We have some exciting news that we would like to share with everyone! We are MOVING!! Many of you knew that we were planning on moving to Texas shortly after the first of the year. Well, that is not the announcement we are making...
We actually will be delaying our move to Texas by a few months... because we will be attending DTS (discipleship training school) through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Harrisburg, PA and also be attending the international outreach with them as well afterwards. This DTS is actually calling Musicians, Entrepreneurs, and Love Messengers. This is so fitting as Zach IS already an Entrepreneur and recently incorporated his new business. At DTS, we will learn how to not just use our business to be successful for us, but rather how we can advance the kingdom through our business and show others Christ's love through the business.
Many of you read my last blog post about the supernatural events that took place while we were in Harrisburg a few weekends ago and how my husband, Zach, experienced The Holy Spirit's presence for the first time while we were there. While we were there, we felt The Holy Spirit calling us to be a part of this upcoming DTS. When we got home, we began to pray very fervently about this and asked The Spirit to give us His perfect peace and show us this was what we were without a doubt supposed to do. I could go on for a long time about some of the many confirmations we received from Him! We realized that we undoubtedly were supposed to do this and that we were there that weekend by divine appointment. We then decided to tell our families.
While we have come across many emotions throughout the process of telling people and we know that this is something many people do not understand and may even think we are crazy for doing, we know that we are doing the absolute right thing! We are not choosing the comfortable path ahead of us for sure; it would be SO much easier and smoother to just go on to Texas after the first of the year like we had planned and Zach start up his business, also like we had planned. However, we know that HIS ways are higher than our ways and HE is calling us to do this, so we are being obedient and following HIM!
For the past year and a half, I have prayed for my husband to have the same beautiful encounter with The Holy Spirit that I had after my Mam-ma died. It was then that I realized that while I had all the head knowledge, I did not have the heart knowledge. It was then that I realized I was merely and tragically, lukewarm. The beauty of His grace is that it is never too late to make such realizations. Encountering The Holy Spirit for the first time changed my life. I had a newfound hunger and thirst for Him, whereas before every thing I did was seemingly just going through the motions. I was on fire and began to separate myself from those who were not and sought to surround myself around those who were. (I will post the full story on my next blog post as I have just given the condensed version the last two posts.) I made some amazing new relationships during this time, but ultimately I desired for my husband to get to this point as well. In Harrisburg, he had the same realization that I had had a little over a year before- that he had all the head knowledge, but no real relationship; that he had never actually encountered the presence of The Holy Spirit! The change I have seen in my husband since that weekend has been absolutely phenomenal. He is so happier, so much more aware of things he should and should not do, he has quit dipping, and I could seriously keep rambling on because I am in so in awe and so so proud of him!
Now that we are spiritually on the same page, it is so incredibly amazing. We can relate to so much as we both had similar backgrounds before our first encounter with The Holy Spirit. Now that we are walking in sync with Him, we are making decisions so differently. We were able to make this decision, both knowing that this is what The Lord had in store for our family and both having the peace that only He can give!
There are still many unknowns that lie ahead of us. We know that we live in a world that views unknowns as risks and a world that also values certainties. We too have found ourselves with this type of mindset. We, however, know that by taking this step of faith and doing what The Holy Spirit is leading us to do, that He will take care of us and direct our paths. We are taking care to not lean on our understanding, but on HIS, for we know that HIS ways are higher than our ways! (Proverbs 3:5, Isaiah 55:8-9) We ask that you have faith with us on this journey as well and cover us in prayer.
We do have to raise a large sum of money (approximately $30,000) to be able to complete our mission. Those of you who are willing and able to sponsor us during this journey, we have set up a PayPal account specifically for these donations. The PayPal email address is brittaninicolehayes@gmail.com. Those who are able to give to our mission, we will be very grateful and we ask that you know that what you are giving is not just to us, but is going to help advance the kingdom of God as well. Your donation to our mission literally will have an impact on many people's eternities!
We know that not everyone is in a position where they are able to financially give and that is okay! We ask that whether in addition to giving financially or in lieu of it, you please commit to praying for us regularly while we are on this journey. We treasure your prayers and can feel the difference they make in our life.
We know that this likely will come as a shock to many and we welcome any questions anyone might have. Stay tuned for more blog posts throughout this journey and if you have not already, please subscribe to my blog updates if you would like to stay updated on our journey!
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