Blog — Marcus + Carolina

I Let Go

Hello everyone! Carolina here. I haven’t written anything in a while and I figured since I had some time on my hands, why not write something that God has been showing me in this season? So here it goes!

I have been talking a lot with close friends and family on the topic of “why do we face difficulty as Christians?” Is it because God is not a good God? Is it because the Devil is out to get us? Is it because we have done something wrong? I’ll admit, I don’t have all the answers, and I often have a lot of questions. There is so much that we as humans cannot comprehend. And you know what? Sometimes we have to be ok with that. I am learning in this time of my life what the real meaning of “peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). God is showing me that in time of difficulty and doubt, the first thing I need to do is trust in Him. After that, I need to let go of my rational and logic. I can’t let go of my own opinions or thoughts without choosing to trust Him first.

Marcus and I have had our fair share of complicated and difficult seasons throughout our marriage and at times it was hard to stay encouraged. We are currently going through a trial now that has really tested our faith. It has been easy for me to question God and feel overwhelmed with my emotions and doubt. That’s the easy part. The hard part honestly is to let all of that go and Trust in Jesus. But thank God for His word, His Presence and the Body of Christ! His word is truth and gives us peace no matter what we are going through. And His presence is with us through literally EVERYTHING. And our community of believers are there to love, encourage and support. We are not meant to do this alone!

I am reminded of the famous story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14: 27-32). In summary, Peter was in the midst of an intense storm out at sea and Jesus approaches him and the other disciples while walking on water. At first, Peter was afraid, which would be the normal human response. Then, Jesus tells Peter “Don’t be afraid, take courage. I am here!” Jesus tells Peter to come to Him and Peter steps out of the boat and walks on water towards Jesus. I find such beauty in this image because Peter decides to let go of his logic and understanding. He lets go of common sense and the laws of gravity and chooses to walk towards Jesus. It takes faith to do that! However, once Peter starts to look at the strong winds and waves, he begins to sink. Jesus then grabs Peter and tells him “You have such little faith, why did you doubt me?”

Often times in life, we gaze on the winds and waves of our circumstances. We tend to make that our focus instead of Jesus Himself. But what does God call us to do? He tells us to trust and have faith in Him and let go of our understanding. I have learned and am still learning how to believe in God’s promises regardless of pain and suffering. I am learning how to trust Him with EVERYTHING even when I don’t understand or know the “why.” I believe that there is a purpose behind every difficult thing we go through, and that there’s a better version of ourselves on the other side of that trial. The tough seasons are meant to grow us in our faith, strength and character. How else would we know the Power of God unless He walks us out of something beyond our strength, capacity and comprehension?

As an act of faith, I want to encourage all of you, as I’m encouraging myself, to let go of your reasoning and understanding, and choose Jesus. Think about the times He has been faithful to you and let that be your fuel. Ponder on His promises for your life and believe that He is good in every situation; because He is! Strengthen your faith to believe in the impossible because God is limitless and miraculous. Christ is in you, the Hope of Glory! (Colossians 1:27). And the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you and walks with you (Romans 6: 10-11).

“For now, we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face. My understanding is incomplete now, but one day I will understand everything, just as everything about me has been fully understood.”

-1 Corinthians 13:12 The Passion Translation

I let go of my insecurities, doubts and fear, and I welcomec Jesus; the calmer of storms and the destroyer of fear. I believe He is birthing something new within. He turns all our scars and wounds into something wonderful. Beauty is on the other side of pain and His mercies rise with the sun. I let go of me and I hold onto Him.

