I don’t know really anything about what my future holds. I know what I’m passionate about, and how it would be a true dream to pursue the passions that the Lords laid firmly on my heart. I want to start an orphanage, or begin a safe home for women and children, or become a teacher, & write a novel, I want to hike the Appalachian trail, I want to visit Nepal, Cambodia, and Thailand, as well as a handful of other countries. I want to begin a pottery studio and visit Haiti again, I want to serve or lead at Malibu Young Life Camp, I wanna have 12 children, and fall in love, and get married, and drive across America. All of these things I really badly truly want, and with perseverance and drive I can absolutely achieve these things. I don’t really know what exactly the future holds but I do know that whatever I do, I want to do with great excellence. Something I really want to do no matter what though, is become a Young Life leader. It’s never been laid more heavily on my heart than now, since i’ve begun this journey. Discipleship is important. It’s crucial when it comes to the empowerment of people, through the Gospel. POWERFUL. Serious.
Since I’ve been in Heidelberg, South Africa there have been plenty of opportunities to disciple – a passion that has recently run ramped like a wildfire through my heart. Discipleship.
One day, four of us went to this high school nearby to lead a worship night. A handful of students poured into the classroom at Heidelberg High School while we patiently waited for the evening to begin. As we were waiting, I was playing the piano, the only song I know how to play “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perry. A small group of girls sitting in the corner of the classroom eagerly began singing along. I’ve never heard solely voices – so raw, and beautiful and powerful unique and authentic with my own ears, and i’ve been to a solid amount of concerts. Their voices were compelling. I felt like I was in heaven. I mean it. After I could no longer focus on each note of the song, all of my attention was turned towards them, the room was silent, and honey spilled out of their souls filling my ears with sweet harmonies. It was magic. I felt the power in the ways they all came together and sang. In the ways that they compelled the whole classroom full of people to drop their conversations and listen. We began worship and after that I gave all of the students some words of encouragement I felt the Lord place on my heart to share. Afterwards the small group leader asked the room to split into groups of 4-5 people and just talk.
“You could pray for one another, or hangout & get to know each other, whatever you want. You have 5 minutes”
The girls called me over by name
“Dasia, come here.”
Butterflies fluttered around my stomach as if it were the first day of school and I was the new kid. We all sat around in a circle and I asked them their names.
Rebecca, Felenchia, & Janet. All seniors in high school, 18 years old. I told them my name again and complemented their heavenly voices & then asked them if they wanted me to pray for anything over them or for them. They all simply nodded yes.
“Is there anything specifically I can be praying for?”
All three of them looked at me and in their own words asked me to pray specific things over them. Janet, for her friend that had gotten into a fight and ended up in the hospital with the possibility of HIV. Rebecca, just wants the Lord to use her. A simple prayer, just begging for God to use her hands and her feet that so willingly want to serve. and Felenchia as well, “I just want you to pray that God show me a way. That He gives me the power and strength to follow Him always. That’s what I want you to pray.”
So, I did.
I prayed fervently, over all of those girls, their friends and their hearts. Tears streamed from their cheeks as I prayed and their hands held so tightly onto mine. We all looked up at each other when I finished praying and as they wiped their tear stained cheeks I told them that I wanted to be there for them. To answer any questions, or externally process with, to talk about Jesus, and life and everything in between. I asked them when we could meet up and we agreed on Tuesday.
Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday.
I looked forward to it.
They showed up at our house Tuesday and they brought their friend Mickaylin, who was the one in the hospital, but here she was, sitting in front of me HIV free. Answered prayers. We all hugged and got right to it.
“Tell us your story” they all asked me.
I sat down with these girls on a field in our backyard and told them my story. The ups & the downs, and everything in between. They sat, and listened, and cried at some parts, and laughed at others. They engaged. It was powerful. Us 5 women who’ve been in the same shoes only coming from different walks of life, able to relate, and feel the weight of brokenness but empower one another in that. All glory to God. Powerful stuff.
Afterwards – I prayed over them, for different reasons this time. More personal, vulnerable. Tears streamed and we held onto one another tightly as we stood with our arms on each others shoulders praying once again, fervent prayers. After we finished, we chose another day to hangout- the very next day.
I went and grabbed them from their hostel that they stay at on campus, and we walked over to the coffee shop down the road. We all ordered different milkshakes. We sat together and I asked about their days, we had some small talk and then I asked “alright, who wants to tell me their story first?” They all looked at one another trying to brush it off and push the lovely lady sitting next to them to share first.
“What are y’all afraid of?” I asked.
Rebecca began “we just don’t want to..”
“Cry?” I finished her sentence.
They all agreed right away.
“Crying is weakness” she said.
Something I myself believed up until this past year.
“Listen here ladies. Crying, is a beautiful thing. It proves to yourself that you are indeed alive. Capable of feeling. Happiness and sadness, love, joy, despair, they are all feelings that deserve to be felt. Crying, is not weakness. You are not weak if you cry. As a matter of fact, you’re strong. Strong enough to sit here and tell me the parts of your story that hurt, but you’re still sitting here strong enough, and I will sit here. I’ll listen. I’ll laugh with you, and I’ll cry with you, and i’ll hold your hand and I’ll encourage you to see yourself as strong because you’re a fighter. You defy the odds. Crying, does not. make you weak.”
I got the occasional “mmms” and they’re eyes never broke contact with mine.
Janet, looked at me and said “alright, I’ll go first”
She told me her story, and she did cry, but she wasn’t ashamed to.
Then Rebecca, and the Felenchia and then Mikayline and we all sat together and cried with each other and empowered one another in our brokenness because God takes our broken pieces and molds them into something beautiful. He makes our brokenness beautiful, we don’t have to look at it shameful because our lives can be messy and hard. We chose to all believe that. Some of our stories all intertwined, we all have broken family’s and hard things we’ve seen and been through, but that’s not the point. The point is, Jesus has redeemed our stories. We walk in freedom because of who Jesus is & what He’s done for us. We don’t have to wallow in our pain. We’ve been liberated. What a reason to celebrate!!!!!!!
I’ve been sitting with these girls and just getting to know them better for the last two weeks and my world is changing. My desire to disciple has never been more heavy on my heart than it is right now. The opportunity Ive had to live my faith out loud with these girls, and see theirs exemplified in their desires to just know more of God and serve Him with all they’ve got, is unbelievable.
These girls, they exemplify strength in such a natural way. Their voices are powerful. In a beautiful heavenly singing harmonious way, but alsonin the power in their testimonies. All living proof that God is real, and that He reigns. They defy the odds. They’re world changers. Capable of really big things. I believe that.
I ask that you just be praying over their lives, that they run hard and fast towards the Lord forever. That they never give up on their dreams and that they never give up on the relentless pursuit of God. That they fight for what they believe in, for themselves, and for each other. That they steward and extend their power generously. They are, incredible. & All glory to God for crossing our paths. They’re changing my life.
Janet, Mikayline, Felenchia, and Rebecca:
I’m
beyond thankful for you girls.
ps in the process of uploading videos of their singing, hangtight
