I wanted a different team this month. Thoughts that went through my head…
'We are passionate individually but when the 7 of us are together it's like staring at tree bark for 68 hours.'
'It'd be awesome to see a miracle, too bad I'm on this team of complacency.'
'I'm sick of hearing, “I'm going to miss this community when the World Race is over.” I am looking forward to getting my community BACK when it's over.'
I missed home a lot this month. Why can't this be my team (below)? We are honest. It feels natural to be in their presence. They know if something's bothering me, with or without effort to hide it. I can be as authentic as I know how, even in the brief descriptions below. We can tell each other when we're wrong without having to learn how first. THESE people can do mighty things together. I want them back.
ROBBY
What do they call them, homies for life?
[simple, iron sharpens iron, laughter, unashamed, weird, free, spontaneous, immature, loud, joy]
RACHEL
She doesn't hide her crap. She brings it to the table when I'm being insensitive.
[analytical, observant, thinker, timid, honest, messy, imperfect, self-conscious, counselor, beautiful, great memory]
KATE
We have little in common but somehow we're best friends.
[servant, thoughtful, never ceasing effort, british, 1/3 jewish, sentimental, zealous, committed, germ freak, ugly socks, evangelist]
JOE
He's just exactly what you get.
[rude, fake mean, heart of gold, hidden kindness, baffling, effort, aware]
MELINDA
Day one to 5 years later, a natural bond that cannot be broken.
[contemplative, poet, brutal honesty, a cook, singer, joyful, buffalo, giving, refugees, mother's heart, talkative, wise]
BRITTANY
She will talk on the phone 'till 5am about nothing, she will give up her time for a friend.
[ridiculous, smart, easily addicted, washes her hands with bleach, animated, obnoxious, hilarious, comforting]
CAMERON
He is slow to speak, he allows for mourning and doesn't accept superficial or rushed joy.
[patient, talented, creative, artistic, quirky, musician, too tolerant, sweet, accepting, sensitive, emotional, deep, strong]
Old thoughts: end.
New thoughts: begin.
Learning what? Begin.
Point of the blog? Begin.
Vamos.
One of our teammates had an accident the other day (AKA. Pooped her pants, it's not as weird as it sounds considering our bodies are going through drastic intake-changes). Everyone laughed super hard and clapped…. but friends from home are more likely to ask the color, texture, size, and rate it (minus Joe…:]). It wouldn't have been monumental like Team Luminous saw it, but it just would've been another part of an eventful day. One reaction isn't better than the other. They're just different. What I realized here – they all appreciate it, they all find humor in something so… abnormal, but they just experience it… differently.
This is where it ends – assuming this year can't be something to tell stories about, can't be a place to witness miracles, can't be energetic. IT'S JUST DIFFERENT. These people are just DIFFERENT, but my team here AND my team from home all have a common goal: To spread the love of Jesus. Suck it Satan. The way Team Luminous extends grace will now be viewed as a blessing instead of the curse of passivity I thought it was.
Yeah, I'm still ecstatic to see my friends in 8 months.
Yeah, I have something remarkably unique at home.
No, I won't dwell on that and let it be a barrier to our goal, to either Team Luminous or Team Home.
With that preface…. READ THIS STORY.
On our off day, Victoria (a worker from the orphanage) took Cherissa, Katie, and I to some local markets and took us to Awana (youth groupish thing) at her church. We met the pastor's wife at church and she offered us watermelon. I remember looking at Katie reading her mind… *So full but don't know if it's rude to say no in this culture so must accept.* There we were, in a small room with a huge framed photo of a baby on the wall, with bibles & cosmetics waiting to be sold in a glass cupboard, with a gigantic serving of watermelon, and with a boy sleeping on a bench.
I didn't think much of the boy at first until a woman reached her hand through the window and felt his head. Hm, he must be sick. So I continued – seed by seed de-seeding my watermelon. My hands were all slimy and the watermelon all drippy when I looked up – the boy's stomach started pulsing rapidly. A lady standing outside the window glanced down and walked away. I assumed that meant there's nothing to worry about. His breathing became normal again.
More watermelon. More seeds. More mess.
The boy's stomach started moving again, up and down rapidly, then he was trying to breathe like normal but couldn't. I had a flashback to a park in Buffalo. Everyone was minding their own business until a boy started having trouble breathing, fell to the ground, and was taken out on a stretcher. It was the same noise. I started getting scared but just…kept….eating my watermelon. His face started turning from an opened mouth, deep sleep look to a painful cry for help. Once I could see the pain on his face, I stopped eating my watermelon but just kind of looked at it, trying to entertain the thought of focusing on the task on my lap, not the thought of what could happen next to this poor boy.
I sat there until Cherissa said, "Something is wrong, get up, we have to pray." There was urgency in her voice and she plopped the watermelon down carelessly, focused on one thing. She didn't ask us, she didn't think twice, she just demanded we pray, she followed the Spirit's lead. The 3 of us walked over, laid hands on him, and started praying. We asked the Lord to heal him head to toe, we asked boldly.
The boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. – Mark 9: 26-27.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – John 15:7
The boys eyes had been closed since we got there. But immediately after praying he opened his eyes, said something in Spanish, stood up, walked out, and started playing soccer with his Awana pals.
He was healed.
It was instant.
It was a miracle.
Thank you, God, for orchestrating everything even when thoughts of my team tried to belittle Your power. You are gracious, indeed.
From ordinary to extraordinary.
This is the start to some serious storytelling.
Team Lumiz, Jesus Cristo, let's do this.
