One thing that we were taught at training camp is that sometimes, your team becomes your ministry. Throughout the first four months of this journey, I could say that’s valid. I remember sacrificing sleep to pray over my salmonella infected teammates, running to the store to buy them popsicles or having those awkward conversations with our contacts so that they would feel more comfortable. The Lord taught me how to fight for people that I care about so deeply. He showed me what true selflessness looks like, how to put others before myself. He taught me about sacrifice and how it’s not about me but “we”. He led me down a path of heart restoration as far as trusting others and opening up more. He showed me what a “safe place” in community really looks like.
This month, the Lord gave me the word brokenness. During our first night of feedback here, we shared where we were at as far as transitioning into this ministry. I shared that the Lord had given me this word and that I was really pressing into what it meant. Maybe the word was for me and my walk with God, or for how this ministry would “break my heart” or perhaps the word was for someone else on our team. And as the month has progressed, it’s become clear as to why the Lord gave me this word.
Charlene, a recently turned 31 woman of God. The Lord has had Char on a journey even before she stepped foot onto this race. Char was active in gymnastics for the majority of her younger years. One day, while practicing on the balance beam, she fell off. This fall forever changed her life. Her ACL was torn and reconstructive surgery was performed. Not too long after that, she began experiencing intense pain within her joints. She went back to the doctor and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Char’s decision of coming on the race was all up to God. She had to give up the one medicine that made her feel “normal”. This medicine suppressed her immune system and her doctor thought that wouldn’t be beneficial to take since she’d be submerged in so many different environments prone to a variety of illnesses. She gave up her expectations of enjoying a full nights sleep that would rest her body fully. She gave up control over her diet. She gave up the expectation of being able to be fully present in ministry all the time. And more than anything, she gave up control of her body.
In South Africa, Char’s arthritis took a turn for the worst. Her body began fighting against itself and causing her intense pain. She recalls waking up in the middle of the night and having to use her left arm to pick up her right arm in order to turn over to relieve the pain she was feeling in her shoulder. Her mind slowly began to shift towards home, and that maybe the Lord was calling her to leave. And as her mind, body, and spirit began to reside there, the Lord showed up and provided her with a medication to “ease the pain”.
And the next month brought Mozambique. Mozambique brought a breath of fresh air for Char. Our ministry was set up perfectly to cater to her needs. The new medicine was working its magic. And it seemed that “wellness” and “healing” were becoming more and more a reality.
I enter the picture here. I had limited interactions with Char up until this point because we were on different teams. Mozambique is where I really got to know Char. We spent countless hours sharing and swapping stories. We prayed and dreamt big things together. We laughed and cried and simply experienced life. Char allowed me to be real and honest and encouraged me to share more of my feelings. She made my transition onto this new team easier. Char fought for me.
Flash forward, to Swaziland. Char’s dosage in the medicine that she got in South Africa has decreased from 40 mg to 5mg. The downward slope that previously began in South Africa seems much more a reality now. Her right knee is swollen, her body feels much more tired, and her mind is left vulnerable to the devils antics.
I am confident that the Lord brought Char on this race for a reason. He didn’t bring her here for 5 months to then call her home. He brought Char on an 11-month journey. A journey of highs and lows. A journey in which she can learn what reliance is all about – on God and other people. Char already gives so much of herself, but perhaps, the Lord is bringing her to a point of asking more – asking for the things she truly needs in order to feel more comfortable. I am confident that healing is in store for Char on this journey.
She is a beautiful woman of God, always willing and ready to serve. She is an awesome listener and effective communicator. She is gifted and talented. She desires depth in relationships. She carries influence and her voice holds power. She’s bold and confident. She’s a fighter – in her relationship with the Lord, within herself, and for other people. Her laughter is contagious. The Lord has blessed her with the gift of the positive – she can see the good in almost any situation. Brokenness may be something that she’s walking through, but it doesn’t define what she is.
Char fought for me last month when I couldn’t fight for myself. She taught me about forgiveness and how to embrace the unknown. Now, my desire is to do the same, to fight for Char. I’m writing this blog to ask you to fight along side me. I believe that healing is in store for her in this journey. Pray for a release over the pain and discomfort she’s currently feeling.
Pray for patience. Pray that her mind can be at ease while she waits for the Lord to work. Pray that our team can continue to surround her and comfort her. Please pray for Char.