With Love,

Carolina

Imitation Doesn’t Flatter You

Hello again friends, family and supporters! I’ve got to say that it’s been an absolute joy getting back into blogging regularly again. I did it pretty often in my early 20’s and it’s been so fun putting the words back down on the page. I truly appreciate all the feedback I’ve been getting on the posts. One of the things I feel like I’m destined to do here on Earth is inspire as many people as I can to live life on purpose, having destiny in mind. I want you all to see just how amazing you truly are and to flourish as the person God has created you to be. That’s kind of where this blogpost is going, so just stay with me. 😊 Obviously, I just enjoy writing and sharing my experiences too, but if I can inspire some folks along the way, I’m all here for it. Okay, here we go again. 😉

I vividly remember when I was 19 years old leading worship at my alma mater Bowie State University (BSUUUUUUUU) for a Christ-Side event they were having with my then group “Enduring Praise”. I had been leading worship for a couple years at that point, but was still very raw. I was finding what worked for me and what my sound truly was. Looking back, this set was hilarious to me. We did three Tye Tribbett (one of my favorite artists of all time) songs and one Byron Cage song. And it was almost like, whoever’s song I was singing, I became them. Trying my best to do their exact adlibs, mimic their expressions, etc. What makes it even funnier, is that I can’t sing HALF the trills that they do well. It got to the point where I took off my tie and my sweater and threw it in a pile on stage because I had seen that before. Hahahaha. I can laugh at it now, but I can only imagine what people were thinking at the time. “This fool has lost his mind”. And I hadn’t lost it (though I am pretty crazy in general), I was just trying to be what I had seen and not who I was. Chew on that for a second.

It wasn’t until years later that I found how important it was to develop not only my sound, but my own everything. I went from being influenced by these artists to becoming (a much lesser version of) them. It’s funny though because I see this happening more and more often. I tell young worship leaders all the time, “just because you’re singing their song, doesn’t mean you have to sing it like them”. I know that can sometimes be a hard concept to grasp, but it’s essential in finding yourself. Now, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being influenced by different worship leaders/artists/musicians, but you still must find YOURSELF. You may say “what’s the difference between being influenced and imitating someone?” One of my favorite worship leaders/artists of all time is Israel Houghton. One of the things I love about his style is how he can push a song with his adlibs. Now, I don’t think I’m half the musician, singer or artist that Israel is, but because I have watched, listened and have been ministered to by him so much over the years, you can definitely hear some of his influence in me when I lead. But with that, I’m not trying to be like him. It’s natural because of consumption, but I still have discovered my own sound. So, I may sing something like Israel would, but I’m still doing it in a way that’s true to Marcus. 😊

All in all, finding your own sound and finding yourself as a worship leader/artist will make you THAT much more effective. People are drawn to authenticity. Being honest and true to yourself is one of the highest standards, as well as one of the greatest honors. Mimicking an artist you admire is not honoring them. So, whether you’re doing it consciously or subconsciously, try your BEST to find your own way. People need what YOU have to bring to the table. Always remember that. 😉

Again, hear me when I say, there is nothing wrong with being INFLUENCED by someone. I’m influenced by so many different artists, musicians and worship leaders, but I am TRUE to myself. Not to them. Be this best version of yourself despite the ingredients.

Still got a long way to go,

Marcus

Stay Committed to the Call!

Hey again folks. Marcus here again. 😊 This blogpost is sort of an extension of my last one talking about your “why”. If you read that one, I hope you were encouraged to press on because of your “why”. This topic is kind of on the same lines. To go where you’re called to be. This is something that I’ve talked about for years and years, but it’s a concept that I must commit to everyday of my life. Now that I’m 30 years old, I can look back 10+ years to see how crucial this concept has been to my life and in my history with Jesus. I’m going to just tell a couple stories here, as well as give a little insight from what God has shown me through these instances. Buckle up. 😊

I remember when I was 23 years-old and I had the opportunity to be the “Minister of Music” at a church in my area making decent money. I had just graduated from college the year before, was working full time and was really trying to figure out where my life was going next. I was serving at a church at the time, but was not on staff, nor being paid for anything I was doing there. In my mind I was like “I’m going to keep working my full-time job, take this church position and be set”. I was still living with my parents and had very little responsibility outside of ministry stuff, so you would have thought this would have been a primetime to set out on this. Well after A LOT of prayer, fasting and council, I decided not to take the position at that church. And the thing was, I had NO idea why. It seemed like a good enough opportunity and probably would have put me in a much better place financially. But after I prayed, I felt it wasn’t the right move. But it doesn’t stop there. As I was praying into this, I also felt like God was telling me to quit my full-time job. I know that seems crazy, but this is really how it happened. The tugging on my heart was so real, and different people were confirming it to me weekly. So shortly after I turned down the church position, I also quit my job. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew this was what God was telling me to do.

