I’m a Dreamer…

… Of His Dreams

“We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.”

— Arthur O’Shaughnessy

This melancholy poem was once the outlook that I had on life, particularly in my own. The nomadic spirit that the Lord has placed on me can occasionally be confused with alienation, isolation, loneliness and a general sense of not belonging anywhere, that is, if perceived through a worldly or non-biblical perspective. It can lead to sadness, depression, self-pity, rejection, and a whole host of other ungodly emotions!

At times, there is this assumption or idea that there is a great cost to being a Mover of the earth and a Shaker of the world. But the more time I spent with my Maker, the more I realized that I was not called to move the earth and shake the world, but He has called me to move His heart. And of course, shaking the earth just so happens to be a natural (or should I say supernatural) by-product of moving His heart.  While this life is not promised to be comfortable, it IS filled with the promise of His abundant love and the love of His people. One thing I’ve learned from world-traveling, is not that I am alone, but that I am in the largest family known to man-kind! Every where I move or go, He is there and so is His body! It is supernatural + phenomenal.

Speaking of moving…. guess what? I’m moving to AUSTRALIA! I know, eh! What?! Haha! Yep, you see, it is a long story. Let’s start where I last left off! In case you missed that, head over to the post titled ‘Surprise’.

–> https://consecratedbygrace.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/surprise-d/

Sooo, here goes!

Back in May of 2013, my church offered me a position on their staff. At that time, I had been home for two months and had watched and waited for something. Anything really. It’s very weird for me not to be doing stuff. Lots of stuff. Which, in itself was a lesson straight from the Lord! He started teaching me to live extraordinary in the ordinary. To live loud in the silence. Phewie, that’s a hard one, and boy, am I still learning!

So anyway, back to my church, I accepted the job offer in May and became a temporary Youth Pastor to eight of the coolest kids around. Now, when I said yes, I never ever in a million years saw myself doing the youth pastor thing. I’m not sure why, it was just never on my radar! But I wouldn’t trade these past eight months for anything. I fell in love with my kids! I’ve watched them grow in the Lord, with each other, and in hunger; it’s been awesome. I even got them making music! When we started, there were only two confident musicians. We now have a solid team of two guitars, a piano, a keyboard, an ukelele, a drummer and some nice vocalists! They sound amazing! Honestly, when we started I wasn’t very optimistic, bahaha!

Some of the youth and I at a local outreach! 🙂

I’ve also been in charge of the worship ministry at the church. I’ve done all the logistics, creativity, encouraging, mentoring, facilitating, and communicating. I’ve been able to witness the worship team expand, help leaders grow into their authority and freedom, and experience some beautiful moments with the Lord and our congregation! Watching our unity grow has been wonderful as well!

Tranquil Acres Camping

That same week I was offered the job at the church, I was approached by a woman who owns a trailer/rv camping grounds with her husband. They were getting on in their years and the physical labour was getting to be too much. She asked me if I would like to work for them. They would give me as many or little hours as I needed, and they’d work around my other commitments. They gave me a bike, as it was only about a 25 minute bike ride from my house. And I’d be working outside doing physical labour and the campgrounds were spectacular. Every single thing about this job was an answer to my prayers, and hers! Did I mention one of my prayers was that my bosses would love the Lord? What an answer! She is a mighty prayer warrior, and it often you’d find her lifting up her voice to the Lord! My favourite times were when we would get together and pray for the campground. Such a precious time of learning and being humbled by this woman’s faith! By the end of the season (there are so many crazy God stories involved with this!) all the campers (most were not Christians) were talking about how much joy and life I had and how I brought a smile to their hearts even on their worst day. Ha! I love how the Lord is so evident even when we don’t have a clue! I was just doing my thing, working away! It was like a puzzle and all the pieces were coming together. He is so faithful eh? When we wait on Him? It’s all in His timing! Back to Australia!

That same week as both job offers, I was looking around on different mission sites just for fun. Okay confession: I had the thought “So I’m single, 23 and can go anywhere in the world, literally…” And I ended up on the YWAM page! I randomly looked up “worship staff opportunities” because once you’ve done a DTS you could potentially staff at any of their bases, and there were about a billion different options. I clicked on several but nothing really made me actually interested… that is until I clicked on the YWAM Toowoomba link! Honestly, I had no idea where that even was. Turns out, it’s in Queensland, Australia!

