Too Young for the World Race? You Don't Have to Wait!

This Summer with Adventures Youth

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 3/24/2012

Missions isn't just a fun trip to see the world.
Missions is my life. It's what I do at home or abroad.
Some people are content with doing missions mostly in their backyard.
I have a desire and resources to travel far, so I do.

I am excited to announce my summer plans to serve with Adventures Youth. AY is a sector of Adventures in Missions. I served on the World Race with Adventures in Missions back in 2010 and I am blessed to be able to serve once again. AY hosts mission trips for youth groups all around the US. These youth groups come to a ministry contact to serve for a few weeks over the summer. This summer there are several ministry sites in major cities in the US and three other countries: Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala.

I get to help in hosting these teams as a Project Leader. I will also leader 3 other leaders who will focus more on the areas of ministry such as sports, children, and service. I will be the main liaison between these youth groups and the ministry contact. I will help facilitate the ministry for these groups. I am excited to be stretched in this capacity of ministry. I have had much experience with ministry and God has prepared me for so many years for this opportunity. It will be challenging, growing, and a huge blessing.

As always, I need your help. Please pray as I begin this journey. Some days it seems like a big responsibility and I know there will be challenges. Pray that I constantly give my position up to the Lord and lead with humility of Christ. Pray also that I am continually confident in the Lord's placement that He has prepared me to serve for this time. Pray for the ministry site I will be serving with. I won't know my site until April 15th, so stay tuned!

I am required to raise $500. It is a joy to say that I already have raised almost half from my Belize trip. (I was unable to go because the trip was cancelled) Now I only need to raise $290 to serve this summer. Please prayerfully consider giving towards my opportunity as a leader. There are two ways you can give.

1. Mail a check to Adventures in Missions, PO Box 534470, Atlanta, GA 39353-4470. Please include my ID in the memo line, MAYNEZVICTORIA. There is a support card that should be included in your donation. Please click HERE for that card.

2. There is a support me link on the left that you can donate with an appropriate credit/debit card.

Thank you for your support for all my missionary endeavors. Your prayers have gotten me through some of the most challenging and joyful memories I have ever had.

Yours Truly, Victoria

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NEW BLOG

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 2/23/2011

Well the season of the World Race is over...so naturally so is this blog. Unless I lead a trip with AIM sometime in the future I have decided to share my thoughts elsewhere.
You can still follow me as I continue to seek Christ....

New Blog is (click on link):

http://victoriamaynez.wordpress.com

You can still receive email updates when I post a blog. If you would like to me add your email just comment below and I will enter it for you. Otherwise on the right had side of the blog just put in your address then hit "sign me up!" It is that simple!

I hope that you will continue to follow along as I journey through the next chapter of life.

Thanks for following me! Love ya, V

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What's Next: Future

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 2/13/2011

The ineviable question everyone askes once they get home.

What's Next? Read Past and Present here!

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I have been getting involved in The Well Community Church recently.

They have a theology sort of class on Monday called Academy and we are studying "Developing a Biblical Worldview" while reading Total Truth by Nancy Pearcy. Nancy discusses all about how we aren't treating the truth of Christianity like it is the total truth of all reality. Meaning that our Truth is relevant in every topic from art, literature, philosophy, astronomy to the business world. We are to bring the Truth in all parts of our lives even our culture. These two parts of our life, religious and American culture, shouldn't be separate. I am not saying I am an expert or anything but I always had an easier time applying Christianity to everyday things whether they were religious or not.

Then today I started my Lifegroup. We are studying the book of Esther with Beth Moore. And guess what, Esther was in a non-believing culture even married to a non-believer. She was still following the Lord and fought for what she believed in no matter what. The book of Esther also doesn't ever mention God but powerfully displays how God is sovereign. Here is a strong, bold woman making a difference for God in an unbelieving culture. She was applying her beliefs into the culture as a light.

