I have been falling in love with Romania the past week. I
feel like I’ve only been here a week, yet it has stolen a piece of my heart.
Its one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Despite the darkness
surrounding this area (more to come about that later), I find myself seeing
little glimpses of light. I see it in the church we are working with, in my
teammates, in some of our neighbors, and especially in the girls that I get to
work with. Those four can brighten any day.
Its funny how the Lord works sometimes. Before the Race I
had almost no desire to work with young girls and women. It didn’t really speak
to me. It was something that I would do, but not that I had a passion for. But
as the Race has gone on, I’ve had different opportunities to do that type of
work and it has really spoken to my heart.
In Kenya during our very first month (it seems so long ago
now), I did a women’s bible study for a couple of weeks. It was my first time
to really do women’s ministry. God really planted a seed in my heart for it
there. I got to do it a little more in the Philippines and in China. But it was
in Thailand that it really stole my heart. I was working at SHE and going to
the Red Light District at night to talk with the women there. It was one of the
best months on the Race. It really changed me a lot. It was like it was that
month that I really found me. I found my voice and confidence and freedom. It
would take way too long to explain my feelings about Thailand right now, but
you can check out some of my blogs from that month to see where I was at.
Ministry in Thailand
Now this month in Romania I have gotten another opportunity
to do ministry with young girls. It was so random the way it happened. I was
supposed to help our pastor with logistics type tasks, typing emails and things
like that. But then Michelle (a missionary here from Canada) showed up and
needed another girl to go with her to her house. I was available, so I went
with her. And that day changed everything. I met the most amazing girls ever
and I absolutely fell in love with them. Its funny how little the language
barrier matters sometimes. We can barely speak to each other, yet we became
friends.
That night and the next morning God really began to speak to
me about this type of ministry. He reminded me of everything I have worked
through on the Race. For me, the biggest thing I have learned on the Race is
about identity. I have learned to grasp hold of my identity in Christ. I have
learned to believe the truths the Lord says about me. I’ve learned that I am
beautiful, I am a daughter of God, I have an important voice that needs to be
heard, I am confident and worthy and valued. Its been quite a journey to get
there, and its still hard at times to believe it, but I know in my heart that
all those things are true.
God revealed to me that because I know those things about
myself, my heart’s desire is for other women to know those things about
themselves. Every girl deserves to be told that she is beautiful and loved and
worthy. She deserves to know the truth about herself, not what society pushes
on her. God showed me that that is my passion.
The other day I was talking with one of my teammates about
this and she said something that stuck with me. She told me that when I’m doing
this ministry, I light up. She said that when we were in Thailand talking to
the girls in the bars, I was on. I lit up when we were there. And she said that
here, when I talk about the girls, that I shine. She said that this is what I
was meant to do.
Me and Jenny
So yesterday at church another girl on my squad, Rebecca,
and I talked to Michelle. We told her our hearts for the girls. Its not going
to be easy, because they are in school right now, but we told her we would love
to spend more time with them. So today I’m spending my off day at the park with
four beautiful girls who bring so much light to my life right now.
God is good. He has revealed exactly what I need to know in
that moment. I thought I was falling in love with places on the Race, I’ve
thought I wanted to go back to so many of them. But really, he was showing me
what my passion is through the ministry that we were doing there. He was
showing me the heart he has given me for women. He is so good.
