YWAM Maui 2023

In a little less than two months, I will be moving to Maui, Hawaii to be part of YWAM Maui!

It’s been a crazy journey to get to this place, and I’d like to share a little bit about that with you.

About 6 years ago, I thought I had a lot of my life figured out - I was engaged to the person I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, I thought I knew what kind of career I would have, where I would live, etc. However, God quickly showed me that He had very different plans for my life than the ones I had for myself. Fast forward 5 years, to going on vacation to Maui last July. What I thought was simply a week-long vacation, was really the beginning of God speaking to me about my future, and how Maui would be a part of that. I have spent the past year praying, listening, processing, and seeking wise counsel, and through this God has made it clear that He is calling me to be part of YWAM Maui this coming September.

The past 6 years of my life have been a waiting season - waiting for what’s next, waiting to move out of Brockville, waiting to see what God is calling me to and what that might look like as a career, and waiting for the green light from God to go. Countless hours have been spent asking God why my life looks like it’s at a standstill while others around me seem to be miles ahead of me. Asking God what the purpose of all of this waiting is. But as I’ve walked the sometimes painful and frustrating road of obedience and trust, which has most of the time lacked understanding, God hasn’t failed to show me time after time that He has known exactly what He has been doing all along. How He’s been preparing me, healing me, teaching me, and growing me. How His priority was to grow me deeper before He grew me higher - for my roots to be dug down deep so they could withstand the call and the storms of life.

It’s been through the waiting that I’ve learned the reward of waiting for God’s timing. That when we are obedient to what He is asking of us, the harvest of seeing His plan play out is so incredibly rich. That when He does finally say, “okay, now it’s time,” He gives you the grace to be able to look back and see His hand in every single detail that brought you to this point. This has become my favourite thing in the entire world - seeing His hand in all of the intricate, little details that only He could have planned and executed.

At the beginning of this year, I had a conversation with a really trusted and respected friend. We were talking about decisions and the future, and taking steps of faith. We got talking about Peter walking on the water toward Jesus, and my friend said, “before you can walk on the water, first you have to step out of the boat.” I replied with something like, “but it’s safer in the boat,” and he said something that changed the trajectory of things. He said, “it’s risky to step out of the boat, but it’s just as risky to stay in it.”

If you know me well, you know I like to plan everything. I like to play it safe, and not take risks. But Jesus has been teaching me about a little thing called faith, and that often times, having faith means taking a big ole leap out of the boat even if you don’t know what things look like on the other side. It’s trusting that if He has called you to something, He’ll take care of whatever is needed to get you there. So, that’s what I’m doing - taking a step out of the boat because Jesus has asked me to, and trusting that everything I need to walk in obedience to Him, He will provide. And you know what, He already has been, in some of the most incredible and kind ways!

So, why am I posting about this?

1. Because I wanted to share how God has been working in my life!

2. Because I need your help!

For those who don’t know, YWAM stands for Youth With A Mission, and is “a global movement of Christians from many cultures, age groups, and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. We unite in a common purpose to know God and to make Him known.”

The program I will be joining is their Discipleship Training School, which runs from September 2023 - March 2024. This will look like spending three months on the island of Maui, and 3 months abroad teaching people about Jesus. The first 3 months will consist of learning more about God, His people, His work and His Word. The second 3 months will consist of putting the things we have learned into practice through evangelism, discipleship, teaching, etc.

In order to go, first and foremost, I will need prayer - for God to provide everything needed, for Him to move and be present, for our team as we prepare to minister to the nations, etc. None of this will be possible without Jesus and His hand at work.

Second, I will also need to raise $11,000 CAD (yes, I know - the exchange rate from USD to CAD is not great right now :/). This will cover all of my costs for living, learning, flights, meals, etc. for the time I will be away.

If you are able to help financially, there are a few ways you can donate.

1. Go Fund Me. The link is: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ywam-maui-2023

2. You can send me an e-transfer directly. My email is [email redacted].

3. You can send money directly to my YWAM account by going to their website https://pay.cornerstone.cc/ywammaui+student+fees. You can enter the amount, choose DTS FALL, and specify its for Sydney Windsor under Student Name.

4. Give me money directly before I leave on September 14th.

If you would like to learn more about YWAM Maui and the Discipleship Training School, and what we will be doing, you can visit their website here: https://ywammaui.org/pages/dts-standard.

I will also be sending out a newsletter for those who are interested in keeping up with my endeavours. This will include what kind of things I am doing, how God is working, what God is teaching me, specific prayer requests, etc., along with pictures. If you are interested in being part of this newsletter, please provide me with your email address. You can email me at [email redacted] and let me know you’d like to be added to the list.

Thank you so much in advance for partnering with me both in prayer and financially. You have no idea how much it means to me!

God bless,

Sydney