others. The simplicity of the gospel has been clearer than ever before to me. I want to serve and I try, but I often run out of my own strength. Very quickly I run out of my own patience. I just can’t seem to muster up enough compassion. My prayer has changed from Jesus give me more strength, more compassion, more patience, to Jesus give me more of you. I want to know more of your love for me! When we experience Jesus in such a close way we have no choice, but to want to invite others into that goodness. We are compelled by the love that we know to extend that same love to others, even when it doesn’t make sense.

It sounds so elementary, so basic and so as if I should have got this when I was in first grade, but I don't think I want to leave this place of simply asking to see more of His love. First grade was pretty awesome anyways. haha

One of my favorite illustrations comes from JD Greer. We often view the Gospel as a diving board into the pool of Christianity, when really the Gospel is the pool that we dive into. The pool that is endless.

There is always more.

And I am so pumped and thankful to be able to explore and dive into the more with an awesome staff team and students who amaze us daily. 

The photos are few, but enjoy. More to come soon.

 Time of staff training before students arrived.

 Florida Sun

 Matchy matchy staff team.

Opening evening of 2014 Marriage Of The Arts in Sarasota, Florida. 

There is always so much joy when friends visit and serve. 

Some of my favorite times in this DTS have been at the local prayer house.

Germany Outreach | The Reality

Outreach is a hard thing to put into words that really suffice, even if it was only three weeks. God never stops speaking and I love it! I wasn’t supposed to be on this outreach in the first place, but I really felt like God was giving me a nudge to take a risk. It was more than I could ask for. The finances weren’t there, but He provided, the team to go on outreach wasn’t exactly there, but He provided. I was able to share God’s love along side amazing friends, work with ministries that are crazy passionate about His kingdom, see the beautiful country of Germany and experience the blessings that is the beauty of Germans who are incredibly in love with Jesus. There were a ton of laughs, some hard days, but God was faithful in showing me more of himself and giving me a deeper passion to share His love. He never disappoints.

I always feel like I cheat the places we go to reach out. I go to serve, teach and love and I walk away from the time feeling like I was served, taught and loved on so much more. I pray that wherever I step my foot that our Father’s presence overflows from what was poured into me by others and the Father himself. But you can’t give away what you don’t possess yourself.

I was reading through journals that I wrote in throughout SOIP and outreach. A prayer I prayed from the beginning of SOIP and whether it was teachings, prayers or in conversation this topic was constantly brought up throughout outreach.

The thought and desire that God wouldn’t be only some theory or idea, but a REALITY in our lives.

As I read through stories, thoughts, prayers and revelations that I journaled I was in awe as I read just how faithful God was to make himself known as more of a reality in my life these last 6 months.

In outreach God was made more of a reality through the friends and mentors he surrounded me with to grow and sharpen each other as we reached out. Through encounters we had with people on the streets of Germany that shared how they literally felt His presence through our words and joy. The reality that we are able to align ourselves by His spirit with Gods heart through prayer and worship.

On outreach I encountered God in such a personal way that I had never experienced before. And when you really get even the tiniest glimpse of His joy, peace, love and holiness you can’t help, but want to give it away and hunger for others to experience the same. God was faithful in showing me the reality that Christ lives in me. Before Jesus Christ died people had to go certain places and do certain things to find God, but it is a reality that through Jesus’ death and resurrection He lives in us in the fullness. It is a reality that He never changes and that He will never forsake us. It is a reality that He is love and is our provider. It is a reality that He is the perfect father and that we are seated in heavenly places with Him. It is a reality that His mercies are never ending and in His eyes we are Holy and blameless.

This is a reality that has been poured into me, but how do I do outreach or every day life that communicates this reality to others?

I’m not an expert follower of Jesus, but I do hear Him speak and this is what I feel like I’ve heard.

You can’t give what you don’t possess yourself. If we choose to be in His presence every day with our everything. He will be faithful in revealing himself to us. By His presence alone we are changed. No one can walk away from His presence unchanged. He promises life in abundance. If He is our reality then in abundance we will be filled by Him and He will overflow from us and others will notice. If we choose to be led by the Holy Spirit every day He will lead us in practical ways to serve and love. But mostly we must be humbled by His fierce love and know that relentlessly pursues us and those around us. By His presence overflowing from us He is made known as a reality in others lives. 

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Put not your trust in princes,
    

in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 

When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    

on that very day his plans perish. 