Toowoomba!!

The base runs a Music & Worship Discipleship Training School (DTS). So I submitted a short form of interest to staff there, and was just expecting an automated response with the costs, commitment length etc. Instead, I got this remarkably long, personal email from the Base Director and his wife, explaining the history and heart of the base, their vision (matched up with my passions exactly), and their need for female staff! Especially those with worship leading experience. They answered most of my questions before I even asked them and they even offered to help with my flight there! WHAT! Almost unheard of! So I freaked out. Showed my parents, my church leadership and some friends. Everyone said, “Well Hannah this is pretty much you to a tee. Jesus. Worship. Travel. Disciple. Dance. Pray (they are in the midst of opening a House of Prayer). Music. Missions. Unreached People Groups. Australia. You will kick yourself if you do not consider this opportunity!” So I prayed and prayed, and so did my leadership and my parents etc. I got several confirmations, so I sent in my visa application (ANOTHER ONE! I will probably end up writing a book on visas for missionaries, haha) and waited! Oh! And not to mention, those jobs that the Lord set me up with enabled me to save a good chunk of the costs of going! Being on staff with YWAM is basically being a full-time missionary, and we have to raise our own support and such. I finished the campground job in November and heard from Immigration a couple of weeks after that, and it’s official! The Australian government granted me a 12 month visa! I am finishing up at the church the 5th, and I will be heading to Toowooomba on January 8th. My director even gave me an extra week because he found out both my sisters are due to have their babies within then next couple weeks! So awesome! Praise the Lord! So, I’ve got a billion other testimonies from these past 9 months being home. But needless to say, the Lord has been at work since day one. Even that day where I the U.S. sent me home and I had no idea what the future would hold! It was all a part of His plan… who knew that it would turn out THIS cool? I never ever thought I would go to Australia. And now, here I am, moving there.

If you are interested in more details of what my mission will actually look like, stay tuned for another post in the near future. Or email me at hannah.macuzzi@gmail.com

Or message me on facebook!

Lots of love,
Hannah ❤

http://www.ywamtoowoomba.com/

Little sister got married in January, both big and little sisters got pregnant in March (both due in about a week), and older brother got married in August! 🙂

Presence

I sit in Your presence
I’m surrounded by You
I yearn for Your fragrance
To cover me, make me holy

I weep in Your presence
Washing Your feet with my tears
Then I dance in Your presence
Wild passion, reckless abandonment

I dance for You, I dance for You
And You love it, And You love it

I’ve found in Your presence
Colours, beauty, glory
I sing in adoration
You’re calling me, You are holy

I sing for You, I sing for You
And You love it, And You love it

I see Your eyes
Eyes that burn, for mine
I feel Your heartbeat
A heart that beats, for mine

©2011

November Missions Letter

I just wanted to update you guys on my life after I shared my heart 🙂 Haha! So I am currently awaiting the results of visa application. I just completed the most recent step called the Request For Evidence. It should be about a month when I find out whether I’m accepted or not! 🙂 Cool testimony, I got a lawyer!! A couple of my friends from here were trying to help me with my paper work last month (my deadline for the Evidence was last week) and we decided that we couldn’t get any where without a bit of professional help so they started calling lawyers to see if we could get a consultation. They called different ones for a couple weeks and got nowhere. Just when they were about to give up. a lawyer by the name of Lucy Lu (fancy that! :D) answered and decided to give us a free consultation out of the kindness in her heart! She was fully aware that we most likely were not able to afford her services but she was willing to answer questions about my status! So we went to the meeting and the Lord set it up so Pastor Dan (who knows my situation and is very good with words, Gracia (my friend who is familiar with immigration), and Brian (my friend who just in general is very smart and has worked with lawyers before) went with me. I really wasn’t even nervous cuz it felt like I had an army with me! 🙂 It turned out that she was super nice and actually really really cared about her job and clients. She kind of told us what we needed and said basically we could possibly do it without a lawyer but it would be very difficult and a lawyer would help make sure everything is consistent and all the Ts are crossed and the Is are dotted. So we asked her price and she said normally she charges 2000 (which is normal for all immigration lawyers). BUT she really loved the ministries we do and she said she really wanted to help us continue helping people in Atlanta so she lowered her price to 1000. Pastor Dan and I talked about it for a bit and then we prayed and all of us felt the Holy Spirit literally smile, so when she came back in the room we said yes! Then she said she had been thinking while she was out of the room and she felt moved for some reason to lower it again to 750!! The Spirit was so in the room and we all for reals got tears in our eyes 🙂 Her office took care of all my paperwork, and I got everything i needed. There’s actually a lot more cool little testimonies that happened later the last few weeks, but that was the biggest one! So now we’re just waiting again! 🙂 She also offered to help Pastor Dan get a J-1 status so we can get more foreign students on a cultural exchange program for a reduced fee as well!