It was crazy to me that I was studying these two similar topics while deciding between ministry or a secular vocation. The Lord was basically preparing me to enter back into the culture of America, work and all, with training on how to be His light in darkness.

He was guiding me to work in the secular work place.

But the Lord said I could choose what is next, isn't he deciding for me? Yes but now I have to choose what vocation I want to do. But of course I can't just choose anything in the world. He trusts me to look at my gifts and passions and then choose within my calling to work in the world.

So without further a due...

I will be going back to school to get my Masters in School Counseling and a Pupil Personnel Services Credential to be a Counselor in the high school level.

I will be planning to attend National University in Fresno this summer and should be done in two years. This decision was harder to make because I was choosing to give up my desire for full time ministry. But I know that I am not called there. At first I wasn't too excited about going back to school. But I think it is time for me and I am actually excited to study something I am interested in now.

Maybe it was my stubbornness about not wanting to go back to school. Maybe I didn't want to do the logical worldly thing of getting a vocation. I wanted to be the one to enter full-time ministry to prove something to the world. Show them that you could do anything and you didn't have to go to school to make a living or get a good paying job to survive.

But the Lord wanted me to spend my time telling students to find their calling.
They have this huge world out there.
They can answer that huge life-altering question anyway they want...however stressful that may be.

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What's Next: Present

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 2/11/2011

The inevidable question everyone asks once they get home.

What's Next? Read Past and Future here.

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So here I am...at home.
There is this huge life-altering question every racer asks "What's next?".

But, Oh how stressful that can be!

I desire to do what the Lord wants but he wants me to choose. Just one thing out of millions. What if I pick the wrong one? Is there some sort of category that I am suppose to pick from? What if I pick and it doesn't work out? I spent hours and hours on the computer searching for churches and organizations to potentially work for. I exhausted my options day and night looking for just the right thing. It drove me crazy, so much so that I even considered becoming a missionary again....but soon realized I was stretching it a bit.

Then someone challenged me with a question, "A majority of people have full-time jobs and still serve in the church so why should you be someone paid for serving the church?" She told me that people who do work in the church are specifically called into ministry. So was I called to ministry full-time or called to a vocation in the world? You see, I figured I was called into ministry.

But I was brought back to questioning what I wanted to do.

I have always been convicted of the verse Jesus prayed in John 17: 15, From victoriamaynez.theworldrace.org

"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."

We are called to be in this world but not of this world.

I have always had an easier time keeping my convictions in a world with so many temptations. I could be a light and stick to my beliefs while being an example to others in love. So maybe I was called to be in bold in the workplace and be Christ in these dark places. But why did I still feel that I would best execute my passions through full time ministry...

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What's Next: Past

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 2/10/2011

The inevidable question everyone asks once they get home.
What's Next? Read Present and Future here.

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I know my calling in life.
I am called to bring unity, Truth, Spirit and life wherever I go.

I know my passions in life.
I desire to bring unity among believers and disciple the next generation into a passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ.

I learned this about myself on the race. I knew what I wanted to do but not necessarily how to do it. Back in Thailand I began to become distracted about the "What's next?" question. I knew this distraction wouldn't go away so I knew that my next step was going to be decided when I got home.

And the Lord began to speak to me about how I was going to make that next step...
1. Throughout the rest of the race I felt that the Lord wanted me to be home in Clovis for a while. A time to spend with my family and friends and share all about my life on the race.
2. Then the Lord began to tell me that I could choose the next step. It was then confirmed through someone else on my squad. But I didn't even begin to understand that until I got home. From victoriamaynez.theworldrace.org

I continued through the race strong. That inevitable question "What's next?" was always in the back of my mind but I chose to focus on the race I was running.

The race ended and it was time to move on to that chapter. I had grown tremendously and traveled more than most have in their lifetime. It was time to get home and make that decision. I had my idea of what I wanted to do. But I didn't expect something so different, then what I thought at least....

Here is a video from my travels all the way home!