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who made heaven and earth,
    

the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;  

who executes justice for the oppressed,
    

who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free; 

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    

he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
    

your God, O Zion, to all generations.


The House That God Gave Us

So maybe a some of you guys have seen me tweet or Facebook about “this house God gave us” And maybe a few of you out of the some that have heard about this are thinking “Ridiculous, God doesn’t give people houses”. Well I am here to tell you YEEAHHHH HE DOES!

Here is how the story goes. Once upon a time little Allie Reyna was sad and maybe caught up in a bit of self pity because her really good friends left to outreach in Asia and due to visa and finance issues she was stuck in cold Herrnhut, Germany. Thoughts like “I am tired of shoveling snow and making cookies to reach out to the community” and “I am a missionary, I should be preaching the gospel in Asia not Herrnhut” consumed her head. Notice the selfishness and need of a perspective/heart check.

In this time period, one evening sitting in the Viltnis Café in Herrnhut, consumed by her need for WIFI a tax advisor walks in and asks Ashley, the barista for information to contact the leaders of YWAM Herrnhut. Allie vaguely hears the mention of a house, but continues with her eyes glued to her screen. Ashley invites the tax advisor to sit and have a free coffee as she gathers the information he requested. The man scans the café occupied by only Allie and chooses to sit directly in front of her. The self-consumed missionary says a short “hallo” with hardly a glance at the man expecting there to be a language barrier. To her surprise the tax advisor spoke perfect English and pursued a conversation with Allie using small talk of where are you from and what’s your name. Because little YWAMer Allie learned in DTS that God speaks to her, she realized that she should talk to this tax advisor. So she reluctantly set her phone down and found herself in the middle of an example of how God includes us in His awesomeness even we don’t realize it or deserve it. That evening God used Allie’s answers to the tax advisors questions of why she was in Herrnhut, what YWAM is and how she has learned more about God to answer prayers and change lives.

6 months later after Allie returns to Herrnhut from outreach in Asia and is walking home through the dark forest with a friend. The friend asks Allie “have you heard about the guy who is giving us a house because of your conversation with him?” After a few minutes of memory searching Allie is shocked and in awe to hear that because of her conversation with this tax advisor his perspective of YWAM was changed and has convinced his client to begin the process of giving YWAM Herrnhut a house absolutely free.

Months before little Allie existed at YWAM Herrnnut the YWAM Herrnhut community began praying and asking God for more property to house their growing community.

After DTS and visiting home for a few weeks Allie returned to Herrnhut to begin the School Of Intercessory Prayer. In this time that Allie was in the secondary school, the keys to this new house were successfully handed to YWAM Herrnhut and the tax advisor gave his life to Jesus!

Ok exiting story mode.

There you go! God gave us a house! And a man’s life was changed. This house now houses the majority of the 200 students that have just begun the Marriage Of The Arts and Revive DTS’. It is so stinkin cool that God has allowed me to be a part of this story from the beginning with a conversation until now where I spent the last couple of weeks in Herrnhut sanding, painting and nailing to prepare this house to be a home to so many students who’s lives will be changed by God through YWAM Herrnhut just like mine was.

I often get asked how I can trust God enough to leave family and friends behind and go to these crazy places on my own. It is because I know that I am never alone, I know that my God loves me enough to invite me to be a part of awesome stories like this one! Because I know my God doesn’t change. His character never fails. He is a provider and He is love. Whether He does it by giving me a house, money for a flight or gives me peace through scripture, He provides. This story will always be a reminder, an altar of who my God is and always will be! 

The house sits near one of the entrances to Herrnhut. Every time a YWAMer would pass by the house on our way to the castle we would touch it and pray for it.

The courtyard behind the house. 

I am not sure I have ever cleaned so much in my life. 

I am not the most neat worker ever.  

The last weekend we worked on the house we got took a break to have a community lunch. 

Blessed to be a Blessing

So as some may know my next step is to continue on as a full time missionary with YWAM Herrnhut. . . Details to be sorted out ;) A big part of choosing to be a full time missionary is living a lifestyle that is completely dependent on God providing finances through supporters and other crazy miracles here and there. Some people see this as a huge daunting task and not something to look forward to. While it can be seen as crazy and an awful thing I personally get really excited about it! YWAM believes in every missionary raising their own personal support instead of corporately raising support and then getting a check every month from the top down like the majority of missions organizations do today. I am totally for the personal fund raising because it gives God so much room to show up and allows me to invite my family, friends and even strangers to be a part of what God is doing in me and through me. I get to invite people to be a part of amazing stories of God’s provision! God created us for relationship! Vertical and Horizontal! Relationship with Him (Vertical) and relationship with those around us (horizontal). Get it? It looks like a cross ;) Alright, moving on from cheesy illustrations.

