Win, Build, Send!

Last Monday night, we received an answer to a desire that had been hidden in our hearts for over a year. My pastor left a voice mail message on my cell that began with: "yes, this message is for the new Youth Representative for the Salinas Section." And with that, a giant door and window to Heaven was opened up to Martha and me. Something that had only been a faint hope had suddenly drifted upon our shoulders like Elijah's mantle.

To the youth of the Salinas Section of the Northern Pacific Latin American District of the Assemblies of God: we are your servants and can't wait to serve you!

We had left the youth, children's and church board ministry in Monterey just a year earlier to pursue a calling to a new season of ministry in Hollister. Sure, God had spoken in clear terms of where to go and what to expect, but never before had we ventured in such unknown territory. For the first time, God called us to "Evangelism." Martha and I knew only about this type of ministry. While in Hollister, God filled so many blanks and worked so many miracles that there is not room enough on this blog to describe. If I could sum up the biggest blank in one word it would be "Discipleship." If I could thank one person on this earth for helping us fill this blank it would have to be our pastor, Pastor David Prado.

We had told our pastor, that if we ever returned to youth ministry it would not be in the tradition that we had served in before. In fact, I had to come up with a new term for myself to describe what role it would be: "youth motivator." It's not that the style of youth ministry that we had before was bad, by no means. It just no longer fit.

I laugh about it now, but yesterday morning as I was praying about the vision for our youth, I needed some motivation for myself. I felt as though I was floating in midair in suspended animation just like all those sci-fi movie scenes you see these days. I just needed a kick to get the momentum going again.

After people win an award, medal, or election, you often hear them say "I am humbled and feel a little beside myself at the moment." Well, I never truly understood what they meant until now. This is exactly where I found myself. I was a cow staring at two different open gates, except this time I was a cow in a frozen tornado scene staring at two different open gates (remember "Twister?"). I felt like Solomon upon assuming the throne of his father David and Elisha clutching Elijah's cloak in his hands:

Solomon said:

"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

While Elisha:

picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD , the God of Elijah?" he asked.

Know what I mean? Mooooo

I must pause here, while in suspended animation, to say that the new District Youth Director for the Northern Pacific Latin American District, Pastor Dan Garza, has brought a tremendous purpose-driven vision for the youth of our district. I am so excited to say that this vision, when you cross-check, is the same one as our church (Faith, Hope, and Love Center) and our own ministry (Light the Fire).

So here I was back at the farm. The last youth article I had read that really inspired me was the vision of the incoming National Youth Director, Pastor Jay Mooney. In one sentence it reads: "equipping the church to win, build and send students to fulfill the Great Commission." In three words, "Win, Build, Send."

So there I was yesterday morning frozen and with this vision highlighted and ready for copy and pasting for future reference, when my good friend calls me up to share what God had been stirring in his heart all morning long. This was no accident. Martha and I had served under this man of God as assistant youth rep and secretary for two years. This was our "King David" and "Elijah" as it were. The word that he shared with me over the phone in less than ten seconds was enough to press the Play Button...

Youth of the Salinas Section:

From the top to the bottom. From national to district to sectional, we are united in vision! Get yourself ready for Holy Revolution. Get yourself ready, because we are about to win more souls for the kingdom of God that the nets won't even contain. Get yourself ready because, we are going to be built up to be effective disciples for Christ. Get yourself ready because, the Lord is going to send you out to the four corners of your prayer closet, of your school flagpole, of your city streets, of your neighborhood, of our section, of our district, of our country and of our world! Get ready, get ready, get ready!

So help us God,

Bro Danny and Sister Martha Morales