Now, what came after that? STRUGGLE! Haha. I went into about a year of doing music and ministry full time. It was an extremely hard time in my life financially. I had a little money saved before I quit, but I was quickly blowing through a lot of that money, as I still had monthly expenses. Of course, I started having thoughts like “what in the world was I thinking?”, “Marcus you are stupid.”, and “you got this one wrong man.”. There were days that I felt like a straight up loser, but in my heart, I still knew I had done what I felt God was telling me to do. Little did I know, I was setting a core foundation for my life. I was struggling financially, but I was extremely fulfilled. I know that sounds oxymoronic, but it’s the truth. This was one of the first times in my life that I feel like I got a true glimpse of “peace that passes all understanding”. My mind couldn’t comprehend why I had peace, but I had it. Peace is a GIFT and it should be viewed as such.

As the next few years went by and I grew in my relationship with God, I saw just how immature I was at 23. God illuminated several holes in my life that would have no doubt taken me down had I taken the opportunity in front of me. I also found the same for the job that I left. I was becoming a work-a-holic. I was at work 50 hours a week and I was being driven completely by the money. I didn’t realize the porous track that I was on until years later. I’ve learned in my life that you won’t see the fruit of your obedience to God sometimes till years down the road. Your destiny begins to unfold, and you see the small details of how God was writing your story. These moments set a foundation for me to prioritize where God has called me to be over the “great opportunities” that are in front of me. Our obedience to God can’t be contingent on the opportunities in front of us.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:7

Sometimes you will be told to move and sometimes you will be told to stay where you are. Either time, you will probably be uncomfortable along the way. Comfort zones are really tough to forfeit sometimes, but good things rarely come from there anyway. 😊 Am I saying that being committed to the call is always fun? Absolutely not! And of course, I don’t get it right all the time. I’m still learning and growing myself, but the foundation is definitely there. I’m not quick to jump at “good opportunities” because I always consider my peace and destiny first. That may sound extreme, but it’s the way I choose to live my life. I urge you to do the same. I’m not urging you to quit your job or turn down that 6-figure salary IF that’s what God has called you to. What I’m urging is that you seek the Lord on it because that 6-figure salary could turn into 8-figure issues that can plague you for years to come. Trust me, I’ve seen it. I probably would’ve done things way differently in preparing to follow the call, but this was just a part of my story. Grow in your relationship with God every day, so that it becomes easier and easier for you to hear His voice.

Never forfeit your destiny for the sake of opportunity or more money. When you do that, you’re selling yourself WAY short.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” -John 14:27

I have so much more to say on this, but I’m almost at 1,000 words and I want you all to come back again. 😊 Stay faithful, stay true and stay committed.

Just trying to get it right,

Marcus

What is Your Why?

Happy Monday friends, family and supporters! I hope your weekend was incredible and that this week will be even better. :) This blog post is going to be a little longer than others we’ve had up before, but I had to get some thoughts out for clarity sake, so bear with me. :)

This past weekend, Carolina and I along with our brother Cristian were back in Harrisburg, PA to continue working on a song that will be on our forthcoming EP. I wish I could tell you when the EP is coming out, but I honestly have no idea. Haha. Please be praying for us. :) The song is called “Emmanuel” and talks about how in every season, God’s heart is still burning for us and that His presence is always faithfully with us. It’s almost complete and sounding really good! I began writing this song in the latter part of 2017, and it’s amazing to see it through to the end. The production process is always fun.

With all that being said, the week leading up to being in the studio was a tough one for me mentally. I had been mildly discouraged the entire week. The dynamic with being an “artist” is so interesting right now. It’s amazing in one sense because independent artists have such a freedom to create and release music. On the other end, the scope of music distribution itself is much different than even just a few years ago.