I always wondered why the heck I was blessed with so many awesome people that loved me through out my life. And I am convinced that it is this very reason. To invite everyone to be a part of bringing God’s kingdom to this earth! Whether it is through people supporting me with encouragement, prayer or finances! We get to be a team working for His glory! I love it! I always wish that everyone could experience all the places and stories I am blessed with and this is a way that not only can I invite others to play a part, but to own it! It gets me excited to give others the opportunity to say “hey, I helped bring joy or freedom to that girl in the Thailand red light district and that little boy in the slums!” because really, in my eyes everyone who offered a helping hand or two cents to me getting to Discipleship Training School in Germany in the first place has the right to say that!

Our Father loves people! And He loves partnering with people! If I have learned one thing in my school it is that our God is aching to give things to us according to His will! All blessings and revelations are in His hands , but He chooses to use US to take action to release it on this earth! Be it finances, prayer, joy, freedom etc. Through people taking action my Father released His provision in crazy ways for me to go to Germany, Spain, Thailand, Finland and to buy a vanilla chai latte when I was having a rough day! haha Agh, so beautiful! And it is my Father’s character to be faithful! Which He has very much done these last few months that I have been in the School Of Intercessory Prayer, both in big and small ways!

(Check THIS out if you care to have an idea of how excited I get when it comes to chai lattes!)

Moving on. . . 

I am giddy to share a couple of examples with ya!

The first situation: After DTS I decided to come home and raise funds to return back to Germany to be a part of the School Of Intercessory Prayer. This meant I was looking at raising $3000 in 6 weeks or so for the flight, lecture fees and other costs. RIDICULOUS right?! Well obviously I am sitting in Germany as a student of SOIP writing this =) GO GOD! Through working and donations I was able to pay for my flight and part of my school fees. In this time a good friend of mine, Betsy, who is a photographer and who also inspired me to do YWAM in the first place said she would like to donate to me by offering a limited amount of photo sessions to contribute to my school fees! People! Photographing and editing is way more work than most people understand. This was an insane offer! I was blown away. This is her career. How she pays for food, gas, rent etc. Who am I to be sacrificed for like that, ya know?

I had an expected number in my head of what my friend would donate and I expected to come up $200 or so short of completely paying off all my fees, but when I looked into my account I found that through Betsy God provided the difference of fees and then some! It was such a beautiful thing to be a part of! Please check out one of the Betsy's work HERE. Your eyes will be very happy!

The second situation is a testimony of a friend I was blessed by. Not only does God come through with the big things, but He also takes joy in providing the small things.

Background info: I love running, but I made the mistake of forgetting my worn running shoes in Germany while on my three week outreach in Finland so I chose to use a pair of shoes my Spanish friend blessed me with to take a run in, although they are far from running shoes. haha Then being the social media lover that I am I shared my adventure wearing my "Spanish shoes" on Instagram. READ ON! 

 "
I love to travel, so I have been glued to Allie's Instagram and blog since she left for YWAM in Herrnhut, Germany. Her pictures are incredible and make me want to spend time at every place she photographs. This is an important point to this story so keep my addiction to her social media in mind, but I guess the beginning of this story for me started in a work in my heart that God was uprooting. 

I have never thought of myself as a selfish person and have tired to put others before myself whenever I can. It is my approach to this behavior that had to be dealt with. I was living by the golden rule. "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." I was placing value on the fact of how my actions would provoke a response in their words or their actions towards me. First, God showed me, with new eyes, the verse: Colossians 3:23
 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. 
I had always thought of this verse as the things you do to achieve things or for gain. I like many of us do, in many cases, was bending the scripture to fit my needs. Saying "Yes Lord I will work hard on this (test, project, house chore) so that you will bless the result!" But I had ignored the facet of working hard in His name to make much of Him through blessing others purely for them to know Him. 

Second, during the same day as this epiphany, I watched a video from about a boy who had just passed away at the age of 17 from terminal cancer. It was a twenty minute documentary you can check out HERE.  It is a documentary done by Soul Pancake, who I regularly watch, that I just stumbled upon. Zach's story is incredible but his heart for other's in his most desperate times rocked me to tears and to search inside myself for this kind of love and passion for others. Zach said something in that video I will now forever hold on to. To bless others in the way that brings them joy. 

