Nail-polish, Lip-gloss, and Disciples

Tuesday, January 15, 2013
 
A few days ago, my team and I listened to a Francis Chan sermon about…. well, a lot of things. You know Francis; he's all over the place yet somehow it works. Some of the things he talked about were: 1. Sharing the gospel and how little we actually do it 2. Hearing a sermon, being convicted, and walking away unchanged. He compared the story of the rich young ruler who "walked away sad" to the story of Zacchaeus, who Jesus called down from a tree and his whole life changed. Francis said that we have become SO USED to hearing a sermon, being convicted, and walking away sad… and unchanged, that it's normal for us. Subconsciously, it's what we expect without even realizing it. He challenged us not to let that happen this time. He said Satan would love for us to hear this sermon and walk away sad. 3. The great commission. The last thing Jesus said was not to fear because he would be with us. Francis challenged us by saying something like, "You wonder why you're not experiencing the presence of God like you want to? You're not making disciples. GO! And make disciples… baptizing them. AND THEN the supernatural will follow you." He talked about a lot, but this was the gist of it.
 
It's safe to say that it was the most affected and convicted I've been on the race. I realized that other people have addictions they need to give up and although I do not have a blatant sin- I too need to take care of an addiction. 
 
I am addicted to not sharing the gospel. I am addicted to being comfortable. And when life on the mission field is inconvenient, I'm addicted to finding ways to make it convenient. 
 
I looked down at the word "lovely" – (that word deserves its own blog) but for now, you just need to know that Lovely is a special word to me. Jesus calls me Lovely and my identity is in Him. In my mind, the word represents identity. So when I looked down and saw that word, God spoke to me. 
 

 

 
I began to picture all the faces of people in the slums that I had been visiting with but never took the time to talk about Jesus with. I didn't take time to get to know them or their story or if they even knew who Jesus was. When God spoke, this is what He said- "Lovely. That is what I've called you. Because you are. But what about them? Who are they ….what have I called them? And, will you go find out?"
 
I wrote "Who are they?" on my hand as a reminder to be open to the people God puts in front of me who need His love. 
 

 
 

Ok- skip forward two days and it's Tuesday, Jan. 15.
I woke up with an urgency to reread the Great Commission. I read it over and over and then I wrote, "Who are they?" on my hand again. I wrote in my prayer journal…
 
"Jesus, please help me to break my addiction today. My addiction to not sharing the gospel. Help me to be alert and ready to talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. PLEASE BE WITH ME. Give me words to say and lead me to people who need your love. LET'S GO MAKE DISCIPLES! Don't let me walk away sad."
 
I got up, got dressed, and went on about my business for the day. 
The afternoon came and it was time to go to the riverbeds. With this prayer casually in the back of my mind, I traveled to the slums (aka riverbeds) to see the friends I had previously made. Before long, I found myself sitting around a table with: 2 other world race girls, 3 Filipino women, and 2 Filipino teenage girls. As we chatted, I picked away at the red polish on my nails. Next thing I know, Vickie (my 60 year old Filipino friend… she's a NUT!) had gone home and come back with polish remover and cotton balls. As she took the polish off my nails, we chatted more- all of us. 
Before I knew it, somehow God had opened doors that none of us saw to open and before we knew what happened, we were planning a party. A girl party. 
 
That's right! Listen to what God did!! 
This Thursday at 3pm, myself and other female racers are going back into the riverbed community with nail polish, lip gloss, eye shadow, body splash, Kool-Aid, and snacks. We are bringing music and speakers and of course, I HAD to invite the bestie… Amy… to come lead these girls and women in some Zumba songs. (For those who don't know… Amy is a zumba instructor!) Get this: FIFTY to SIXTY women!!!
 
And the best part? Rhuena, my friend – a woman who lives in the riverbed community is going to lead a devotion at the party. So not only are we going to have a blast- doing fun girl things together- but 50+ women will be exposed to the Word of God!!! 
 
All because some silly world racer dared to invite Jesus to make disciples today.
 
And He took her up on it.

 
 
 

 
January 16, 2013
 
This afternoon, Racquel, Jordan and myself went down to the riverbeds to remind everyone about the party. When we got there and began to walk through the community, it seemed none of the women knew about the party and they weren’t very excited about the thought of it. They acted casual when we asked if they’d come to our girl party the next day.
 
A little discouraged, we walked further into the community where we saw the ladies we had planned the party with the yesterday. Rhuena wasn’t home and Vicky said she had been cleaning all day and had not told any of the women about the party. After I called her a crazy old woman and we laughed for a little while, we decided to take matters into our own hands and go invite women ourselves. The deeper into the community we got, the more excited we got. We met two ladies who were excited about the party the second they found out about it. In fact, they were so excited that they took us around to all the women’s houses shouting about the party tomorrow! They told little girls, moms, and grandmothers. I jokingly told Amy, “They took us to the ends of the earth to tell people about this party.” We left the riverbeds today encouraged and inspired by the two women who helped us so much.
 
This morning I sent an e-mail to close friends and family explaining about the party and asking them to be praying for big things. I really hope we have a great turnout and that women are not only blessed with a good time but feel beautiful, like the lovely women they are.
 
January 17, 2013
 
Holy cow. God, really? Today was awesome. As we were driving up to the riverbeds, we saw about 10 or 15 women walking toward the party. My stomach dropped and I thought to myself that people were actually coming. Word travels fast in villages and these women and girls came ready to party. I was thrilled and could not wait to get out of the car and get started.

 

As soon as we got there Raquel and I started setting up. Tables and chairs and iPods and speakers … we were so eager. Around 3pm we started polishing nails and doing makeup while Amy danced with the little boys. Oh yes, there were boys. There was no way they were going to let this be a girls-only party.

Women and girls were extremely excited to be pampered. It felt like there were lines of girls for days, waiting to be polished and made over.

 

As I walked through the crowd I watched little girls show off their fingernails to one another. I watched them dance around like little princesses, so excited to be wearing eye shadow and lip-gloss. They would look up at me from a distance and shout “Tita Ashli!!!” with a huge smile on their faces. I could tell they were having the time of their lives. I would bend down to their level, look into their eyes and ask, “Do you feel beautiful?”
 

 

“Yes, I do,” they’d respond and I would say, “You really are. You’re so beautiful.” Then they would trot off to their circle of friends dancing and laughing and carrying on without a care in the world.

 
 

 
After all the pampering was over, we sat everyone down for a time of devotion. In gathering everyone together, “Give Thanks” came over the speaker – an old song that I’ve not heard or sung in a long time.
 
“Give thanks to the Lord above. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ His son. And now, let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks.”
 
Watching a sea of girls and women sing those words got me all emotional inside. They have nothing. Four walls of scrap metal or tarp or whatever they could find at the time. That is their home. They have no jobs, little food, and very little money. Yet, they sat there singing loudly, “Give thanks.”

 

 
Raquel, Amy, and I said a couple of things then Rhuena gave a mini devotional from 1John 4:15.