God said YWAM

So, I wanted to share my story of how I ended up with deciding to partner with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Denver for doing my mission work.

Well, it all began in August of 2007 when my parents and I arrived in Kona, Hawaii for a vacation. I had only been back from Kenya for a week, during which time I helped take care of my 2 nephews, and the morning after my nephews went home my parents and I flew to Hawaii. I was pretty exhausted and my body was still trying to adjust to all the different time zones, but one thing I remember very distinctively when we arrived in Kona was a group of college aged kids that were getting their luggage and piling into a van with the sign "University of the Nations" on the side of it. Being an educator I remember thinking that must be an interesting school, but didn't give it anymore thought. Two days later my parents and I went to the store, and sitting in the parking lot was a University of the Nations van. Again I became curious, so that night I logged on to the internet and googled the school. What I discovered was a college that offered Bachelor's and Master's degrees with a Christian emphasis, but that required all students to complete a Discipleship Training School (DTS) before any other classes could be taken. The DTS could either be completed at a University of the Nations Center (several locations around the world, but the main campus is in Kona) or at a YWAM base. I remember linking to several YWAM bases from the school's website and learning that Loren Cunningham, who founded YWAM, also started the University of the Nations schools. Again, I thought all of this was cool, but kinda put it in the back of my mind.

Fast forward about a month, and on the night of September 21, 2007 as I was praying I heard God say to me: "Colorado Training Center." It obviously didn't make sense to me at the time, but I prayed about it and wrote it down in my journal, as I was sure that God would give me more in His timing if I was suppose to do something about it. Well, four days later on the 25th God then said: "YWAM." I had a little harder time believing this was God speaking to me, instead of thinking it was my own thoughts because I had been reading blogs of some fellow believers that were travelling the world, and in some countries they had been staying at YWAM bases. So, God said: "If you need confirmation, then you will find the name Tabitha on a YWAM Australia page." I kinda laughed, but somewhere deep down also knew that I should trust God on this. So, doing what anybody would do when God tells you where to find something, I googled YWAM Australia. I searched, and searched the pages for the name Tabitha, but with no success (I am sure God was laughing at this point too). So, at this point I am thinking that either God doesn't believe in Google or it's not time for me to find the right website. =) Well, the next day, the 26th, on my way home from work, I heard God speak to me again, and this time He said: "Denver, Colorado - this is where the training center is located in Colorado that I want you to go." So, of course when I got home, I checked to see if there was a YWAM base in Denver, and what do you know, there was! I still wanted the confirmation about YWAM and was still curious about the Australia page, so on the night of the 28th I typed in the google box: YWAM, Tabitha, and the first result that came up was: YWAM Newcastle. I clicked on the first result and was shocked and excited to see that Newcastle is in Australia and the name in the middle of the page was student Tabitha McLauren's name. I just sat in awe of God for the next few minutes at how awesome He was.

From there, God laid out the plan for me to do the September DTS, since I had a contract with work that would extend through the summer, and September was the next available option for me. So when I applied and was accepted, it was just yet another confirmation that this is where I was meant to be in the next phase of my life's journey.

Confirmation to do Missions Full Time

I love how God uses many different ways to speak to us about His plan for the path that we are meant to be on at a particular moment, and how when He speaks it, it resonates deep in your heart and brings so much peace. Well, that's exactly what happened for me on Friday, July 20, 2007 while in the bush of Ewasu, Kenya.

I was on a short-term mission trip with Adventures in Missions and we had just arrived that afternoon in Ewasu after leaving the slum of Kibera where we had been teaching in a school the first part of the week. Immediately upon our arrival in Ewasu we were greeted by the children and a game of soccer quickly ensued.....we of course lost and it was memorable for me because I ripped my skirt, exposing my behind to everyone! After a few games of soccer the kids headed home before the sun set and the animals would start roaming for the night. For the next hour the team decided to use the time we had for personal reflection / quiet time. Before I left on this trip to Kenya, my friends had compiled a set of cards for me to read everyday that I was gone, so on this day I started my time off by reading one of those cards. As I read the card I began to cry, and I knew that the reason I was crying was because God was speaking to me in a very personal way.

Inside the card was the following scripture:

Thus says God the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the Earth and its offspring,
who gives breath to the people on it and Spirit to those who walk in it,
"I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,
and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people,
as a light to the nations,
to open blind eyes, to bring prisoners out from the dungeon
and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
I will not give my glory to another,
nor my praise to a graven image.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
now I declare new things;
before they spring forth I proclaim them to you."
Isaiah 42:5-9

I read these verses several times, and prayed, and God just said: " You do have a calling and it will be to take my truth to those I send you to." And at that moment, it wasn't said, but I knew that my calling would include some of the most desolate areas in the world. God confirmed my calling that day to be a missionary full-time and revealed that for a little while that it will be completed on an international level.