On May 31st, Apple formally announced that iTunes will be officially shut down. Something that I’ve been saying was inevitable. From about 2004-2016, iTunes had dominated the digital commerce world. People moved from listening to CDs to getting everything digitally. Fast forward to just a couple years ago, streaming has began to dominate the digital commerce world. Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, etc, have made listening to music such a cinch that even people that LOVED iTunes have moved on to the world of streaming. With iTunes officially coming to an end, streaming has taken its throne. Many think that Apple is doing this because Spotify has taken the world by storm, and they want their version of Spotify, AppleMusic, to keep pace.

Why did this discourage me? One song on iTunes is typically 99¢. You have to stream one song roughly 135 times to equal what it costs to purchase one song. Let that sink in. The thought of that is absolutely staggering to me as a songwriter and producer. In my mind I’m like “how in the world am I going to continue putting music out when this is the wave?” A popular songwriter recently said “streaming has made it almost impossible for a composer to make a living”. Most times, people just see/hear the finished product. Like many other things, they don’t see the hours of work that goes into making just one quality song. So it’s almost like you’re doing all of this leg work and the streaming service is just giving you a tip. A bad one at that. :) I’ve been tempted so many times over the last couple years to say “I’m just going to be a songwriter and worship leader. That’s it. I’m not putting out music anymore.” Then there’s the option to be “signed”, which is another blog for another day. Haha.

To see complete streaming breakdowns, click here https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/12/25/streaming-music-services-pay-2019/

What has helped me with all of this knowledge typically has been remembering my why. Every now and then, Carolina and I will get messages from people we do know, as well as from people we don’t telling us how much our music has impacted them in some way. How it’s helped them through hard times in their life and given them the right perspective. Those instances are priceless. You honestly can not put a price on that. After all, that’s why we’re ultimately doing this. :) On another note, I know if I stopped putting out music that I’d be absolutely miserable. Being able to create and release music makes me feel alive. It’s hard to even explain what it really does for me, but it’s something that I know without a doubt I was created to do. God confirms that to me so often in so many different ways. That’s where some of the other tension comes in because it takes serious money to put out music to the quality that I feel is necessary for what Carolina and I are trying to communicate. With that, we can only release in spurts. So on one hand I’ll be miserable if I’m not putting out music, but it can be miserable not putting out music because we just don’t have the necessary resources. All of this was running through my head all week. Crazy right? :)

At the end of the day, there’s a sound to be released that I know Carolina and I are CALLED to release. When you’re called to do something, you have to do it. Leave all the doubt behind, tie up your shoes and keep running. As hard as it may be sometimes. I’ve heard so many times before “I didn’t really listen to Christian music before your stuff”. That’s the kind of thing that humbles me in a way you couldn’t imagine. If I were to quit, it would be so selfish. This thing isn’t just about me and Carolina. It’s about all those that NEED to hear the sound we’re called to release.

If you made it through this blog, thank you. :) I know this was a lot and may have seemed like a brain dump, but it kind of was. Believe it or not, this is only part of what has been going through my mind and there are still so many more layers. If you can, continue to pray for Carolina and me. That we will ALWAYS remember our why and that regardless of the “industry”, we’ll stay true to who God called us to be and what He’s called us to release. And I want to encourage YOU to ALWAYS remember your why. If you don’t remember that, you’ll quit every time.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If you haven’t picked up our new single “Awakened” yet, go and do that today! I won’t even mind if you stream it. :)

http://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1462818566

http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1462818566?ls=1&app=itunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXzuRy5gnqM

Grace, Love & Peace,

Marcus

The Presence and The Platform

Hey everybody! It’s hard to believe that January has come to a close. The new year is something that gets most folk excited because of the “reset” way of thinking. In this new year, I’m going to more frequently share written blogs talking about concepts that I feel I can provide great insight on. I used to post blogs like these often in my early twenties. So in a way, you can consider this my reset. :)

I’ve been leading worship for the last 13 years. God has blessed me to be able to travel all over doing what I love, and I have seen many amazing sights along the way. I’ve also come in touch with so many different people through the years that have taught me things that I’ve wanted to apply to my life, as well as things that I haven’t wanted to. It’s been an insanely incredible journey, and I’m excited for what God has planned for the future.

