I am Inadequate

I am inadequate to do the work the Lord has for me in India. 

As sit here and ponder of the things I lack to teach people about Jesus or even help people in India the Lord reminds me of every person He used in the bible who was inadequate to do the work the Lord had sent them to do. 

               Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. Exodus 4:12

for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Matthew 10:20

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27

None of us are adequate to do the work of the Lord. It does not matter what degree we have or how much money we have. The Lords ways are far beyond our ways and far beyond what we can comprehend (Isaiah 55:8-9).

All we can do is humbly accept what he has given us and the work He lets us partake in. We are unworthy of it, but because of His grace He has made us worthy to serve Him.

Yes, through the opportunity to serve Him we will mess everything up, but He still uses us because He wants us to be part of the work he is doing so that we may experience Him.

We truly serve a gracious God who deserves all praise and honor! 

Be Humble... 

I am YOURS!

For the past of 8 years of being a Christian I never knew what it truly meant to tell the Lord "I am yours." But now I do! 
8 years ago God put a desire in my heart to be a missionary overseas. There where times when doors where shut and when doors were open. There were times when scars were so deep and wounds that hurt, but the Lord gave me His strength to keep going. First, was keeping my focus on Jesus and never looking back. Never fearing what man would say because nothing was to please man but God. 
After a year of sitting at God's feet at Impact 195 I learned what God's love looks like and what restoration feels like. Those wounds were stitched back up with God's Love. 
The Lord gave me a vision after I came back from India dancing on the rooftops with my teammate (Caitlin) to the song Rooftops from Jesus Culture (hahaha... and as I write this the song comes on my playlist). The song represents why I am going to India because of His perfect grace and because by Him I freely live. So I shout from the rooftops (of India) I AM YOURS! 
Never in my life have I ever wanted to be more with God. To please him with my whole life. All I want is more of Him and nothing else in this world. My whole life is fully devoted to Him and my focus on Him has never been so strong as it is now. When we finally get to this point of complete surrender we experience freedom like no other. I am finally FREE! 
As we continue to run the race never let your eyes swayed by the earthly pleasures because you father in heaven has so much more for you then you could imagine. His word is alive and active and He is a father that keeps His promises we just have to hold on to those promises even when things are being shaken up. We are His and our desire should be that He is ours. As He desires for us to be fully His.  

 

Here I am before You, falling in love and seeking Your truthKnowing that Your perfect grace has brought me to this placeBecause of You I freely live, my life to You, oh God, I giveSo I stand before You, GodI lift my voice cause You set me free
So I shout out Your name, from the rooftops I proclaimThat I am Yours, I am Yours
All the good You've done for me, I lift up my hands for all to seeYou're the only one who brings me to my kneesTo share this love across the earth, the beauty of Your holy worthSo I kneel before You, GodI lift my hands cause You set me free
So I shout out Your name, from the rooftops I proclaimThat I am Yours, I am YoursAll that I am, I place into Your loving handsAnd I am Yours, I am Yours
Here I am, I stand, with arms wide openTo the One, the Son, the Everlasting God

There is Freedom

My life... It's hard to imagine my life without God now. I am coming to the 8 year mark where I gave my life to the Lord. It has been the best 8 years of my life! and I know this year will be the best yet as I move to India to do God's work. So here is my story:

My father was a missionary/ pastor in Mexico. He was tender hearted, loved God, amazing teacher of the word, very smart, was amazing at playing the drums, and loved his daughters (myself and sister). He opened drug rehab homes in Mexico which are still going as of now. Thousand of people came to know the Lord because of how the Lord used him. He was my example of what it truly meant to live for the Lord.

Then years down the enemy took him down and he fell into drug addiction and alcoholism. He went to be with the Lord when I was 11 years old. My world seemed to crash down...

However, I had such an amazing mom and grandma that taught me what it meant to follow the Lord. Every weekend and holiday we would be in Mexico with my grandma. We would attend a Pentecostal church every Sunday where I taught Sunday school to the little ones at 12 years old. Moving on, when I turned 13 I started seeking things of the world and I got kicked out of school for having illegal drugs on me. My grandma was the only one for me who was God's hands and feet for me through all of this and she got sick. She went to be with the Lord. I was devastated... I searched for the things of the world even more.

I stated smoking weed everyday and drinking. That is how I would keep myself numb. Then for 2 years I became a meth addict. I OD so many times. There was one day where I completely was dead. My friends said I turned purple and I had no pulse. I remember in that moment where I took my last breath I asked the Lord to give me a second chance. As I woke up and took in a breath of air I knew the Lord had given me that 2nd chance. He had a plan for my life.

From that day my life has been dedicated to serve the Lord. By His grace I've started ministries and I have been able to travel over 35 countries. I have seen the sick healed, blind see, and people coming to know His name. Best of all I have seen His love for each nation. How he cries out for His children. How he cries out for us. I have seen His GRACE. How there is FREEDOM in the name of Jesus! In my life God has set me FREE and I will proclaim from the rooftops of India that he is God!

I am picking up my cross and following Him no matter the cost. I am willing to lose my life in order for those that never heard to hear the name JESUS, JESUS, JESUS!

God's Dream for Me

God has put it my hear to share the dream He has put on my heart. 

 

There couple of days the Lord has been giving me dreams about India. Most of those dreams have been about human trafficking victims. I have felt what it means to be in their place, I have felt the love the Lord has for them, and how there is HOPE when there is none. The dreams that the Lord has given me have been very vivid for me in ways where I wake up crying for the people of India. 

 

 

As I sat in my room praying and asking the Lord what is it that He wanted me to do with these dreams I felt Him say to use my talents. As most of you know my natural abilities are in art. I do photography, draw, make jewelry, and play guitar/ sing.  

 

Then I had a vision of making jewelry/ accessories, paintings, and clothes. This will help human trafficking victims make a living for them and also for ministry to continue to help victims like this. 

 

Here are the three main points:

 

Discipleship Doing daily bible studies, prayer, and mentoring them individually to encourage them in their growth and walk with the Lord. 

Training  Trained in the trade of jewelry-making. They will learn to work with a variety of high-end, semi-precious stones to make beautiful pieces that are sold internationally.

Educating Through teaching English and basic life skills, they will be empowered with a new confidence and competence for a changed life.

Pay: 

Wages & Work Hours  Paid above fair market value and operate on a 40 hour work week.

Loan Payoff After their first year, each of them are  eligible for a loan. They pay it back with a 0% interest rate. This is in response to predatory loan lenders who charge 600% -1000% annually, making repayment impossible for these women.

Paid Training During our 3 month training period, each women receives a salary, that increases with full time employment after this term.

It's so amazing how God has put Human trafficking in my heart for awhile for India but I did not have clarity of how it would look like but now he has given me a clear vision. This is His will! This is His dream that He has put in my heart. 

 

Thank you to those who are part of this dream. Thank you for giving your treasures and time to make this happen. Please keep praying for this ministry. God is going to do something AMAZING and you are part of it. 

 

Today is my deadline to raise $1600 and $500 more in monthly pledges. Please lift that up in your prayers. If you know anyone that would like to be part of this dream and would like give a tax deductible donation send them to: https://www.mogiv.com/rockmissions/damariscontreras/

 

My savior He can move the mountains and I know He will. Please join me in prayer.