Debrief on the World Race is a time of rest from ministry. It is a time for us all to recuperate and spend time together as a whole squad. But for many of us, debrief was so much more. When fifty believers are brought together, it is no wonder that some incredible things would happen. Constantly during debrief we would see God move and work in our lives as well as those around us.
When I think about debrief, I think of one woman in particular, Nadja. She lived down the road from the hostel. When a group of us walked back from the town on the first day, she greeted us with an enthusiastic, “HELLO!” She introduced herself along with the two children that she was looking after. Instantly, she clung to us and showed us love. None of us had ever experienced anything like it. She gave us the biggest hugs and told us how happy she was to meet us. She immediately praised God for meeting us. We were running late for dinner at the hostel so we made plans to meet her the next day for coffee at three. Her excitement for our coffee date was surreal. It was the type of excitement a child experiences the morning of Christmas. We all walked away a little bewildered but also warm inside.
The next day, we met her outside of her house. Along with her, was her sister’s daughter Elanna. The best word to describe Elanna is: rambunctious. She could do cartwheels around an Olympic runner. She loves to race, skip, and climb. She made the walk to the coffee shop more of an adventure. But, she also has the kindest heart. She knew very little English but she would tell us she loved us over and over again. She would hug and kiss us repeatedly. Nothing about her was tame. Not even her love.
After the coffee date, we all expected to separate; we didn’t plan anything else. But then, Nadja invited us into her home. Immediately, she showed us true hospitality. She gave us food and made more coffee. When she found out that not everyone liked coffee, she sent Elanna to the market to pick up juice. Then, she offered us some of her clothing and showered us with gifts. She gave me a white pendant. None of us could believe how willing she was to offer us her things. She showed to us that she cherished our company more than her possessions. She loved fellowship with us. We colored, did eyebrows, and sang songs.
Then, out of nowhere God made his presence known. Nadja mentioned how her favorite color is blue. She showed us a shirt that was blue. Then, she went on a long tangent about a blue dress that she absolutely adores. She showed us the dress in person as well as photos of her in it. At this moment, Lincoln (one of my squad mates), remembered an image God had given to him a month earlier. You see, Lincoln prayed for God put someone specifically on his heart and Lincoln had an image of a blue dress. Initially, Lincoln had no idea what a blue dress meant. He would go into shops with blue dresses and nothing would happen. A month had passed and he forgot about the image. But when Nadja talked about the blue dress, Lincoln knew God used the blue dress to represent Nadja. It was a sign to Lincoln that God was listening and showing him people for ministry. We spent the rest of our time with Nadja in worship. We sang, prayed, and cried together. It was evident that God was in the room with us and had orchestrated the entire relationship.
Nadja impacted all of our lives. We spent almost every day of debrief with her. The entire time she and Elanna continued to show us love and hospitality. To think, a simple “hello” started everything. It really puts into perspective what relationships could be built if we simply say, “hello” to those around us. What if we embraced everyone around us with a deep love? What if we weren’t so reserved? What if we showed God’s love boldly to those around us? What would happen?
