This may be a little strange to hear, it’s a little strange to write in a blog honestly! Prior to the race, I did not enjoy women’s ministry. At training camp, I realized that I was going to be traveling the world with a group of 18 women and 3 men. The odds of being on an all women’s team was ¾. Not that great for someone who typically avoids women’s ministry!
While at training camp however, the Lord worked on my image of other women and what women’s ministry could look like. We had an entire day about Sisterhood in Christ, and what that could be, how God viewed it. Then, when I was placed on an all women’s team, the Lord gave me this image that has stuck with me for the past three months:
Our team was all together, and there was a pink bubble surrounding us. The pink bubble was representing how we cared for each other – how we treated one another as women, and sisters in Christ. We can love each other through our differences of appearance, states, churches, opinions, hopes, attitudes, and preferences. And when we learn how to treat each other as Christ treated women in Scripture, our pink bubble formed. As our pink bubble (my team of women) traveled the world, we would be going into countries that could have very negative images of women. Women are unlikely to be treated as equal in value to men. But as we go, we can bring women from these countries we are going to into our pink bubble. Into the love of Christ, and into treating each other with respect, value, and healing. As we go, our bubble would continue to expand to bring in other women from different backgrounds and cultures. Suddenly, Women’s Ministry seemed exciting and filled with purpose and fun. We have a rare opportunity to show the value of women through how we treat one another!
This took on a new perspective for me when we were working at a local park in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Jaco, Costa Rica. We were helping to build up the park through partnering with the local city government. They had asked us to create a ”Concha” or futbol field (meaning digging ditches and burying car tires) and painting a few murals in the park. One day we were there, a few girls who lived in the community came out to watch us, and see how many of us could speak to them in Spanish. I spoke to them a little bit about the park, and told them what we were doing there. After a few minutes my Spanish vocab was running thin, and I thought I should probably take a turn at shoveling the ditch again. As I told the girls I was going to work, they got up and followed me. When I started shoveling, one-by-one they all grabbed a shovel from my teammates and started digging as well. At first it was pretty hilarious, these were four little girls around the age of 10 who were wearing dresses, all trying to dig out a very sandy and rocky hole. Slowly, though, the Lord was showing me that these girls were little future women, and they were choosing to invest in their own community. They were helping as much as they could to build up their park and contribute to a place they go daily! They were little women, who we could bring into our pink bubble, who we could show Christ’s love and respect to, who we could show that women can work hard and that we can work hard alongside men (shoutout to Carter and Jonathon). In a city where prostitution is legal and a very open option to these girls, we can show them that there is more for them than that. And they can show us things too, about reaching for new friends, being bold, building up our own communities, and helping others out, even if you don’t know them.
(It only made me that much more excited when I found out later that day that it was International Women’s Day!)
I don’t know if I will be working with women for the rest of the year, or if I’ll be on a team with only women the whole time, but I know that the Lord cares how we care for one another as women. And I know that we can make a difference by how we treat one another. That is where we can bring change for the better and reflect Christ’s heart.
So while it certainly won’t be the easiest, I say bring it on pink bubble – I’m ready to meet and encourage women of all backgrounds and all ages this year!
“A commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
NOTE!
I am still fundraising! If you feel lead or would like to give to my support for this year, click the Orange “Donate!” button on the top of the page to give to my race. Thank you!
