abatres95

[abatres95]

„And he tasted

Like all colors at once

Like he was the sunsets

she always looked at

Which she always wanted to touch

It was like christmas as a child

Where it felt like she waited forever

Just to get everything she wished for

He tasted like summer

And all the long evenings near beach

Where you wish you could stop time

And live that moment forever

But between all that impressions

Mostly he tasted like love“

-c.n

[abatres95]

i wanna be healthy for you

Unknown (via words-of-emotion)

[abatres95]

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.

- Amy

[abatres95]

It’s amazing how he says, “There is no flaw in you,” rather than “There is no flaw on you”. That’s love. Real love sees deeper than the outward appearance of a person. We should look at ourselves the way Jesus looks at us.

[abatres95]

There’s a difference between really loving someone and loving the idea of her.

Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl (via thelovejournals)

[abatres95]

I'm so blessed by my roommates, God is soooo good and I had the best first dinner in our home ever.... Oh I look forward to the amazing moments we have yet to share! 😊😊 (at Oliver Brown Belgian Cafe Zetland)

[abatres95]

For such a time as this to be alive and to live out my dreams. God is soo good and I cannot wait to start this journey....love you guys! I'm ready for this! #amytakesaustralia (at San Jose International Airport (SJC))

[abatres95]

My BEST FRIEND IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUSSSSSSSSS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💔 (at San Francisco International Airport (SFO))

[abatres95]

I've fallen in love with the snow, I genuinely enjoy the snow, I'll miss it but it's all good🤗 I'll be back ❤️ #snow #winter #winterwonderland #kirkwood #jackson #norcal #snowstorm (at El Dorado National Forest)

[abatres95]

I'm so so blessed, I can't even to begin to explain how grateful I am of my coworkers, it's been such an honor to work @walgreens and while I learned a lot about myself and my work ethic I'm grateful to be moving on to bigger and greater things, for such a time as this to be alive... 13 days left to get everything together. Man oh man am I beyond excited! (at Walgreens)

[abatres95]

The snow makes me feel like a youngster again lol. #throwback to last Saturday... Oh California how I'll miss you 😊 #snow #jackson #california #camo (at Pioneer, California)

[abatres95]

#happynewyear #2016 Rang in the new year with some of my most cherished people I love you all so much.. 😊🗝🎉🎉🎉🎈 (at Drake's Dealership)

[abatres95]

Happy New Years from my best friend and I! So grateful for you andrew! 😊 here's to our friendship growing more and more through out the years to come. Love you 🤗 (at Drake's Dealership)

[abatres95]

I've been struggling a lot to be honest, I've been struggling to find the words as to how to describe my birthday. But if I can put it into three words it's would be, grace,blessed, loved. I've written a lot about the bad and the bad things I've done and gone through but this post, this is one of the first of many where I want to tell you about my journey. I'm about to embark on a journey of being uprooted and moved from San Jose California to Sydney, Australia... When God puts a calling on your life, you cannot not listen to what he's saying to you. I started the process of my application literally a year ago.. A year ago where there were many highs and many deep dark lows. But when God gives you a vision that only you can understand and see take heart. Because he will bring it to completion but not before you go through various growing pains. So as this year comes to an end I now I have everything I need in order to leave. In September I was officially accepted into Hillsong College, in November I Got my passport finalized and booked my flight, and in December I got my visa accepted and now on December 22nd my good friend Joanna was used as a vessel by God to give me the remaining amount of money I needed in order to be able to leave. An anonymous person to me gave my friend $7,180 for her to give to me so I could leave for Australia. I needed to raise 7,500 and I had a gofundme for a while and just not much was happening. I was truly at a stand still. As time has been passing rapidly I started to doubt. I started to doubt I would really leave because I needed that money so I could be comfortable for a couple weeks before I worried about finding a job out in Australia. When November rolled around I began to think of everything I could sell just to make money, just so I could continue to somehow raise the funds. I prayed, I cried, I got frustrated. I began to compare situations and doubt only settled in more. But little did I know God was going to use someone to bless me with exactly how much I needed. God always provides at the PERFECT moment. Not when we thing it's right but when he knows it's right... And I must say I'm beyond grateful.... I'm beyond blessed, I'm beyond words because God provided when I least expected it. And I just want to say thank you to everyone who consistently kept me in prayer. Who heard me out when my doubt was ever present. So now I am 21 days away from making the biggest move of my life... I am trusting that God will continue to provide, he will continue to guide my steps and won't leave me ever at any point because it's only him that's getting me there. And it's only him who will get me through everything I may face out there... So to say my birthday was amazing is an understatement. I'm so truly grateful and I'm still in awe and shock.... But God is so so good. And I pray to never forget just how good and sovereign he is... This is only the beginning... And oh darling for such a time as this, for such a time as this to be alive and breathing.... We are created for greater things than we could ever possibly imagine, And this is just the beginning of my story... -Amy

[abatres95]

"Walking in a winter wonderland" I felt like a little kid today! Can't get over how wonderful today was 😊😍☃⛄️❄️❄️🌨 #snow #whitechristmas #norcal #camo (at Silver Lake)

[abatres95]

Today I went to the snow, it was amazing, I haven't been to the snow in years. 😍☃⛄️☃❄️❄️ I'm so content at the moment lol #snow #norcal #jackson #letsbuildasnowman #happy #joy (at Hwy 12)

[abatres95]

He looks at her like he just realized what love is.

(via queensummit)

I long to one day be genuinely loved by a man, who will treasure me, and lead me they way a man of God should lead their family... But till then I pray God keeps me close and helps me battle through my weaknesses