Testimony

When I was sixteen, my world was turned upside down through an unexpected discovery. It began in early February, just as winter was showing itself in Florida. Bored with our lives of inactivity, my friend, Hannah, and I set out on an adventure to experiment with an old surfboard she had obtained. A trip to the thrift shop and a purchase of a $40 wetsuit with a rip up the leg was all I needed to get started!

My first time, I used a paddle-less paddle board my family shared. It was a stormy day and the waves were super choppy. Even still, I managed to catch one of those waves and stand for nearly half a second! That was the moment I knew I was hooked! That was the moment the trajectory of my life shifted; surfing would forever be a part of who I was. And God would use this love to guide me through significant steps in His plan for me.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that female surfers were lacking on the Gulf Coast; 95% of the sport driven by males of all ages. The boys my age didn’t take well to the idea of a girl joining them in the waves. It wasn’t uncommon for me to be teased and taunted, regularly accused of trying to get attention from the opposite sex. I remember kids at school laughing at me for my appearance. Apparently I wasn’t spending enough time to make myself look cute, and the matted seaweed still clinging in my hair wasn’t helpful. Failure to fit in made for a very difficult sophomore year. More and more, I grew apart from school friends and tried to connect myself with the surfers who would accept me.

After my tenth grade year, I decided to withdraw from high school and instead get my GED to avoid all the school drama. I signed up for college classes and landed myself a job, spending two years with very little direction. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with my life. I knew I had a heart for missions. I knew I wanted to spread God’s love around the world to people who had never felt His undeserving, relentless love. But that was the only thing definitive for me. A mission trip to Kenya, Africa in April of 2016 stirred the waters of my missionary heart.

The following year, I came across a 10 month Christian discipleship program through an organization called Christian Surfers International. CSALT, which stands for Christian Surfers Africa Leadership Training, won my heart and became my longing. The thought of being back in Africa doing missional work among surfing communities while gaining leadership skills sent chills up my spine. I could finally combine my passion for Christ with my love for surfing! I would not have to give up one for the other as I had been told countless times! I wanted to be a part of it as soon as possible! After some research and a few FaceTime calls with the organizational

leader of CSALT, we realized it would take more than a few months to get me there. So we set our goal for January of the following year. My hopes were set on this trip. I told myself this would be my outlet for becoming (1) a better surfer, and (2) a better Christian. Little did I know God was about to show me just how different His plans for me were. After a trip to Washington DC and a hard “NO!” from the South African Embassy, I discovered that getting a Visa for the 10 month CSALT program was impossible for a young girl like me. Just like that my dream was crushed! I was back to square one with no direction or idea of what I wanted to pursue. Even worse, I imagined this closed door as God’s way of telling me I should stop surfing. I considered selling my boards and everything even associated with surfing. I told God that if I couldn’t surf the rest of my life, I didn’t want to surf at all!

Life has a way of continuing on, so over the next couple of months, I rolled hopelessly with the punches of discouragement. Even still, my addiction to surfing was far too great to give up. Instead of clinging to Jesus through my hardships, I clung to surfing. I moved to Jacksonville with my older sister and told myself I would start college there next semester. I would settle for a dead-end job that I would surely hate and would force myself to be faithful to it every day. Proverbs 13:12 describes my heart in that short span of time. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick...”

It was less than two months later that God showed up with a new direction through a link my Mom sent me for YWAM Surfers Discipleship Training School in Western Australia. After having the door slammed on the CSALT program of South Africa, I was terrified to even look at this new possibility. But God had other plans and gently nudged me forward. By faith, I took steps. An email to the program leader, Terry, brought fast response. Within less than three weeks, I was flying across the world to Perth, Australia for a Surfers DTS! God had not failed me; He was simply redirecting.

It was during my five month Discipleship Training School that life began to make sense. I was now surrounded by a group of nine other people that had the same dream as I; combining our love for surfing with our love for God and missions! God shaped and molded each of us in this group over the 6 months we were together. In my life, He showed me how to let go of my past and focus on my future. He taught me how to love others like He loves them. He showed me a side of Himself I had never tried to discover. He showed me His passion for people through my passion for surfing. Every surfer has a soul. Each and every person on a board is reachable when you are in the water with them, and God is at work in them!

My experience with YWAM taught me the meshing of surf and ministry. As surfers, we were able to reach out to vast surfing communities through our passion and common ground of riding the waves. Through surf lessons or just hanging out with other surfers, my team was able to display God’s love through word and action, generating relationships along the way. Our generosity, patience, and kindness in the competition of the wave, became an open door for friendship and the sharing of the gospel. The normal surf culture is one of relentless selfishness. It’s all about one person... self... trying to score the best swell at the exclusion of another. The surfer’s goal is for his own pleasure and bragging right. But YWAM Christian Surfers has a dream which has now become my own - to see transformation within surfing communities! We pray that as the love of God is shared and received, the surfing culture will be radically altered! We pray for a God-movement among this passionate body of wave-riders! And we believe God can do it! This is my calling, my heart’s greatest desire... to be a part of this powerful God-movement among the surfing communities of the world!

God has altered my heart in so many ways. And although surfing is a great outlet and a thrilling blessing, I had to discover that that is all it is. It can’t be more, taking the place of God in my life. I had to let go of its position in my heart. Surfing only 2-3 times per week while in Australia was very difficult for me. God had to take me on a journey to show me His greatness and my need to place my identity in Him rather than surfing. He asked me to give up my surfing for two weeks as I watched from the shore some of the best waves I’ve ever seen in my life! Surprisingly, I found delight and strength in doing this. God is good and faithful to transform the hearts and lives of His children.

After a series of clear events that could not be denied, God revealed His further plan for me to serve full time with the YWAM staff in Australia. After a year of training and DTS support, I will help plant a new YWAM base in Margaret River, Australia, a well-known surfing location. Through our regular Discipleship Training Programs like the one I attended early this year and local and global outreach to surfing communities, I hope to be a part of a wave of God’s Spirit bringing transformation to surfers one heart at a time! I have made a commitment to a three year term of service and am praying for partners to pray and give to this mission. As my December deployment date grows close, my excitement increases! God has always known His plan for me and He has faithfully redirected my steps that I may find it. I pray you will consider His will and call for you and trust Him with all of your heart!

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”