FOUNDER OF KINGDOM AMBASSADORS CAITLIN NUNEZ OPENS UP ABOUT LEARNING TO FORGIVE, AND DEVELOPING AN AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

 

Caitlin Nunez is a 16-year-old full-time sixth form student currently doing her a-levels with the aspiration of becoming Criminal Barrister, but currently, works in retail at a suit shop. Her parents are originally from The Philippines but she was born and raised in East London. Caitlin – a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ has a strong passion for young people and the expansion of their knowledge of God’s love for them. Because of this – she evangelises through social media and runs an online Christian ministry called Kingdom Ambassadors through a blog where she invites all types of young people to start a relationship with God. She is also a dancer trained in classical ballet and a free-lance makeup artist.

We caught up with Caitlin to find out more about her passion for Christ, and how her Ministry – ‘Kingdom Ambassadors’ all began:

 

 

What is Kingdom Ambassadors?

“Kingdom Ambassadors is a vision encouraging young people to start a life changing relationship with God. It’s all about young people realising their role in the Kingdom of God, and that they are not insignificant because of their age (Jeremiah 1). 

Ultimately, I want to open a door welcoming young people that see themselves as unworthy or ‘too sinful’ to come back to God. The best form of evangelising is through lifestyle choices and radiating Jesus’ love in our personal daily lives – that’s the legacy I want to leave. Although many will never choose to pick up a Bible, our actions and words are the only way many will be exposed to the thought of having faith in Jesus.”

 

How did the Ministry come about?

“It came about in October 2014 after God spoke to me about starting a movement for young people during my quiet prayer time with Him. I started to minister through pictures on my Instagram page and people began to ask for a website/blog because they wanted more. I wasn’t quite sure of how God wanted me to go about it, so I prayed.

He had told me about starting the ministry in August and kept on revealing and confirming more of His will, so by October Kingdom Ambassadors was formed. I distinctly remember the night I started the blog. I was at my regular Bible study class where my Youth Pastor was teaching about purpose and he said ‘’you know it’s your purpose if you feel a burden if you don’t do it’’. That exact night I stepped out in faith and produced the first blog post, despite the fear behind it and was able to use my talent of writing to share the gospel.”

 

What made you give your life to Christ?

“I grew up in a Catholic family – a family for which I’m very grateful to be a part of because I was exposed to the love of God at such a young age. I believed in Jesus Christ from a very young age but didn’t give my life to Him properly until I was 15. In 2014, I came out of a relationship and was left to deal with the after effects of a really bad break up. I was at a really low point in my life, and it was made even worse by my natural instinct to not show emotion, and to pretend I was happy but it was all fake. Behind closed doors, God was able to break me down and empty out all of the negativity and hurt that was caused because of that break up. The relationship ending caused what I never even saw coming – an authentic relationship with God and the blossoming of an online Christian ministry for young people.

I gave my life to Christ whilst in the healing process, where God was so GRACIOUS enough to show me my worth in Christ and remove all the baggage and depression that came from that experience. I learnt to let God empty me and literally break me down in order for Him to build a new creation. I learnt how to forgive my ex-boyfriend, and speak life and goodness over him – so much so that I now cannot stop thanking God for such an amazing man, who unintentionally taught me a lot. This started to remould the way my heart worked, and ultimately triggered my desperation for God throughout that whole summer.”

 

What is the hardest thing is about being a Christian/ Living for Christ?

“I would personally have to say the hardest thing about living for Christ is dealing with the opinions of others, especially those around you. Your faith gets challenged when people doubt your belief and perseverance when it comes to following God’s commandments. As a Christian, you may have believing friends, but you will also be surrounded by unbelievers who are always going to question what you do. This also adds to the pressure of being on the pedestal where you’re expected to be ‘perfect’ and not sin because you follow Christ. Of course, as Christians are encouraged to pursue God and not sin, but it’s a journey of constant growth in Christ alongside repentance.”

 

What would you say to those that believe that the Bible is old-fashioned and outdated?

“I believe those who say this have never really tried to read The Bible for themselves, or only take snippets of the word and try to critic it when they don’t understand what it’s saying in context. For a believer the word of God is a mandatory part of even knowing God and despite how old it is, it’s the main way God speaks to His people even in the present age.

I always refer people to Hebrews 4:12 – {For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.} People look to The Bible for rainbows and happy days, but the truth is The Gospel offends those who haven’t come to the realisation of the truth. Of course it encourages, but it also convicts. The word of God is still alive, applicable and is needed in a world full of constant temptation more than ever before.”

 

YoungXGifted is about passing on something tangible to the younger generations. 1 Timothy 4:12 talks about being an example to young believers. As young Christians, how important does the way we live affect those around us?

“It’s so important! That’s the foundation of my ministry really. Being a Christian isn’t about church attendance. It’s about the way you live, the way you love God which in turn reflects the way you treat others. A lot of us stumble because we forget the importance of our Christian witness and fail to recognize that even if you’re not involved in a big ministry, people are still watching you to see the fruit of your tree and if the whole ‘faith in Jesus’ thing is worth thinking about.

The way we choose to care for others, respond to situations and be spirit led in every single aspect of our lives, will then cause others to question why we do things that way. That is then our chance to minister to people about the God we serve as Christians, which will affect those around us in the long run when they eventually accept the gift of salvation for themselves.”