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The Final World Race ::Video::

Posted in Videos by Victoria Maynez on 1/27/2011

My video of the year is here. This is the final wrap up with pictures and video! Enjoy it!

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Missionary Living: World Race Year ::Video::

Posted in Videos by Victoria Maynez on 1/23/2011

Here is the wrap up of my missionary living series. A look into the life of M-Squad on the race!

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My Year in Photos ::Video::

Posted in Videos by Victoria Maynez on 1/16/2011

Here is a video of pictures to sum up my year on the race!

World Race in Photos from Victoria Maynez on Vimeo.

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Was it a dream?

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 1/1/2011

I really don't do much.
I lack direction and vision lately.
And it isn't that I don't have an idea what is next or haven't been applying places, it's that I am in the waiting period.

You see the Lord says
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
He is saying that everything will be alright. I don't need to worry or fret. He has got the next step. His will and glorification will happen without me doing anything.

But I am really not good at this.
I have come home to a place where my former identity of what I did, isn't the same.
So I spend more time freaking out that I am not doing anything, then resting with God in the time I was given.

From victoriamaynez.theworldrace.org

Needless to say it has been a little bit harder lately.

It's hard to do anything remotely serious, like going to church or spending time with the Lord. I have noticed my responses and attitudes aren't Christ-like lately. I am learning that I need to push myself even more when no one is around. I am getting drained by doing nothing because I am not trusting in the Lord like I should. I am not resting in the one who gives the ultimate rest.

There needs to be a change. A recheck on my vision and direction.
There were times when all Paul had was Jesus and Him.
I am sure some of those times were the sweetest.
It is truly only about Jesus and I. No one else.
I am going to trust, seek, rest, know.

I am missing my community...

It is weird thinking back on the race. It feels more like a dream these days.

I went from seeing everyone everyday to seeing no one ever.

Do I miss it? Of course!
It is just a weird transition from seeing my World Race family to seeing no one.
From living so close with some of my best friends to having really no one.

Was it a dream?
Does Amanda, Chris, David, Lisa, Kerry and Courtney really exist?
Did I really get all these earrings from other countries or Target?
Why do I have a backpack, tent and sleeping mat?
Where am I?

Haha

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I do have some direction on what is next. Some things are in the works but I won't reveal until I know for sure! Hopefully soon. For now my inheritance is Clovis!

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On a plane to AMERICA...CHECK

Posted in Post-Race by Victoria Maynez on 12/14/2010

I wrote THIS blog in the beginning.....so here is the reverse!

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Travel the World...CHECK
Bring others to Christ...CHECK
Fight for Truth and Freedom...CHECK
Pack my 50lb bag one more time...CHECK
Say goodbye to my lovely community...CHECK
Final debrief...CHECK
Board the plane...CHECK

Prepare to show the world I am changed...CHECK

It is done.
I am here on the plane headed to America.

The last few hours was some of the longest on the whole race.I had to say goodbye to the family I have From victoriamaynez.theworldrace.org

known for the last year. It was a little harder than I thought. I have shared everything with them. They have seen me at my best and my worst.

The college chapter has finished. The World Race chapter has finished. And now on to the next. I am going home with no commitments on the next step. I am completely content with where the Lord has me.

I am ready to enter America changed. To live against the grain of the world and show them who I really am. I am ready to hear from the Lord and follow His will everyday of my life. I am called to bring others to Truth and Freedom through the gifts the Lord has given me.

From victoriamaynez.theworldrace.org

I had some fear and listened to some lies of Satan lately. That I will be all alone and can't live out my changed life. That I wouldn't fit in to my church, family and friends. But the Lord woke me up and showed me an important truth.

"We aren't perfect, we are just imperfect humans, each given seperate unique gifts, that represent an important quality of Jesus. We are all wrapped up together in one beautiful system called the Church that represents the glory of the perfect Jesus Christ."

I now know who I am. I have a place in the body of Christ. Get ready America!

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Made it back to California safetly

Give me a call because I would love to come and share with you!

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