This month Zimbabwe has taught me a lot of things. When we first got here I didn’t really know what ministry was going to be this month. I was not prepared for the things I was about to experience. I have loved everyone I’ve met on this trip, and I’ve experienced amazing things in every country I’ve gone to. But Zimbabwe is the country that is the hardest for me to leave.
This month we had a women’s ministry called Beauty For Ashes. This is a program for women who need healing in their lives and it is a safe place for them to tell their stories. I heard many different stories from women, who had so many different struggles. I had to share my story and tell these women that they were worthy. We had lots of discussions about their worth in Christ and at the end of the day a lot of women there found healing. But I realized a lot about myself through this.
It’s easy for me to tell other people that they are worthy and loved, I’ve been doing that this whole trip. It’s easy for me to say that God loves them and has a plan for them. It was easy for me to tell these women that they were valuable and created for a purpose and that God sees them as His daughters. But it isn’t always easy to tell myself these things.
I was supposed to be hosting this program so these women can find healing and share their struggles in a safe place, but in doing so I also found healing I didn’t even know I needed. In my life I’ve never had much self-confidence and at times it was incredibly hard for me to believe God had a purpose for me, or that I was good enough to even do mission work. It was like I was walking with these women, even though I was leading the event.
At the end of the day, we washed their feet to signify our service to them, just like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet. I asked a woman if she wanted me to wash her feet, and she turns to me and said, “sure, but let me wash yours.” This brought tears to my eyes because the people I came here to serve ended up serving me. So I washed her feet and she washed mine and we both prayed for each other. These women taught me more than I could ever teach them. Zimbabwe has taught me more about God’s love than I could ever teach people.
I am no different than anyone, we come from different parts of the world but we are walking the same path, we are all children of God and God loves us the same. There is no one who is more worthy of God’s love than others. We are all equally precious in His sight. There is nothing we can do to add to or subtract from how much God loves us. Zimbabwe has won my heart, and it’s incredibly hard for me to leave. I have learned so much about myself and being here has brought healing to parts of myself I didn’t know I needed. This place will always be in my heart, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get to come back, but I’ll never forget the love I found here.