 

Who are your biggest inspirations and why?

“Of course, Jesus Himself is my biggest inspiration. When I read through the gospels in the Bible I get goose bumps at how smart and loving He is. He sets the best example of how to show the best sacrificial compassion, and has been the focal point of my existence and why I decided to pursue the vision He gave me.

My biggest earthly inspiration has to be my Youth Pastor – Gradi. From the moment I started going to ARC church, aside from God he has been my biggest supporter in both my own personal walk with God and the Kingdom Ambassadors ministry. He guides me through any difficulties or questions within my ministry work. His character alone inspires me, from his caring and protective nature to his humour and ability to keep me going in the most challenging times. But aside from this, he has also played a massive role in helping to disciple me and teach me through Bible study.
He inspires me because of His evident passion for young people, and helping them grow and develop in a world where it’s extremely easy to go astray from spiritual life. He commits so much time and effort into the youth ministry, and his work ethic inspires me to stay productive and humble with everything I do. Him and I have a strong relationship because we can relate to so many things – like for example the fact that we both came from Catholic backgrounds. He’s been amazing at pouring into me, encouraging and being there for me emotionally as an older brother figure.

Another major inspiration of mine is my youth mentor/leader Zalika. She has such a humble and servant heart, and has shown that through her hard work in the youth ministry and her own ministry ‘The Inner Beauty’. Zalika has influenced me so much by encouraging me to keep my life Christ centred, but to also have that balance between the demands of my ministry and stability of my personal relationship with God. She’s caring both emotionally and spiritually; and is passionate to see me live from within rather than the exterior. Zalika plays such a wonderful role in pouring into me with advice about my areas of struggle such as relationships, family and worth as a woman. She’s been one of the biggest inspirations in my life because she constantly pushes and challenges me in ways that helps my rapid level of growth in Christ.”

 

What would you say are your greatest achievements so far?

“My greatest achievement has to be learning how to be spirit led and simply starting my ministry. I was definitely very scared and unsure of what many would say, and even questioned if anyone would even read it.  When I first started blogging, I had promised God that everything I did would be committed to Him and that I would consult Him in prayer before every post, and I’ve stuck to it. That alone makes me happy, and feel a sense of achievement because as a result of me honouring God with my talent, He’s given and He has showed His faithfulness through the views and feedback.”

 

What are some of the things you’ve learnt through this journey?

“I’ve learnt that not everyone is going to be for you and that’s okay. I have many people close to me that aren’t on my team supporting the ministry, and I’ve grown to learn that that’s okay. My immediate family don’t support Kingdom Ambassadors and at one point I found this very hard to deal with. It was through time that I’ve learnt that I can’t rely on the approval of man but instead, must trust that God is cheering me on as I go about my Kingdom role.

I knew that I was called to minister to young people and I didn’t let the opinions of even the closest people to me stop my God given purpose. Trusting God through the process will bring the most unexpected challenges, but when you allow HIS strength to help you to commit to what you’ve been called to do; you see the fruit of your obedience to His will.”

 

What’s your favourite Bible verse and why?

“I love Isaiah 46:4 – {Even to your old age and grey hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.} Every time I read this verse I get such comforting reassurance of the way God operates and His objective to cover me. This verse means so much to me because trying to balance my A-levels, work and ministry can be challenging, but I am reminded that GOD is my sustaining rock and source of all strength and wisdom.”

 

What is your opinion on negativity amongst the youth and what can be done to change that?

“I think that negativity is spreading so quickly and widely amongst youth because so many of our youth are searching for something which can only be found in Christ. Girls lash out at other girls because they aren’t aware of their own worth and beauty in Christ and boys idolise money and sex because they don’t have a sense of true purpose. The only way to really change this is to have more role models and people being obedient to the calling of God on their lives and devoting their time to encouraging young people to stop trying to fill that void within them with things of this world that only result to even more negativity.”

 

What’s your advice for young believers who have decided to give their life to God?

“My advice will always be ‘relationship over religion’. Don’t get caught up in traditions and controlling churches that will try and manipulate you as a new or young believer. That’s where your relationship with God comes in – you have to know the word for yourself. Don’t get caught up in all the excitement of Christianity and neglect that precious quiet time that you should be spending with God every day. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and defeated when you have Godly people around you who can pray so intricately and know their bible verses inside out… But don’t be discouraged. Stay confident that God will hold your hand along the way, teaching you His will so you can mature the way He desires.”

 

Are there any future projects you’re currently working on that you can talk about and people can look out for?

“As far as projects direct to the ministry ‘Kingdom Ambassadors’, I’m still continuing with weekly blogs on topics that interest young people – both believers and those who aren’t yet saved. I’ve got a lot more blog posts coming up that are specifically focused towards young men, encouraging them to come to Christ. I’ve also been working on doing guest blog posts on other blogs such as ‘Young and Married’ and ‘The Virtuous Woman’ on topics such as relationships and love.

God has been opening a few doors by creating a platform for the ministry at conferences, speaking engagements, YouTube channels and also radio shows. I’m really excited for that to unravel. I’m also in the midst of setting up a YouTube channel where I can share the word verbally, and I’ve got plans to set up fellowship meetings with the sisters in Christ this summer!”

 

For more on Caitlin Nunez and to connect, please look below:

Email – kingdomambassadors@hotmail.com