What Do You Mean What Do You Do? You Go.

“I want to learn what God has for me. I really like it here. I’m a part of something bigger than myself.”

For Alizabeth Bell, who volunteers in the cafe and as the medical registrar for the m/v Pacific Link, it’s not just about making coffee and working in an office. She has a heart to serve and be in missions. She knows that every part of volunteering with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is making a difference in the world.

At a young age, Alizabeth knew she was called to missions. She was drawn to YWAM when a friend of the family was telling her about her own YWAM experience.

“Everything sounded great and there is so much you can do within YWAM.”

During her Discipleship Training School (DTS), Alizabeth worked through the challenges of building friendships. Having believed the lie that women would hurt her, she at first found it difficult to be friends with other girls. It wasn’t until the revelation that God was not only her father figure but that He could also be the mother figure in her life that Alizabeth started to put her guard down with people.

“I thought, ‘What?! That’s crazy. God was always there!’ ”

After completing her DTS in 2013 in Biarritz, France, Alizabeth spent the next few years going to school back home and being one of the youth leaders at her church. She loved leading a small group of high school freshmen.

Even though she loved what she was doing, missions was calling her.

When she talked to her mom about what she should do, her mom’s response was, ‘What do you mean what do you do? You go.’

“I fought Him for so long. I kept thinking, ‘If I do missions, I’m going to have to give up this, that and the other.’ I would do anything to get out of doing it.”

As she was looking to rejoin YWAM, she was drawn to Port YWAM in Kona, Hawaii for how it provides people with medical services as well as the community and coffee. Volunteering with YWAM full time was a way to follow what is on her heart. “I love having one-on-one conversations with people. Coffee brings the community together. I want to be that person who genuinely cares for the community.”

Since joining Port YWAM, Alizabeth is considering short-term options like staffing a DTS or possibly heading out to one of our current ministries, possibly in Cambodia.

“I’m here for as long as He has called me here.”

For those thinking about doing missions, Alizabeth suggests: “Really listen to God. It’s all about His timing. It took me two years – I kept putting things on the back burner. Make sure to have your heart open.”

By Jaime Gomez
Port YWAM Kona Communications Staff

Interested in knowing more? Contact us. We’d love to chat!

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