God is so worthy of our love. Oh man, He is so faithful and beautiful and amazing! How can I not respond in obedience?? It’s His love language after all! He is teaching me that to love Him is to obey Him. It becomes a joy to love Him back. He loves me so much and constantly is proving it in so many ways that I can’t handle it! I want to explode with wonder and awe and excitement at the ways He loves. Phew!! God is seriously the best Lover ever ever ever! Last week, my heart got pretty hurt, but the SAME DAY God proclaimed who He made me and why He loved me over and over again in unusual ways and He healed me the same day. I serve a tender and personal God. Everyday I get overwhelmed by Him. I want you to know Him like I do! 🙂 You would never go a day without remembering His goodness and thanking Him. You move His heart. Let Him move yours!

Ephesians 3:16-19
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have
power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know
this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

God is moving in the Atlanta area like crazy! He is showing up in power and might and His glory is becoming known throughout the nations. He has placed a burning desire for intimacy in our hearts and a cry of intercession that He would move and awaken His Bride in the earth. It’s happening! I’ve seen unbelievers come to a worship service and get saved just because His presence was so thick. I’ve seen chains fall off people when they encounter the Person of Christ as His body loves. I’ve seen people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit just because He decided to move, no one even prayed over them! I’ve seen healings, and demons casted out! He is moving, and I am so excited! God will move when His people pray and catch His vision and will. Everytime we pray for His will He is DELIGHTED to answer! Let Your Kingdom come and Your Will be done Lord here on earth as it is in Heaven! Let heaven come!!!!

I am a full time missionary in Atlanta, Georgia in the Old Fourth Ward downtown. I am also a 3rd year in the Atlanta Dream Center School of Ministry, which includes attending 4 undergrad theology classes a week, doing group and personal projects in the Word and in general gathering oil. I am also assisting the director of the new School of Worship that just started in September. And I also am leading or helping lead worship sets 4-5 times a week. I co-head up an outreach on wednesday nights called Worship On the Streets where we take groups into different parts of Atlanta, whether a park or a homeless shelter or literally a random street corner or really anywhere that needs the atmosphere of God. And we worship the King and lift His name up above every dark name in that specific spot. And I’m discipling/counseling/advising/listening/loving on everybody around me basically all the time. It’s awesome! The love He pours out on me is so I can pour it out on others 🙂

I miss you guys so much! Thank you for reading these updates 🙂 And for being interested in what God is doing in and through His Spirit in me! I would love to hear from you, what God is doing in your life or testimonies or anything that’s on your heart! My email address is hannah.macuzzi@gmail.com and my address is

444 Highland Ave NE

Suite #514

Atlanta, GA

30312

If you would like to help support me prayer wise that would be epic! Pray that God continues to take me out of my comfort zone and I follow His lead and Spirit at all times 🙂 And that His Life would be reproduced everywhere I go, and that His will would happen with this Visa at all costs.

If you would like to financially support me, that would be appreciated as well! 🙂 Pray about it and do as He leads. If you have any questions about what I am doing, please contact me! I need about $1200 for this years costs. I’ve also been praying about going to Brazil in February to minister at the Carnival! 🙂

Currently the only way is to send a cheque/check in the mail made out to Atlanta Dream Center School of Ministry Master’s Commission (or ATLDCSOMMC) with Hannah Macuzzi in the Memo to this address

P.O. Box 54537

Atlanta, GA

30308

I’m sorry if that is inconvenient :)) I’m hoping to be able to use a paypal account soon so you can do it online if you would like!

