ROUTE CHANGE!!!

The last ministry week in Nicaragua was incredible. I saw the Lord move enormously and have never felt closer to the Holy Spirit. My team and I did a lot of street evangelism, handing out food to the homeless and doing prayer walks around the city. There was one specific day that stood out to me the most. It was the day we handed out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Before we would do anything, we would pray as a team and ask the Lord where he wanted us to go for the day. This past month has grown me so much in prayer and it has been so cool to see the Lord answer prayers. However, this specific day we did not expect him to move in the way he did. He taught us how important timing is, and how God uses time to show us just how in control he is. His timing is everything, it is perfect. In this day he walked us through every single interaction and every single step. We talked to so many people that day and got to encourage so many fellow believers. I’m not going to go into all the stories because it will take all day, however my teammate Jessie, wrote about the whole day and I would love for you guys to read it on her blog (https://jessiejacoby.theworldrace.org/ blog post: The Boy in the Red Shirt). If you have any questions, feel free to contact or call me I would love to chat about it! The whole blog takes you through every interaction in that day and by the end of it, it showed how every single detail mattered to get us to where we ended up by the end of the day. Every turn we took, every prayer we prayed, every time we stopped to sit down, every single detail mattered. It made me re-evaluate my time and how God can use every second of our day for purpose. Like I said, this month has changed my prayer life and I have realized just how important it is to pray in our every day lives. God has also been working in other areas of my life and one of those areas is simply trusting him….in everything…. no matter where I go…… which brings me to my UPDATE!!!!

We have had a MAJOR route change, and it is changing way faster than we all expected. Due to the pandemic, we no longer can travel to South America, which is very heartbreaking. A lot of us were really looking forward to it and some of us even chose this route because of South America. However, we know in today’s society nothing is guaranteed and changes happen faster than seasons change at this point! So, you might be asking well if South America is out and Southeast Asia is out of the question, then where?? Well, I am happy to announce that in JUST 5 DAYS…. we will be traveling to…. ALBANIA!! We are going to EUROPE!! There are so many different emotions right now, sad for changes, but yet excited for something completely different culture wise. I have always wanted to go to Europe, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be getting the chance to go and do ministry there!! It is going to be such a unique experience. There are so many unreached areas where we will be going, and I am so thankful I get to go and share the love of Christ with those that have never heard the name of Jesus before. Although, it will be very challenging, and it will be a 6hr time difference from my hometown, which I have never experienced before, so that will probably be one of the hardest parts for me. My supporters and family/friends back home mean the world to me, all your support is what keeps me going when I am so drained and just want to give up and come home. So please if you have not already gotten the Marco Polo app, please do if you would like to stay in contact with me!! It would mean so much!

Also, with changing our route to Europe we have realized that it will be a huge weather change, and most of us, if not all of us, are very unprepared for the COLD! LOL! We have been in 80+ degree weather for so long and will now be entering places that will be close to 50 degrees if not colder! With that said, if you would like to donate money, we will all be needing a wardrobe change! Luckily, we will be stopping in Miami for a layover and can pick up some stuff. However, I will mainly be getting stuff right when we land in Albania! (Hoping things will be cheaper there then the states! ??) Do not feel pressured to, but if you feel led to donate to help me, and even others on my squad out, with some warmer clothes it would be much appreciated!! It would help me to be a little less stressed with all these changes! (Venmo: @Michaela-Roys , Cashapp: $Michaelaroys) Thank you!!

The biggest thing I have learned on this trip is that surrendering is not a one-time thing, it is an everyday thing, like I already mentioned. We wake up everyday and have a choice to surrender to the Lord or to surrender to the world around us. I want to leave you with this question, ask yourself which you would rather surrender to, which would you like to give the authority to have a hold on your life? The world that tosses us around and then throws us away when it gets bored with us? Or God, who knows every single detail about our lives, our mistakes, who we are, and yet still chooses to love us more than anything else? This is something I need to ask myself every morning, to help me to keep fighting for my relationship with the Lord no matter what the world says.

Thanks again to all my supporters and for those that have been reaching out, please continue to do so and I would love to hear people’s thoughts on this question and hear about some ways I can be praying for you all back at home! Next time I blog I will be on the other side of the world!!

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2, NIV