Month 4- Mozambique. Our squad just experienced our first mini debrief which included our first and hopefully our last round of team changes. It was bitter sweet. I said goodbye to all my original teammates on Rescued Identity and said HELLO to a brand new bunch of AWESOME WOMEN (6 including me)!
Maria Rocha, Wendy Baer, Megan Miller, Tiffany Chen & Jessica Brimmer
For such a time as this- I was raised up as a new team leader (asking God for guidance everyday). Our team name is Amaranthine (Noun; pronounced- ameranthin; meaning- Eternal Flower of Everlasting Beauty). In a deeper sense, we are God’s delight, beautiful and eternal through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Like wild flowers we will spread God’s beauty, love and delight wherever we go and live in faith that all our needs will be provided for.
Speaking of provided for, the other day my teammate Jessica Brimmer and I went on a one-on-one date with our chaperon Paulina (our contacts daughter- making sure we don’t get lost) to go pick some mangos from a friends yard. We had no idea what surprises were in store!
A mother of 7, her 3 daughters and some friends were resting on grass mats under several mango trees. Shaded from the hot African sun, they sat talking in Portuguese and playing games. The moment we arrived we were welcomed in as family. I was quickly ushered over to a game of jacks played by throwing a mango up in the air and trying to move as many rocks out of the circle before catching the mango again. I think half the fun was seeing if I could ever get it down. After I got the hang of that, I was quickly moved to a game of hop-scotch (One of the only games I could actually play). After that it was jump rope on speed (failed every time) and then a game similar to Chinese jump rope. All games were made from drawing lines in the sand or using rocks, fruit, fabric scraps, etc. I was completely amazed at their creativity, especially since these games are more fun than a lot of things I have played in the states.
After game time the women brought out skirts for us (to keep). They saw that we had cameras, which quickly turned into a photo shoot.
After our photo opp we sat together under the mango trees and talked a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese and English (whatever we could grasp) while the younger girls braided my hair and snacked on mangos that were peeled with our teeth. I longed to speak their language, so I could express my gratitude for their kindness.
I left that day feeling so loved. I was reminded of the passage in scripture (Mark 12:43-44) “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything- all she had to live on.”
I am humbled realizing that I am so quick to give out of my wealth. When someone is in need or coming over for a visit I quickly see money and immediately try to calculate what I can afford to give. But, what if it wasn’t about that? Is there a greater gift that I possess? Something intangible, something priceless. What if I gave myself- my love, my talents, my time, my listening ear.
LEARNING TO LOVE like these women who gave all they could from their heart.
**Meet the rest of the team Amaranthine and check out their blogs at – jessicabrimmer.theworldrace.org, tiffanychen.theworldrace.org, meganmiller.theworldrace.org, wendybaer.theworldrace.org & mariarocha.theworldrace.org
I LOVE THESE GALS!