So with that, I prayed that night that God would provide an outright path for me to without a doubt know that I would be bringing someone joy. The next morning I got on Instagram to see what adventures Allie had experienced while I was sleeping in the states. And she posted this picture. 

"Spanish Shoes"

With the hash tag #needshoes and #gottarun. Now, if you don't believe that, that was God fulfilling a prayer in me, you're crazy, but I knew without a doubt the joy that Allie received while running was the opportunity God laid before me to provide her with new real running shoes. I was blown away by my God's immediacy to answer my prayer and so excited to step out in faith to bless my new friend. But the truth is that God did a work in my heart far greater than joy it brought me when Allie started freaking out that I wanted to buy her shoes. After stumbling through the German Nike website and getting the shoes delivered to Allie, He showed me what He meant through His son Jesus. I was given life to rejoice and have a fullness of joy beyond all understanding through all of eternity, because of the beautiful sacrifice of God's love in giving up His son. I don't pretend that the tennis shoes I gave Allie were some great sacrifice, but I can imagine a world where we all step out in faith to bring someone else joy, purely for their joy. Our world would then truly know the love of Christ. Ask God to provide you an opportunity and you surely will not be disappointed."

-Jo

I can’t say how much I love how He works! How He puts the finest details together to make His will happen. On my run I said a short prayer that God would provide me with a new pair of running shoes or finances for some and the next morning I hear from Jo! Every time I lace up my shoes I am reminded of His love, provision and faithfulness. And just how stinkin cool He is! I pray that not only will He continue to bless me with awesome stories of His provision, but even more so will bless relationships with people I love and build their faith in our Father as a good one who loves giving.  Really He does. We only have to be available, have a little faith and take action.

“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”  -Matthew 7:9-11

Here We Go Again

Hey there family and friends! I am in awe that I am back in Europe writing this. It feels like just yesterday that I hopped on my first plane out of the country. Actually, DTS (Discipleship Training School) seems like a dream that never happened. But it definitely happened and I was definitely changed by the way I encountered God this past year here in Herrnhut, Germany.  

Just a week ago I hugged family and friends goodbye in the airport once again. People ask me if it was any easier this time around, but I would have to answer that it wasn’t easier at all. I don’t think good byes are ever easy. Especially when you have been blessed with an incredible community of family and friends. My heart was heavy as I left. I don’t enjoy knowing that the people who love me worry and miss me. I do not enjoy the fear that gripped me before I went through airport security just as it did the first time, but I know above all that following what my Father has called me to is completely worth it and I pray that the people back home are blessed by the strength God has given me to follow as he leads.  

The weeks I was home flew by so quickly! I apologize if I didn’t get to catch up with you while I was home or didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked with people I did see. I am not perfect and am still learning how to manage time for fundraising, catching up with family and friends and time to relax with a limited amount of time home. But I am doing my best! Your patience, support, grace, encouragement and prayers are incredibly appreciated!

Here is a short look at what I was up to while I was at home through Instagram.

Fun times with Lilly | Ran into Tim Tebow | Lubbock, TX. Color Run with my Roomie | Congresso 2013 | Photo shoots & fundraising for YWAM SOIP | Family Easter | laughs with my Grandpa Felix | Got to know my youngest niece Leiah | Visited my old university and good friends | Spoke to WT NSAC team | Hugged friends | Spoke at WT FCA & good times with best friends | Share my experiences with YWAM at Palce Coffee | Family time | I have a boyfriend =) | Said good bye

This first week that I was over seas I was so excited to spend some time with one of my best friends I made at YWAM. It was a beautiful few days of relaxing and catching up. Exactly what I needed! I am now in Herrnhut where SOIP (School Of Intercessory Prayer) will begins today. God did such awesome things the first time I took a step in faith to attend YWAM, I know He will be faithful to do the same as I focus on growing closer to Him in prayer the next few months. I can not thank everyone enough for their support for me to get back here and continue in missions!

Much love!

-Allie

Next Step

Welcome home photo by THE Betsy Lackey =) 

Well folks I have been back in good o’ West Texas for almost three weeks now! It has been so good hugging those I have missed the last 6 months, sharing and catching up on all that I have missed. New jobs, weddings, engagements, babies, graduations… man o man life is good =) 

Going through a DTS (Discipleship Training School) was absolutely life changing. It is hard to sum up in just a few sentences. I would love to hang out and share more of how God changed my heart and used me to change others’ hearts as well. More photos on my blog will soon come.

