*Written on 1/27/2015 but unable to post till today
A much belated “Happy New Year!” to all (: It’s always a fun time to go from old to new, embracing that opportunity to start fresh or make a change.
For me, transitioning from the end if one full and life-changing year to the beginning of a new, sure-to-hold-even-more-life-change year was more than just a countdown and change of the date in my journal. In many ways, it was moving into a completely different season.
Let me tell you, it’s been quite the journey already over the first 4 months if the race. And then God decided it was time to switch on the full-power button and WHOOSHherewego! Shall we count the ways He chose to go about doing this?
1. Team change. I’m sure you must have noticed a new name and new faces on the right sidebar where Team Free To Be used to hang. I am now on a team of 6 other women, and we call ourselves Team GOLD. The heart behind the name is the idea of being refined through the fire, referencing 1 Peter 1:7. I walked into this new team with great excitement and God-inspired confidence. But let’s be real, it is quite the adjustment from 5 to 7 people, as well as going from co-ed to all-girls. Dynamic change on a major level here. Add in my naturally reserved and slow-to-open personality (among other fabulous qualities) and we’ve got quite the adventure on our hands. But that’s not all…
2. Unsung Heroes month. In short, this means that rather than being assigned to a ministry to work with and staying in one place for the month, we are traveling around the country. Why? To seek out potential host ministries for future teams/squads. We look for kingdom workers that may be in need of or could greatly benefit from the physical support and encouragement a WR team could bring them during the month we are working alongside them. It is a practical pursuit but also an opportunity to lift up and celebrate the “unsung heroes” who faithfully and humbly serve the Lord and His people. It truly is an amazing venture, but absolutely stretching in a variety of ways. Constantly moving around (factor in the fact that Africa is completely different from South America), lack of steady routine or schedule (if you know me this requires no elaboration), and the revolving door of meetings and correspondence with potential contacts. Suffice it to say, it hasn’t been an easy or even all that enjoyable of a month, but it has definitely been and I believe will continue to be rewarding. Today is a perfect example, which I will share about below.
3. Last thing: Continent change. Aka, level of physical comforts changed. Honestly, this month has looked more like what I thought the WR would be like when I first applied. This is actually nicer than what I’d imagined. But it is the most uncomfortable I’ve been on my Race so far. Choosing an attitude of joy and thankfulness hasn’t been terribly difficult, but it is still an area of being pushed to my limits. It’s almost like a catalyst to the two main forces of pressure at work.
What is the point of me giving you a detailed picture of my own little pressure cooker? To remind you and myself that a lot of times Papa draws us into a promise of new life and blossoming growth which looks and feels a lot like the exact opposite. For a time. But if I follow His call to go where He goes and stay where He stays, His promise will fruition into reality. Is it easy? Comfortable? Fun? Most of the time, the answer is hell to the no. But, it is worth it and it is fulfilling beyond any pleasure of this world.
That hope and belief which were shrinking a bit in me were renewed today, which leads me into the story I promised. Today, another teammate and raised up Squad Leader (another transition for our squad this season – saying bye to our alum squad leaders at the end of this week) and I went to meet with a potential ministry, called Youth Care. It was such a precious encounter that my heart still bursts at the seams now to think about it.
Youth Care is a ministry that consists of a boys’ home, a girls’ home, after school programs, sponsorship program and summer camps. What was so awesome was that several of the boys who graduated are now studying at African Bible College and serving in the ministry in different ways. In fact, the guy who set up the meeting with us and gave us the tour was one such young man. When we were waiting for our taxi to take us back we had the chance to learn a bit more of his story and his vision and, well, Jesus is downright fabulous. Ishmael is the only Christian in a Muslim family, and also the only one to progress beyond grade 10 in his education. His words, “I was prepared to lose my sisters and relatives [over his faith], but by God’s grace things worked out and they accepted me [his faith] and I’m now a leader for them [role model and mentor, especially for his nieces and nephews in their education]” struck my heart. He was ready to walk out in his faith, at whatever cost, but Papa had something better in mind. Ishmael is studying communication at bible college because he has a passion for kids and wants to equip himself in effective communication. Specifically to minister to the kids in his home town which is predominantly Muslim, because he wants to bring the Gospel to them. This is just one. The other young men we briefly met and spoke with, along with the director of the ministry, all exuded a bold, humble, joyful and peace-filled spirit. There was something different in them as individuals but also the apparent bond and community of brotherhood they seemed to share, director included. It’s something beyond words that squeezed my heart that I wish I could explain better to share with you. It renewed my hope, as I was starting to feel discouraged and burdened by the shallow church that is so pervasive, here in Malawi/Africa but also in America. But nope, Jesus still reigns and is working in and through followers who are rooted and grounded in His Truth and Spirit. I walked away from that meeting truly feeling like I had been in the company of the Body, in a very real way, and those moments are not common and it was the first one of this month. Eep! So hopeful and excited for future connections between the WR and Youth Care. If you want to learn more about this truly beautiful Body and ministry, and even support them because they are in need of and rely on support from churches and individuals, especially for their sponsorship program, check them out! Find them under “Youth Care” at www.urbanpromiseinternational.org 🙂
Speaking of support 🙂 I have 3 weeks till my final deadline (!!!) when I need to be fully funded at $16, 254 in order to continue and finish out the Race! I have roughly $4,000 left, and I know the Lord can and will provide in the necessary way and time. If you in any way at all feel that He is moving you to be a part of His means, I say go for it! If you’re a first time donor and need to ask me any questions before you give, please feel free to message me and I will be happy to answer them! Once again, thank you to all of my supporters, I absolutely would not be here without your tremendous amd generous prayers and giving. And while I may say it repeatedly, I mean it with a whole and earnest heart that I cannot emphasize enough. Bottom line, thank you!!
