Growing up, I had a negative view of alcohol and people who abused alcohol. My heart was calloused to the brokenness that was found inside of these bars and I felt my lack of sympathy was justified. They were a lost cause and they knew what they were doing; deliberately drinking their life away. This past New Years Eve, my heart was radically challenged. I went with our team of 18 into Saltcoats (a nearby party city) to do pub ministry with the expectation that God was going to do something totally amazing in the streets. Fear was following me around as I watched people stumbling around on the dark streets. Lord, how will you use me tonight? I don’t know anything about this sort of lifestyle. I’m terrified of what could happen and I don’t know what I could possible bring to these people who can’t even think straight. Shortly after that prayer left my heart, a drunken couple was kicked out of the club a few of us were standing in front of. The boyfriend was roughly pushing his girlfriend back and forth in this small circle of people that formed. Stumbling she would fall and get up fall and get pushed into people when we entered the circle. Immediately, she was thrust into our arms and embraced. Weeping, this young girl was receiving the Fathers over whelming love. In that moment my heart was being transformed. Instead of disapproving thoughts being sown into this child of God, my best prayers were being poured into her as I held her. During those few seconds, a lifetime of judgment was being wiped away. I no longer see these young people as foolish, but children made in the image of God. I no longer judge their lifestyle, but pray for them to encounter Jesus. My prayer from that evening was to see God do something amazing in the streets. My prayer was answered, but in more ways than I expected. God did something amazing in my heart that night, as well as used me to show his love to one of his daughters.
Mandy HinkleCalifornia USA
18 years
I grew up as an only child in a Christian family that is very involved with our church. After graduating high school in 2010, I knew God had more for me than just community college. I had a desire to be discipled and to go into the world and make Jesus know. It turns out that YWAM and I were a perfect match! I hope to bring the kingdom to the business world someday by changing the way that business works and I believe that God has some pretty amazing ideas that He wants to see happen in the near future!