But as far as the next step, God definitely used this experience to allow me to dream big and in this season built up my faith to be able to take steps toward the dreams and visions He has placed inside of my heart. Growing up I remember my dreams consisted of being a collegiate athlete and earning a degree. I have been blessed to be able to achieve both, but heavily relied on my own strength. After this season in DTS God has transformed my heart to stop thinking so small and so self focused and invited me to allow Him to open my eyes and dream with Him for His glory.

So after much prayer and really thinking of what I am passionate about and what gets me excited, I have chosen to commit to full time missions with Y.W.A.M. Herrnhut (Youth With A Mission). I love pouring into others and stirring them toward Jesus just like others cared enough to do for me. I love the influence art, media and sports can have on this world. I love pursuing God whether it is in Ralls, Texas or across the world in Herrnhut, Germany, but I feel like the next step is to go back to Herrnhut, Germany. Right now I am in the middle of praying and raising funds to attend what we call a “secondary school” Secondary schools are schools offered after you complete your DTS to further invest and grow in your relationship with Christ. There are many different secondary schools with specific focuses. The one I have chosen to be a part of is the School of Intercessory Prayer (http://soip.ywamherrnhut.com/) The school will be in Herrnhut, Germany where I did my DTS. I feel like this school will allow me to grow even further in intimacy with God and give me more vision for what is to come.

After SOIP (School Of Intercessory And Prayer) I hope to join the Y.W.A.M. Herrnhut staff in the United States. Y.W.A.M. Herrnhut is starting a satellite base in Florida and beginning discipleship training schools in January 2014. As a staff member I would help with logistics around the base as well as disciple students who are in DTS and lead outreach teams to different parts of the world.

Another thing I feel like God has put on my heart is how sports are such a huge platform to share the Gospel and disciple believers. There may be an opportunity for me to help in pioneering a discipleship training school focused on sports through Y.W.A.M. Herrnhut. That is just a dream right now, but I know God loves for us to dream big with Him.

Thank you so much for reading my updates and praying for me throughout this journey! It is so beautiful how prayer is a way to be a part of what God is doing in each others’ lives. I hope you will continue to want to be a part of what God is doing in my life and partner with me in bringing His kingdom =)

Welcome home photo by THE Betsy Lackey =) 

Me Encanta Espana!

It is so weird writing a blog post knowing that I will be home in Texas in 4 days. I am currently in Herrnhut getting ready for our last week of school! The base is crazy getting ready for report back night, final exhibition, graduation and so many new things Y.W.A.M. Herrnhut is pioneering. So much excitement!

For now I want to share just a little about what my friends and I were up to in Spain! Oh my goodness I absolutely loved Spain. The beautiful architecture. Spanish speaking everywhere. The diversity of the people there. Beautiful weather. It was great. Such a privilege to share with Barcelona what God did in us and through us the last 6 months of discipleship training school.

And that is exactly what tour is. Y.W.A.M. Herrnhut’s heart is to really focus on stirring passion in Europe for God and His people, so our school broke into 13 different teams to go to 13 different locations in Europe.

My team in Spain spent a week speaking to college small groups, church congregations, and youth groups. We even held an exhibition in a restaurant located in the heart of Barcelona. It was such a beautiful thing. We simply stood up and told our stories of how we have come to know God and how we have seen Him change lives. We displayed our art with small descriptions and people asked questions. We didn’t do anything special, but make ourselves available and open with how we have been radically changed by God. And God did so much.

The first speaking engagement I met a girl in her first year of university who decided right on the spot that she wanted more of God and wanted to do MOTA. I got to know her even better throughout the week and was so moved by her willingness to chase after God despite setbacks. At that same meeting after a friend shared his story of seeing a man healed of multiple sclerosis we invited those in need of prayer to come to the front. A woman walked away healed of her shoulder pain that bothered her for years. People told us that we brought so much joy and passion wherever we went. It blows my mind that so much came out of us doing what we love. Art and sharing about God. When we are faithful in using the passions He has placed inside us to worship Him it is unbelievable what he produces.

See you soon friends and family! Can't wait to share more in person. Your support and love is always so appreciated!!

Enjoy the photos!