I've been spending the past few weeks fitting in all my last-minute hangouts, to-do’s, and “I’ll miss you!”’s before I head to California for the Summer to do an internship through Ride Nature- a surf & skate ministry based in Oceanside. God has put skate ministry on my heart for years. It’s through a skate ministry that I got saved, through a skate ministry that I met some of my closest friends, and through a skate ministry that I’ve been able to watch the love of Jesus restore the lives of so many who were once lost and broken (including myself).
My testimony, in short, boils down to God working through a group called Restore who met at my local park who, through the darkest time in my life, created a space for me to be shown the heart and forgiveness of the Lord. (If you’d like to know more, I talk more in depth about it in the blog before this). It’s been a little over 3 years since that story began and a little over 2 years since I became involved on the other side of things. I now work closely with Restore helping with outreach and any other odd jobs and errands needed for our Tuesday night gatherings. It’s so full circle to be pouring into others alongside the same people who have spent years pouring into me.
This summer at Ride, I’ll be doing outreach to those within the surf and skate communities of Oceanside, while also being discipled myself.
As of right now, my eventual goal is to be able to work in skate ministry full time- what that looks like for me is still unknown, but I hope to leave this internship feeling more equipped to do that within my community here in Tampa Bay.
My story is such a testimony to the power of bringing the church to the people. So many individuals would unfortunately never see themselves fit or have any desire to walk into a traditional church building and attend a service. But by bringing the church to a place that they already inhabit, it creates an environment where they can let their guard down and learn who Jesus is without fear of not fitting a certain mold. The reality is that Jesus doesn’t care about any of that anyways- He wants you as you are.
It’s something I’m so passionate about because it’s a film I’ve seen a hundred times before. I’ve seen first-hand, the power of Christ to break addictions, bring a peace that surpasses understanding, and pull people from darkness into His light… and let’s be honest, often times, there is unfortunately so much darkness, anxiety, and addiction existing within the skate community.
As I creep closer and closer to my move-in date, I’ve been feeling a bit of every emotion.
Stoked. Above all else, I feel excited for the next few months. I’m excited to see the ways my faith grows, excited to meet new people & experience ministry alongside them, and excited to be fully immersed in all that Oceanside is.
Nervous. I’ve never lived away from home for any longer than a month. I’ll be moving across the country without knowing anyone. It’s going to be an adjustment to go without my family, friends, and routines, but I’m excited to be pushed in that way and I know it’s going to grow me and teach me a lot about myself.
Grateful. When I was 17, the same period of my time that I began attending Restore nights, and very shortly before I got saved, I was amid one of the hardest periods of my life thus far. It felt like I was suffocating and all I wanted to do was leave my hometown. I’d made a plan to buy a van a few months before my 18th birthday, spend some time making repairs and getting it ready for travel, and heading out the day I turned 18. I had no real idea of where to go except away from here. As the months passed, it seemed like every opportunity fell through for me and by the time my birthday hit, I still had no van and no means to leave. I remember being so frustrated at the time. I wanted to escape so badly.
I think back on that time now with such a sadness for my younger self who couldn’t see what a blessing it would be to have to stay in the exact place I would have once done anything to leave. In the 2 years since then, my roots have grown so much deeper in this town, my friendships have grown stronger, and I’ve grown more connected within my community. None of which would have happened had I got up and left at 18. I feel grateful for the ways my life has changed over the years. The fact that leaving feels at all bittersweet to me is something I could’ve never imagined 3 years ago. I feel grateful to have something that makes leaving hard.
Expectant. I know God has big plans for my time at Ride. It’s something I’ll only be able to fully understand down the line, but there’s an excitement with that…Going into something with no real expectations aside from knowing that God is going to move is a comfortable thing to sit with.
If you feel led to help fund my time with Ride Nature, below is a link to do so. Please be praying for me as I step into this summer- that I leave more filled up, more encouraged, and more equipped for wherever God leads me next!
Love ya!!!!!
Daynie i love your sweet and precious heart for the Lord. many prayers for this exciting opportunity <3