Something that I’ve seen through the years is how so many are drawn to the “big stages”. To the large platforms. Over time, I’ve seen how much I don’t care about the big stage and the big lights. Early on when I was just getting started, I was drawn to big stages as well. In my mind I always thought “one day I’m gonna sing at that church and that church and that church”. All of those churches were big in size and had large congregations. Through the years, I have grown so much in my personal relationship with Jesus to where my time with Him in my room is SO much more important to me than what I do in front of people. I still love leading worship with others obviously, but I seriously cherish the time that I have with the Lord on my own. In fact, the way I’m able to lead people into worship flows out of that. I’ve led on stages in front of thousands and on floors in front of 5. Those instances have been equally integral to my life.

I’ve been in spaces where people didn’t get excited about leading until they saw how many people were in the place. I’ve also seen talented folks not really sing/play to the extent of their talent until they saw that it was a large crowd. I don’t think that should ever be the case. Always remember, talent impresses people, but God’s presence changes people. That should ALWAYS be our focus. Whether there are 10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000, we should always pursue God in the same manner. This is something that I have challenged myself to do, and if you’re a worship leader, I challenge you to do the same. Never make it about the stage or the crowd, but always make it about the presence of God. Every now and then, I’ll get the itch to make it about the people, and I’ll have to renew my mind. Always a good idea to do that.

Anybody who knows me, knows that this isn’t a personal shot against ANYBODY. I’m not that kind of guy. I’m also not trying to say that it’s “bad” to want to lead, play or sing in front of a lot of people. However, just like anything else, God looks at the heart. If your reason is pure, I know Jesus is pleased. But be real with yourself and keep pointing people to Jesus. That’s what “worship leading” is all about. :)

"Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant."

Galatians 1:10

Keep soaring,

Marcus

Kenya: God’s Resting Place

Kenya is named after Mount Kenya which is the second highest mountain in Africa. It is suggested that the name “Kenya” is linked to the words Kirinyaga, Kirenyaa and Kiinyaa which mean “God’s resting place.” This being our second time in this beautiful country, we could not agree more with this definition. Being in Kenya, we are always able to see how God’s beauty is manifested throughout the land. We see God in the landscape, in the animals, in the culture and most importantly, in the people.

We were blessed with the opportunity and privilege to visit Kenya for the second time with our Pastor Eric Dorsey and our Elevate Church (www.elevatechurchva.org) family. Pastor Eric and his wife Andrenna sent money to Kitale to start an orphanage back in 2007, and since then that orphanage has expanded to a school of over 350 students. We support the function of this school monthly as a church (teachers’ salaries, supplies, etc.) and take trips over there every couple of years. Though this was our second voyage to Kitale, it almost felt like a completely new experience. We weren’t surprised by the incomparable love we were shown by the people, by the food, by the weather or by our housing accommodations, but it was still such a fresh feeling. I think anytime you’re flying halfway around the world, there’s just such a major shift. And that shift goes well beyond the 7-hour time difference. The biggest shift seems to be in our perspective of what our purpose on this Earth really is. Even if that was our perspective all along; it definitely throws some flame on the fire.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Colossians 3:12

The first part of our trip always has the potential to be quite daunting. It’s about 18 hours of total airtime from DC to Nairobi, including a 3-hour layover in Dubai. Along with the anxiousness that comes with putting your feet on African soil also comes the anxiousness of just wanting to get off the plane. We then spend the night in Nairobi to get rested up for a 10-hour drive the next day up to Kitale. The living conditions of Kitale are much different than Nairobi. The accommodations are much more meager there. You have to brush your teeth with bottled water, the power could potentially go out at any given time, most toilets are just holes in the ground and the food is that which you would not commonly eat. Our pastor always says “the mission is not about us, so think about that whenever you get ready to complain”. I’m sure by the end of that almost 30 hours of travel, people are ready to just throw all that away. However, when we finally got to our first destination, the orphanage/school that we support, the shift begins to take place. As you arrive, from about a half-mile away, you start to hear chants of “welcome visitors” ringing down the road. Just like in 2016, we were greeted by the most beautiful people you’ve ever seen, except this time there were literally hundreds more. They were singing, dancing, smiling and depositing joy into each of the 28 of us.

