SPAIN
Click the link below for a comprehensive look at who I am and what I do as a missionary in Spain!
ALRIGHT…
Here’s the who, what, and where!
WHO:
Me! But you probably got that part.
WHAT:
I am moving into the next chapter of global ministry and moving to Spain as a full time missionary!
WHERE:
Madrid, Spain to be with YWAM Madrid. YWAM, Youth With A Mission, is an international missions organization with locations all across the globe with a passion for mentoring and empowering the next generation to see them sent out all across the globe walking in their purpose and living on mission.
OKAY.
NOW FOR THE WHY!
*This might be a little lengthy. Grab some tea for story time!
It’s a good story if I do say so myself.*
I have known practically my whole life that I would live all over the world. You can ask my parents! A love for other people, cultures, and nations has always been woven into my story. FUN FACT: One day I want to get a master’s in theological and cultural anthropology! Interestingly enough, YWAM has also played a unique role in my life. When my mom was in college, she travelled to South Korea and fell in love with it and wanted to become a missionary with YWAM to South Korea. She even began learning Korean.
Plans changed as she met my Dad and together they realized that they had a unique opportunity to raise up the next generation of students on mission through youth ministry. Little did they know maybe, that I would also be a part of the legacy of that decision.
When I was born, my parents like to say that I could dance before I could walk. One day, my mom’s friend from college, Tim and his wife Charmian (who was a dancer) were visiting and Charm explained “Lisa! Do you see that? Lauren is moving in rhythm to the music (as I lay on my baby blanket). You might have a dancer!”
She was right!
Okay, fast forward about 18 years.
I know, that’s a big leap!
I was taking a gap year before college and honestly pretty distraught and discouraged about my prospects in the dance world. It can be so competitive. I didn’t want to give everything to it and possibly come up empty. Really, what I needed was purpose. A glimpse of the dream that God had for my life.
I remember exactly where I was when He gave me that glimpse. He reminded me of a production I used to watch over and over and over as a little girl called: DAYUMA. Tim and Charm were actually in the production and it was produced by YWAM!
It did a pretty good job at encapsulating so many things that set my heart on fire! It was a life changing story told through voice over narration, dancing, and visual effects.
And all of a sudden, dance had a purpose again.
God would use that production to plant a seed of a big God dream. A dream of one day having my own performing arts company producing full length productions that are fully immersive using the arts and cutting edge technology. Packing out stadiums and filling the streets with life changing stories all while mentoring the next generation of dreamers, creatives, visionaries, and pioneers.
And that dream continues to get bigger with each “YES!”
Fast forward again to after I graduated from college and a friend invites me to come visit her at a YWAM base in Madrid. It was only supposed to be a two-week trip.
One morning I feel God speak to my heart : Do you trust me?
Of course!
I would like for you to consider: what if you didn’t do your internship this summer ( the one in LA with Mosaic church that I was super stoked about ) and instead came back here in the fall.
It wouldn’t be called a leap of faith if it didn’t sometimes feel like a stretch but I said YES!
And that was the first time I had ever connected the dots of the role YWAM has played in my life and the full circle moment I was living out in real time!
I was in Madrid with YWAM for 6 months and it was everything I didn’t know I needed. As the 6 months were coming to a close, I sensed the unexpected: that I was being called back home to North Carolina.
I didn’t know how long it would be for (my guess was 6 months) but I knew that I was supposed to come home, continue to grow in character, serve in my church and community, and spend a lot of time with my family.
That six months turned into over 4 years of intense preparation, unbelievable growth, the most precious time with my family (more precious than I can put into words), and an absolute love for my cherished community where I have gotten to dance, teach english, work with students, tell stories, and so much more as my family, our team, and I got to witness every day miracles happen through the Dream Center - Our community center in East Burlington, NC.
Though life was so rich and full of so many beautiful things, 2021 was an incredibly challenging year personally. At the end of 2021, my friend Maiya who is a missionary with her husband at YWAM Madrid, asked me when I was coming back to visit and I realized that It was a good a time as any and went for a 2 week trip the following month. While I was there, they asked If I would pray about being staff of their first school that they would lead starting in March 2022. Maiya is also pregnant with their first child and her due date would be during that time.
This may sound like a no brainer great opportunity but I was scared. I had grown to LOVE where I was and what I was doing and who I was doing it with and it was hard for me to not view this opportunity through trauma as I was still grieving loss I had experienced in other areas of my life that year. I didn’t want God to take that away from me. But his presence reminded me that his heart is not to take away and what ever He was asking that I surrender, it was just so that He could give me more.
He had spent years working on my roots and now it was time to go “up and out”. He reminded me of a symbol that had been prevalent in my life the last few years: A huge oak tree that shot up out of nowhere and its branches somehow covered the whole world. He wasn’t wanting to take away my roots but now it was time for global reach.
And Spain is just the next chapter of this crazy adventure! Spain has played a beautiful role in my life ever since 2016. It has been an oasis after a difficult season, a land of new dreams, fresh vision, healing, and preparation.
I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me that I would be called back to Spain as I prepare for what I know very strongly to be the next chapter of global impact and open doors all across the world.
I have no idea what is in store after these initial six months but I know that it will be better than I could have asked for or imagined for myself. And I’m saying “YES!” to whatever it looks like.