Read Part 1.
With our bags dumped into the large dusty concrete room, we walked over to the room that held our kitchen and enjoyed a lunch of soup with lots of dill. Armed with several questions of my own, and being bombarded with questions from teammates and squad mates, I began to talk with Julia, our translator and contact with the other two team leaders serving with me this month.
With some questions answered and instructions to explore the city around us, the women from our teams departed in search of internet.Jill,Shelby, and I were left to watch the belongings now strewn on mattresses around the Princess Palace.
We looked around the room and back at each other and in chuckling disbelief began to talk about what we saw before us. Both the glaring realization that this was really happening, and the acknowledgment that this month has bigger implications than we first processed hit us in full in these moments.
We had teammates that were thrilled at the community for the month. And some that were scared of it. We had extroverts that were excited and introverts that were screaming, on the inside. And some teammates that were downright angry about the setup. Some women had lived in a large community room in Romania. They were now battling the perceived right to be frustrated and the recognition that the World Race is going to be filled with choices in attitudes because of circumstances like this.
Jill, Shelby and I spoke of our concerns, our hopes for the month and our desires to see God move in a place like this. To see God move in our hearts to restore what years of lies can do.
The oldest woman in the room is 26. The youngest is 20.
At the very least, that is 20 years of being told and often experiencing that women are to be catty. Women cannot trust each other. Women are gossipers, and jealous. Women cannot do life well with only other women. Women need men. Women are hateful. Women are manipulative. And so many more.
On this day though, we sat and talked for three hours. Sharing our hearts for the women on our teams, sharing the room with us for the month and the women on our squad and women in our lives. We spoke truth over each other. Over each others ability to lead and to love well.
We gave each other feedback and practical ways to help each other as we realized the gift of leading our teams together this month. Shelby is a woman of honor. She is wise and I trust in the insight that the Lord gives her. She is grace giving and gentle in her speech, never wasting words. Jill is spunky and leads her team in a way that no one else can. She loves well and empowers those around her with encouragement and calling out the truths God allows her to see in others.
The three of us operate differently, but at the same time move powerfully as a unit, challenging each other from the start to grow and be stretched in how we function as a team.
And then we turned our attention to the room. With a growing awareness of the power this month could have we stood and prayed over the room and the women that would do life in it.
Declarations echoed off the walls as we stood boldly against the Devils schemes for this to be another month of women not living out Gods heart for His daughters. Words rang out speaking for protection from evil. Speaking for truth to fill the room. Truth of His love for us.
We declared it to be a month of healing from old wounds and a month that would not create new ones. A month of grace between sisters. A month to strengthen the bond between women on our squad. And a month that would carry power into the rest of our race. And a month that would allow us to live out the truth behind who women are, what women need and what women can do.
We spoke to Papa about our desire for this month to break bad patterns in our interactions with our sisters. And for the new life that He showers us with this month to change the heart of our squad as well. This month could make or break our squad. And we prayed that this month, as the majority of women on the squad would be together, would influence the rest of our lives as we begin to shed the lies that we believed about women. And began to redress ourselves with strength and dignity. And speak with wisdom and kindness. That our month would rain down truth in a real community of women. Of sisters in Christ.
And in so many ways, this month has done this.
Read more about what this month has donehere and here, andhere from some of my T squad sisters. And check out the videos from the lovely Terin James here.
Beautiful things had emanated from the declarations made our first day and night in this place.
What beauty have you blocked from your life because you trust in lies about the people around you?
Oh and it’s probably worth mentioning – Our entire squad is together this month in Northern Ireland. Our prayers that the time together in Transnistria could change the heart of our squad as well – it’s happening now. And God knew the whole time that this would happen. Pretty Sweet!
Movie time in the Princess Palace with a visit from the Man-shun’s (aka his tent) Dan.
life in the Palace is a bit messy at times.
oneof our favorite activities – busting bricks.