The rest of our first official day consisted of us doing a medical clinic for over 200 people, dispersing medication, giving out almost 3,000 pounds of clothes and shoes (which was gone in less than 5 minutes after it was sorted), playing with the children and praying for anyone that would receive from us. For people living in a place that’s considered to be “third-world”, they are some of the most joyous people you will ever find. It’s absolutely beautiful.

“The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:11-12

After a very long first day, that night many of us went out in the streets surrounding our hotel to minister to the “street kids”. There are literally thousands of children on the streets of Kitale that have nowhere to live. They are dispersed all over with nothing, but each other. We saw a large number of them that night and spent time/prayed with them. Through the rest of our time there, a number of our team went out every night to give food, blankets and time to these beautiful children. Many of us made bonds with children in particular, and pieces of our hearts are definitely still there with them.

From there, all of the rest of our days looked different. One day we went to a church that our church supplied the roof for and dedicated it. That was a beautiful experience. Knowing that your giving is not in vain, even across the ocean, is totally sobering. That same day, we did another medical clinic and treated a couple hundred more people. While that was ensuing, the rest of us were ministering to others, praying and playing with children. Again, everyone had so much joy and that joy was absolutely infectious! Another lesson that we learned from the people there is that your attitude can change someone else’s perspective and make such a healthy impact on them.

On another day, we split up and went to different orphanages. The one we traveled to was called “Precious Kids Center”. This orphanage specializes in special-needs children. Marcus first went to this orphanage back in 2016, and at that time there were only about 40 kids there. This time around there were 102! Kids that suffer from so many different issues, but with some of the most beautiful souls you will ever find. A truly unforgettable moment was when we stood in the middle of the building and prayed for the children, as well as the volunteers that make it happen. Almost all of us were in tears, and the presence of God was so powerful in that moment. These kids are perceived to have so much working against them. They’re orphans, have special needs and live in a third-world country, but they are children of God. We know that God has not forgotten them!

On the Sunday we were there, many of us split up and ministered at different churches all around Kitale. Once again, we were amazed at the hunger we saw at Family Glory Revival Church. Carolina led a song of worship and Marcus preached a word on your hunger for God being fulfilled. It was an extremely powerful service and the Spirit of God was in total control. Marcus stressed to the congregation over and over that being rich in spirit is so much more valuable than anything else we could possibly obtain.

From there, we left Kitale and headed down to Massai Mara for a safari to cap off our time in Kenya. Seeing all of God’s beautiful creation was really the perfect ending to such an impactful trip. Just like we can see God’s hand in all of the mountains, waters and animals, we are able to see His hand over the people/nation of Kenya.

“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.”

Psalm 24:1

Once again, our hearts were marked forever. The people there always look to receive so much from us, but in turn we receive more from them than they could ever imagine. Until we’re able to get over there again, our hearts, minds, and resources will continually be with those beautiful souls. Our Father is with them and so are we.

If you would like to give toward what we do in Kenya, you can to so here-àhttps://app.easytithe.com/g3/

Peace & Love,

Marcus + Carolina

PUERTO RICO SE LEVANTA

On September 16, 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by a massive Category 5 Hurricane called Maria. It was considered the deadliest storm of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season. Approximately 80% of the territory's agriculture was lost due to the hurricane, and many were left without power, shelter, food and clean water. One month after the hurricane, 88% of the island was without power (about 3 million people). Three months after the hurricane, 45% of Puerto Ricans still had no power (over 1.5 million people). To this day, there are still many without power.

