To The Girl Who Never Thought She’d Leave The Comfort of Her City
It’s Taken me two months to get this out in the open, it’s taken me two months to figure out how to write about my experiences since I moved out here to Australia. There are so many things that have happened since I've been out here both good and frustrating. Coming here I had honestly no idea what to expect, I had no clue how the adjustment from leaving a place I've grown comfortable in, to moving somewhere where I know absolutely no one. Can I just say that my expectations were greatly surpassed, while I expected the worst but prayed for the best God met my heart exactly where it was at. Where there was fear and uncertainty of what the future was to hold, He surpassed all my expectations. After the 14 hour flight to Sydney I made it off the plane and proceeded to grab my luggage. I made it through customs quite quickly which I was super surprised by but non the less grateful. As I made my way to exit customs I walked out to see a group of people with signs that said “ Hillsong College” “ Welcome Home”. And let me just tell you that made all the difference because in just that GOD showed me that I have truly arrived to my new home for the time being. My first day being in Sydney was the longest day of my life but yet so amazing at the same time.
So fast forward to a couple weeks of living in Australia and getting into the routine of life over here I finally got aside to my midweek serving and to my weekend ministry serving. I’m so blessed to have gotten located to the hospitality team, I'm so blessed to get to make food for people. God knew exactly what he was doing when I got assigned to hospitality because one of my greatest passions is to cook for people it’s my greatest way of showing you that I genuinely care about you. I also got assigned to serve in team night on Thursdays and what that consists of is getting to set up chairs for people in master classes after team night.
I must say that school has been quite challenging for me in the best way possible. And what I mean by that is that I'm being challenged and stretched so much it has almost made me want to go back to the comfortability of not doing much back home. I cant list how many times my old habits have pushed me in a direction of wanting to quit and throw in the towel and Go back home. In a place where talent overflows with Singers, Songwriters, Musicians I've had to remind myself of the reason God has brought me here. It has been so difficult for me to not compare myself to others because what I see and hear makes me feel so unequipped and so much less than all these other amazingly gifted people. And this is where my journey truly starts, This is where God has continually met me, in a place of fear, in a place in my heart where my gift seemed so insignificant compared to others. I have been fighting, and praying to God for him to consistently re-shift my focus, i’ve prayed for him to remind me of why I'm here. So taking alllllll this into mind I had to sing my first Solo in my vocal Workshop, Ive never been more afraid in my life. I had to sing a song in front of 12 people and I can clearly remember my heart racing my hands twitching, my fingers sweating. Like I didn't think I would make it through this whole song sung in acapella.. But I did. I Sang the song Piece by Piece By Kelly Clarkson and made it through the whole way. While yes of course their was so many things I could have done better while singing this song, I cant help but see that that day was actually a huge Win. It was a huge win because for the first time in my life I sang to a room of people a song in which I connected with greatly. And that in its self is huge, Im the girl who hid in the back ground. I was the girl who waited till the last minuet till I would walk out of my car and head into church lol. I was the girl who didn't take risks, who didn't speak to strangers, and most of all I was the girl who NEVER sang in front of strangers ever.
So when I say God met me exactly where I am at I really mean it. He’s changing my heart, teaching me new things. All these things of stepping out in faith, Talking to strangers and introducing myself, serving in the church, singing in front of people, being vulnerable with people, Learning to make friends… That is all God. He has given me strength I've never had before and has began to change my habits. This past weekend we had the easter production and I remember first hearing about it and think oh no… I DO NOT act lol that is not the calling Jesus has over my life lol. I quite honestly wanted nothing to do with the easter production because that was such a huge commitment and such a huge thing that I felt so uncomfortable even thinking of being apart of it. And now look at me I ended up getting rostered to the easter production and thinking “ Oh Jesus aren't you funny…. lol”. So yes you guess correctly I, Amy Paola Batres was in an Easter production and acted. Okay so you might ask what did this consist of and let me just tell you. I was casted as part of the General Ensemble and what I did was I dance around with a palm during the Hosanna Moment. I was also apart of the Barabbas and Jesus moment. I was apart of the group who in the bible screamed for the freedom of Barabbas, I screamed for Barabbas and his freedom. I was also apart of the crucifixion scene where it was jesus’s last moments. I’ve never seen myself as being capable of acting but God knew it was somewhere deep within me. Something Yet to be found but enough about that. The easter production was so amazing and I cannot believe I had the pleasure of being able to be apart of it even if originally I wanted nothing to do with it. The easter production thrown my college was so impactful even though I was in the production the presence of God was so tangible. You could feel him within the room and it was one of the most life changing moments of my life, it changed my heart, it changed me. So this whole experience I am so beyond grateful for.
So in the two months I've been here I've made some of the most amazing friends, I've met people who I would have never known if I hadn't ever come here to Hillsong College . Ive met people who I will forever be grateful for. In these two months I’ve met people who are genuinely for me, people who are rooting for me and believe in the woman I can and will become. I just want to say thank you to them, Thank you for seeing past my cloud off-ness, through my tendencies to try and blend into the back ground. Thank you guys for pushing me forward, thank you for pointing me back to Jesus when times have gotten hard here in Australia. I remember the first day of classes thinking that their was no way I was going to make friends, now way that I as an introvert would step out and hopefully meet someone I could clique with. I’ll never forget my beautiful friend Stephanie Riddle, I remove you just coming up to me and chatting with you as if we had been friends all our lives. I remember thinking though, man who is this girl who treats me life we’ve known each other since forever. And since the moment I decided to go with it everything changed. My way of making friends changed i’ve allowed myself to let go and Let God change my old ways. While I am in no way saying I'm perfect I'm now saying that moment by moment God is slowly peeling back changing and removing layers that no longer are needed nor do they have a purpose in my life. For Christ is, was, And will ALWAYS be enough for me.
While yet there is so much yet to be told I’ll leave it at this for now. For I am no longer staying the same, I’m growing I'm being stretched, I'm being renewed. So if God can use me, a girl who couldn't stand the sight of herself in the mirror, a girl who was severely insecure, a girl who felt she had nothing to offer. Trust me if he chose me and can use ME than oh man he can use anyone. This is just the beginning of my story. And so with arms had high and reckless abandon I will forever Worship God.