Dreamer

 

D r e a m e r

 

Don‘t forget the clear, windy, intentional path

So my last blog was about what I’m doing, but the heart and overflowing passion behind it resides in the unexpected journey that led to another 6 months. 

If I were to really dwell on it. 2020. the year. I couldn’t grasp how great the Redeemer works. How limited my understanding of what disappointment means. And how gracious the Maker. I’m not afraid. Help me to not be afraid Lord. You are it. And to the next adventure, you are it. 

 

Serving in the poorest nation in Central America, responding to covid through the local ministry REAP, spreading the Gospel, transforming lives through discipleship and community – support this through prayer or donating!

 

And now for the journey…

When I got sent home month 3 of my 11 month missions trip due to pandemic, I thought my time serving with AIM/World Race was done. I was ready to settle down.

I could cry thinking about it now. God showed me in quarantine that missions, adventure, Jesus, storytelling, Kingdom community – well that’s where I thrive and come to life (I thought of how full I was in Indonesia). 

And when I got back on the field for World Race America, there was absolutely no denying that I felt again at the center of God’s will.

WRA was a transformative 4 months with abundant community that became family. It was somewhere along the way where I found my confidence. I found my place. I know I’m loved and that I have the capacity to give a powerful, profound love to hurting people. 

 

Going into WRA, I thought in January I’d go internationally as a racer for 3 months. A couple months into WRA, though, it just didn’t feel right anymore. I told AIM I was done after WRA.

I couldn’t keep international missions from stirring in my heart however; especially reading the life changing book, Redeeming Love.

 

Debrief and Awakening in Bellingham Washington we had a conference on identity. 

One night we confessed to God the lies we believe about ourselves, and then asked God to give us a new name.

“God I confess to believing that I am untrusted. Now what’s the name you give me?”

DREAMER

 

I’ve struggled to believe I’m worthy of responsibility and trust; I’ve never felt adequate enough to take on positional leadership, though I’ve been a leader in my own way. I didn’t listen to 1 Timothy 4:12.

 

I’m telling you the next day my powerhouse, wise squad mentor Amy, told me

“Hannah, I just trust you. Do you want to squad lead?

I’m leading a 3 month trip to Southern Africa. And I thought of you as the type of juicy leader I want. I’ve seen your Shepherding qualities and your gift of evangelism will rub off on your squad. The pillars of your faith are solid.”

 

My spirit was bursting with excitement and joy and peace and purpose. I knew it was right; I knew it was what God wanted me to do!

I had just spent time with the age group (18-22) that I will be leading, and had literally thought “I want to work with this age group, their fire for Christ is so inspiring.”

 

Also, very clearly God’s whisper told me “South Africa” one night in Utah before I went on WRA. Even though we can no longer go to Africa due to Covid, it still was the confirmation I needed to get me here.

And so…I committed. 

 

Some time later I’d get a call asking if I’d be open to a 6 month gap year/semesters World Race trip. Something in me wanted it. But don’t get me wrong, it scared me (still does a bit) to give that much more of myself and my time all to Jesus. 

 

I need $2,500 by January 1st, you can support me getting there 
here

 

We were on the road from our final ministry host in Colorado to our final debrief in Florida. I got the call asking if I’d commit. I said yes.

Days before on a call with my mom, I saw a passion and excitement and preference arise out of nowhere in me for leading the 6 month trip over a 3 month.

My new mentor asked if I could fly out for leader training the next day. It was so sad to leave my team, my race family, but I went. 

The energy, fire, sense of adventure of this age group excites me. I have been the youngest on all my Race trips, now I’m the oldest. 

I went through a time of humbling in Malaysia where I didn’t know my place. And all of the sudden at training, I was given a place and an authority to speak. I pray, like my friend Em just pointed out, that I’d steward it well, the best leaders serve first.

 

It’s about Him, 
not me.

 

It already was stretching at training being asked to come up with a teaching for the next day on the spot!

And what I taught on was the feeling of being unqualified or unseen; for in our lack we learn to depend on God. We must voice lies and let our community pray truth, let Jesus who is Truth speak truth.

“He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15).

(Gisele asked me to give a talk on storytelling in front of like 30 people back in Washington debrief. It scared me, but I got through it. This was before I knew squad leading was even an option; I see now what God was doing ;))

 

I loved so much connecting with this leadership team at training. Pouring into and learning from beautiful, unique, Spirit-filled individuals like this is a dream.

 

All my days, I can see that God was preparing me for this and what is to come.

Even back to when I was committing my life to Jesus in high school, my passion was fueled for seeing and connecting with a variety of my peers, especially the ones who feel like outcasts. In college, I learned how to disciple others. I have such a passion for college-aged students – what a time to dedicate yourself to Jesus! In Indonesia and Utah, I sought out individuals and just listened to them, prayed over them. 

 

Also in Washington, an alumni racer I just met, came over to me and told me “God has appointed you for such a time as this, like Esther, to be an Advocate for the unseen and unheard.”

 

God’s timing is impeccable. I don’t think I would have applied or said yes to 6 month squad leading if things had not gone exactly as they did.

God is so kind.

And at final debrief he affirmed me that it’s worth it to go deeper in Jesus, to risk it all. 

 

 

Moreover, to be honest I avoided authority on the World Race, partially due to pride and insecurity. Even the squad leaders intimidated me. God has redeemed that on WRA.

The people and things you are scared of are probably what you’re meant to go towards for growth. 

TT just came off a 40 day fast only water when she spoke at my training camp back in October 2019. I was intimidated to do one on ones with her, but she sought me out and asked me to go evangelizing with her. It gave me a new sense of boldness and courage going forward that contributed to crucial moments the rest of WRA.