Realizing that there was a great need in Puerto Rico, Elevate Church organized a trip to the Island. On January 26th, 2018, a group of 16 brave and compassionate people departed the Washington DC area and landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many of us were carrying donations including non-perishable canned foods, toiletries, batteries, flashlights, clothes and shoes. Our assignment was to help the people in Aguadilla, which is a city an hour and 45 minutes West of the capital. Many people in this region live on farmlands in the mountains making it harder for them to have access to resources. Most of the people we visited had no power. In addition to constructing new roofs and bringing food and supplies to the people, our mission was also to display the love of God to the Puerto Ricans. We wanted to be a source of hope to them. For them to know that we had traveled far to meet them, love them and remind them that they were not forgotten. Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

Friday evening-

As we settled into where we stayed in Jobos Beach, we packed 20 bags filled with canned foods, snacks, boxed juices, granola bars, baby wipes, batteries and flashlights. The women were assigned to hand out the bags the next day while the men in the group were assigned to construct three roofs that had been destroyed by the hurricane.

Saturday the 27th-

We started the day off with a devotional time where we prayed and worshipped together. After that, the men took off to help with construction and the women rode into the mountains to pass out bags and pray for people. The drive to the mountains was a scary and risky one. I was honestly scared for my life! The roads were the narrowest I had ever seen and we were driving on the edge of cliffs the whole time. There were fallen trees surrounding the road and houses demolished from the hurricane. We went to places that not even the army or FEMA had gone to because of how dangerous the road getting there was. Even so, Elevate Church made it with the grace and protection of God! Once in the mountains, we were led by a local friend who knew the needs of the people and showed us the houses we needed to go to. Some of the homes had sick people who were bedridden, and others had families with children and elders. We passed out our bags to these families and prayed for healing in their bodies and for God to comfort them. It was very emotional to see many of these people suffering without power, medication, food and clean water. Yet they were grateful to see us and were comforted by our presence and willingness to help them. During our time in the mountains, the men in the group were reconstructing roofs with tools they had brought.

Sunday the 28th-

Again, we started the day with devotions and shared a bit about what we had experienced the day prior. The women bought more supplies and food to make 20 more give-away bags. So, in total we passed out 40 bags to 40 different families during our trip here. We drove into the mountains again, and met with another friend who was going to show us people who were in need of these bags. We met one family in particular that was in the middle of rebuilding their home out of cement because their previous home made out of wood was destroyed from a landslide during the storm. The only two people rebuilding this house were the husband and wife. The husband worked a full-time job as a mechanic and would come home to construct his house until late into the evening. It was a heartbreaking sight to see. Another person we met was a wonderful elderly woman. Her roof was being worked on by the men in our group while she stayed with family members. She was so blessed to see us and couldn’t believe that we had come from the U.S. to pray for her, worship with her and give her food. She said that she was too sick to go to church so we told her that we would bring the church to her! We sang songs in English and Spanish and we prayed for each other. She asked us what the name of our church was and we told her “Elevate” or “Elevar” in Spanish. I will never forget her response, she proceeded to say in Spanish “Pues eso es lo que han hecho conmigo” (This is what you all have done to me today; you have elevated me). That alone made this whole trip worth it. The fact that we elevated people and encouraged them through God’s love and His presence.

It was an honor and privilege to get to know this island and its beautiful people. God’s love is so present even in the midst of crisis and I’m grateful that He chose us to be His light. I often caught myself thinking if the little we were doing was really making a difference in the bigger scheme of things. Thoughts like this would discourage me. But then one of the leaders spoke truth and reminded me that a bag we gave to a family was a bag more than they had before. And a roof we constructed, was a new roof they didn’t have before. Instead of drowning myself with thoughts of what else could be done, I had to think about the seeds of love sown that I know have eternal value and make a difference. We will continue to be praying for Puerto Rico and for the restoration of the land. We agree with the Hashtag #PuertoRicoSeLevanta meaning Puerto Rico will rise up and we declare that over the island. Puerto Rico will rise!

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will rise up on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

February 6th, 2018

-Carolina Akins