contributed by Javy Diaz / interview & edits by Paula Hemphill This week's interview comes to us from our dear friend, encouragement enthusiast, and (spoiler alert) new-ish CA, Javy Diaz. You know him. You love him. And if you don't, he's definitely worth reaching out to because he is pretty awesome. Javy leads our team in Washington DC with such kindness and he imparts a spirit of courage and boldness onto everyone he talks to. I can say this with confidence, because he's done it for me. Javy was a brand new CA at conference last year, and he was kind enough to sit down and talk with me about his experience as a newbie. I think you'll love what he has to say! What was it that made you register for your very first conference? What will bring you back this year? It was my first year as a child ambassador and everyone on Facebook seemed really excited. There was a tangible buzz in the air! I had also had pretty good year, so I qualified to attend conference for free so that helped too :) What brings me back this year is not the rewards, but the Child Ambassador Family. That's what we are. I couldn't imagine not going back even if I had to pay for it all myself. What surprised you about conference? How much I cried, about everything. The conference was so well planned and executed that on several occasions I was just like, 'wow!' I was also surprised at the quickness with which friendships, and I don't mean like casual friendships, but deep and meaningful friendships formed. We would pray about really heavy things in the hallways, after a full day, cry some more, and lift each other up in prayer. Some of these behind the scenes moments were actually some of the most powerful and memorable moments at conference. What does conference mean to you? Conference means that I get to be with the most passionate child advocates in the world in one place. It means that we get to be with God as he speaks to us individually and corporately. This is powerful. When you're at conference you get a glimpse of what the apostles may have experienced on the day of Pentecost. They were all from different places, gathered together, in one place with one heart - and the Spirit poured out on them! If you come to conference with the heart of a child ambassador you will be filled. You are with God's people and He shows up big. If you could choose one big takeaway from conference, what would it be? What we do as Child Ambassadors is really hard. We hear no a lot. It's easy to be discouraged and lose heart. At a bare minimum, it's good to hear others talk about the challenges they experience so that we don't feel alone. I've been fortunate to have some small successes in the ministry BUT this may not always be the case. In many ways I am still discouraged by not being able to connect with more churches or Christian schools. I'm not hitting the goals that I was striving for, for myself or my team, and I need to be with people that can guide me, but also be with me in through the challenges. The biggest takeaway for me is community. This is the one place where someone will understand what you are going through in your ministry - good or bad. How has conference fueled your ministry / impacted your heart? Conference has challenged me and inspired me to keep going. It was at conference that I was challenged by the witness of other Child Ambassadors that are so compelled by sponsorship that they sacrifice financially to sponsor one or two more kiddos that most of us say we cannot afford when we can. At conference I committed to doing more, sacrificing more, so that kiddos could live more abundantly. Finish the sentence: Conference is... not mandatory, but it should be. It is that important. What would you say to the person who is on the fence about attending conference/spending the money/making the time to go? Seriously, do what you have to do to get there. It's once a year and it will light a fire under your ministry. If you already have a flame lit, it will throw gas on to it. It's an investment that pays massive dividends not just for you but for children around the world. Conference helps all of us become better Child Ambassadors - which means that more children will be connected to amazing sponsors. Do your best to figure it out; you won't regret it. Conference registration is open, and we want you to be there with us! Learn more here.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorsGreater Together is a collaborative blog written by volunteer Child Ambassadors for World Vision. Categories
All
Archives
November 2020
|