 

From leader training I rode 6 hours to my final debrief with two leaders that would go to prison or die for Jesus. They have given their all even if it meant being hated or looking foolish to the world; am I willing to?

Well as I’ve spent time with them, as I’ve become friends with my mentor Amy, I see them human. I see them living abundantly pouring out love and power.

Yes, I want to step by step let Jesus take me deeper (a theme endlessly repeated this year), just like He did with Peter. It’s an abundant and challenging process, FULL OF GRACE.

 

 

Hailey, the mentor for our squad, Gap23, explained to the squad leaders the cost of leadership.

We have to be willing to make mistakes, ask for forgiveness, to be in the spotlight, to be misunderstood even hated like Jesus was, to prioritize boundaries, to experience brokenness and confront darkness, to give of ourselves, to give glory to God, to be away from our families longer, to be stretched unlike ever before.

And it’s so cool that our squad is called Gap23. Hailey named it after Psalm 23 focusing on God as our Shepherd. In California, before I knew 6 months was even an option, Daisey, a 17 year old, prayed over me and said God really is emphasizing Psalm 23 over you. 

Also, Hailey emphasizes leading with creativity and many of the leaders are creative whether it be professional dancing or fine arts! This is really amazing considering two women, who didn’t know me, on separate occasions prophesied that I would give paint brushes/canvases to sheep that God will give me to lead. 

 

 

---

 

It’s amazing that God spoke “Dreamer” that night in Washington.

Weeks before someone prophesied that I am a “God dreamer. God wants you to dream so big with Him.” I’m hesitant to dream, as it feels risky. But God is asking me to…

 

Showing me how to; in Colorado a couple of friends suggested I dream like I paint : thinking up what beauty I want to show, being immersed in the process/layers/details, letting Christ’s light shine through, and then giving it away. One of them, a previous squad leader, said to dream with my squad.

And then, Hailey had a vision of me sitting before God, peacefully in assurance, painting in front of the squad. She said my job is to show them how beautiful God is, and then to give them their own canvases. 

 Then, at final debrief Ryan, from a different squad, knew none of this and said “God has given you the authority to be like a potter in community: to think of what you want it to look like and make it come to be.”

Moment before, during campfire worship on the beach, I was playing with the sand and “God you are the potter and I am the clay” ran through my head! (Isaiah 64:8).

And then in the video embedded in my last blog, the speaker brings up how the clay asks the Potter what are you doing? Can I trust God’s leadership over me, and not question what He is doing in my life?

 

Haha, also! I wrote a blog about “God’s masterpiece” since the phrase vividly came to mind when I met and prayed with this incredible man in Colorado.

Get this, before I wrote that blog, my coaches had given a title to each of my teammates like for Raquel “Esther.” For me, they wrote…

 I share not to show you who I am, but to glory God in how He speaks, affirms, and works. He has something so specific and majestic for you too (Psalm 8)!

 

 

(World Race America final debrief Florida) 

 

More confirmation/God’s hand…

(2020 began with this quote on my journal…how real it became) 

Valerie said it: God has given me a palette of diverse colors/experiences. I have been broken; I have been filled up. But He’s making a painting out of it, and “it’s you that makes it beautiful.”

 

• It goes all the way back to what someone spoke over my Race right after I had committed to it; this will be about God capturing your heart and like a game of chutes and ladders (you will rise and fall).
• Cageless birds the theme song through every stage of this unconventional 2020 journey.
• At training camp I couldn’t believe the word Britt gave me – “I think maybe you are supposed to do ministry full time; you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Stunning. I see pools of living water in your eyes.” The enemy tries to attack me with lies and shame immediately after I‘m covered in Kingdom purpose. I had a breakdown and wanted to quit that night at training camp and on my birthday in Malaysia; thank God I didn’t let the enemy win!!
• We saw Britt again on WRA and she wrote a note – your roots are in God not a place; do His will not your own.
• When Kenz was chosen as team leader in Malaysia; she thought it was going to me. Come to find out Amanda said, “It’s not Hannah’s time to lead yet.”
• Not only this, but I received more prophecy/encouragement in Idaho that couldn’t have been more accurate and life giving: That I will go from adventure to adventure. That I am a lampstand, radiant splendor, and joy. That God will give me sheep/lambs to teach prophetic art. That my creativity will release people into freedom. That I will be like a midwife to help birth people’s spiritual journeys.
• I prayed when deciding if I wanted to continue international that God would put $50 in my account if He wanted me to continue. I remember my fundraising bar going up that much, without me even announcing what’s next. 
• God reminded me also that He can use my mind that loves apologetics and philosophy; He did at debrief as I asked big questions, And I’m willing to sit with people who have big questions (and provide a reason for the hope I have – 1 Peter 3:15). Each part of you can be used uniquely for the Kingdom!
• My first international missions trip was in Nicaragua. I had considered doing a summer internship there as the poverty in this country moved my heart and even more so the wonderful people. And now I’ll get to practice my Spanish there!
• Eva, told me with watered eyes in Washington “Never stop making people feel like they are the only person that’s important to you.” One of the best things to hear from the person with the most powerful testimony I’ve heard (we got to hear it under the stars with the sound of ocean waves one night in Florida, so wonderful)

 

Lastly, Hailey told me that she had someone else in my place for this squad, but she was restless about it. God told her “it needs to be Hannah Mitchek.” That gives me so much peace. Hailey said even though she didn’t even know me, God made it clear who the 3 squad leaders should be. 

Pray for breakthrough, His 
Kingdom to come, 
liberation for captives, 
protection and health, 
salvations and healings, 
unity and peace, 
fundraising goals to be met for the whole squad, 
growth and intimacy with Our Father, 
love to abound in us and 
through us
P E A C E  U N T O  Y O U

 

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58