Thank you so much!!! I hope you are encouraged by the Lord from reading this, and I pray He blesses you abundantly!

Lots of love,

Hannah ❤

Quickie, more to come :))

Soo, These last two months have been Incredible!! The Lord is awesome!!! He has shown up again and again in glorious ways! On outreach, at the dorms, in the prayer room, in worship. Right now we are going through some testing and stretching in regards to our love for each other and our unity, but He has laid it on a few of hearts to be in deep intercession for that and He is answering our cries!! Love is breaking out again randomly all over!!! For example, this past night a group of 11 of us spontaneously spent over 5 hours specifically speaking the Lord’s heart over each of one in the circle. It was so cool to hear what He was saying to everyone and He put a deeper love in our hearts, and He is replacing our (mine too!!) hearts with His. THAT is my deepest desire right now. To have His heart in EVERY situation!! 🙂 Cool thing is that a common theme from what everyone felt God tell them to tell me, was that very thing! That they saw the Lord’s heart on me and in me and that my love for people was HIS love!! SO AWESOME!! So I know He is definitely working in me 🙂 Praise the Lord!!!

So we just came back from Texas on Monday. We were there for a week, and we did some ministry and went to the Master’s Commission Conference (Desperation Band lead worship, they are amazing and carry the Spirit in stinkin great measures!!). We did some children’s ministry, we taught them dance and stomp and just loved on them 🙂 We also served at a homeless shelter and they loved us!! On Sunday morning we did worship for a new little church and shared with them some arts that really spoke to them. The Lord really moved even though it was a small gathering. I love intimacy :)) 

At the conference I had an incredible break through with dance!! As some may know, I’ve always been super insecure about dancing in corporate worship, even though the Lord has told me a gazillion times through a gazillion people that He wants me to do it anyways because He loves it when I dance with Him, (He actually literally said He missed me!!!!). Anyways, so I actually had stopped dancing for about a year when the Lord started speaking and confirming in random ways He wanted me to dance again (this was in December). Weeelll I kinda ignored it for awhile cuz I’m silly. But I’ve been slowly coming back and I’ll kinda do random spurts when I’m not lead vocals during worship sets. But on Friday night during worship, the band was going ALL OUT worshiping the Lord!! I felt saddened because earlier the crowd was screaming and cheering for a dance contest, but when it came to the Lord, people were just kinda chillin, just singing the words. So I kinda started feeling intense adoration start coming up from deep within, and I wanted with all my heart for the rest of His children to feel the same thing! That they would shout and scream and dance for their King even more wildly than for just humans doing dances, songs, dramas etc. that can’t even begin to compare to the talented angels in Heaven. I couldn’t contain myself anymore and all of a sudden the main singer got off the mic and started playing a really intense war beat on a drum along with the guitarist switching to a violin bow on his electric. And wabAM this was incredible music. You couldn’t help but move, yet NO ONE was!!! One of our students came out of nowhere and said she saw me dancing a kind of battle/tribal dance and I was like now way!!!! There is no room! Plus 1000 people could see me!!! …. At that point, Holy Spirit convicted me and told me to let go of my control and I ran out and found space in the middle of the crowd and bam!! I started interceding on behalf of my brothers and sisters to receive revelation of who our God is! And I was warfaring for them to worship in Spirit and in Truth! All of a sudden, this guy ran up out of nowhere and fell on his face weeping and crying out for the same thing my heart was crying out for. It felt like we were one in battle, me dancing what he was praying. So cool!! And my body started doing moves I’ve only seen and wished I could do! Holy Spirit took over and it was craaazy!! People started worshiping!! I saw others start to dance as well!! It was beautiful!!!! 🙂 I have never danced like that in my life, and I feel like God is saying, that’s just the start, girl 😀 Let me do it for you, and it goes way better! haha!

Anyways… Gotta sign out 🙂 Love you guys!! Will say more soon!! Please be in prayer for the students! That God would be the ONLY thing on our minds, and that His love would invade in great abundance! And pray for finances!! And that I would find my wallet!! :))) And most of all, that He would be glorified in ALL we do!! :))