It takes a Village

a) a child

b) a missionary

c) a ministry

d) all of the above

 

If you answered D you are correct.  Your prize, knowing the importance you play in the lives of those around you.  Recently I was extremely blessed with the opportunity to be at the W.X,Y squads training camp.  I went to be on serve team, with the hopes that not only would I be sitting chopping onions, peeling potatoes etc, but that I would have a chance to get to know, get to love and get to pray it up on their amazing new crop of World Racers. 

 As always during this time, God decided to once again blow my mind, and radically change my heart.   

 

It began with the feeling of familiar.  I knew this well.  Having attending two training camps (I didn’t actually go with my initial squad) I knew the feelings they may be feeling, the baggage they may be bringing with them, and I knew what God was about to do for them.   It took me back to a very pivitol moment in my walk where I was ready to throw in the towel on a lot of things. I was sent home day 5 of my first camp.  It wasn`t my time to go and I had some things to do.  Here is why I didn’t throw that towel in.  I was loved.  I was so so so loved.  I was poured into so much during that time by the staff and World Race alumni that I couldn’t give up, because they wouldn’t let me.  They fought for me.  And now here I am on the other side of camp, on the serving side, and I have a change to return that love to others.

 

It was not long before I began to see Red.  Everywhere I went actually.  Red was the color of W squads name tags.  They 3 squads were seperated that way, so it was easier to see who was with who.  Red was everywhere for me.  When a hand went up during ministry, when I sat down to mingle at lunch, when I was asked about more toliet paper even….what was with all this red?  I tried hard to get to know the other squads. I love me the X and Y squads, but I couldn’t shake this passion I had for the W squad and the love I didn’t understand welling up in my heart.

 

If you don’t know, which many of you may not I am now 7 months pregnant.  Being the pregnant lady at camp was extreme fun!  My little one was a great source of joy and during my 11 days away from home, my baby was blessed so much with words, and my heart was blessed even more.  I felt like Mary, when she stored up in her heart all she heard and saw of her precious son.   God is preparing me.  I am now a mother.  Its the greatest blessing I have ever known.  I tell you all this to explain another motherhood God spoke to me about while I was on the race, and the beginings of truly understanding what that word meant.

In Africa I was overwhelmed with the word “Mother of Nations“  I have always assumed that I would just keep going.  That I would keep going around the world, loving on children and pouring out my prayers for the people of the country.   I assumed quite wrong.  In fact I was floored when I came home, met my husband, got married and walked into motherhood asap.  *this is a good floored*  I am no longer the one to be sent.  My seasons have changed.  I get to be the one that sends.  I get to be the one at home cheering them on.  I get to be the one who prays for them, loves on them, and in a sense mothers them.  And I`m truly humbled.  I am truly honored that God has burdened me with this squad and that God has freed up my season to read their blogs and  have the time to write them.  I can`t wait to see what he has in store for the “DUB“ squad.

And lastly he gave me a heart of thanks once again.  It took a village to send me.   Financially I needed people to invest in me…but more importantly I needed mothers and fathers.  Men and women who would build me up, speak life, and hold me in account.  I needed my team to push me, my squad to push me, and I got it full force.  I am who I am because a village believed in me and was obedient to God in discipleship and love.  They taught me how to walk in this new season as “mother“ and for that I am forever grateful.