As I promised in my last blog, I am creating a series of stories from my race that I am typing up and sharing with you all between now and when I launch again in January! “MF’s Race Report” … as in Molly Fae’s stories from the field! Here is my first one that I am super excited to share! It was one of those “I NEED TO TELL EVERYONE” stories that existed in one of those “I have no time to blog” situations. God is so cool, and He does awesome things always! Just take a read at how super my God is and you will see for yourself:
Month Nine, also know as May 2015, I was with my 4th and final team “The DL Petersons” and we were at an amazing ministry called “Love Botswana”. Our team was doing a number of different ministries through Love Botswana, some where doing a sustainable gardening project, others where planning music and sermons for church services, others where working with youth, I was able to use my graphic design skills; all of those things where not only super fun to do, but helpful to the ministry and the Kingdom! At one of Love Botswana’s Youth Services is where this story takes place.
About halfway through the month, my teammate Michael, was preaching at “Fire by Nite” (the youth service). He had spent a fair amount of time preparing his message, and I knew he was going to KILL IT (spoiler alert: He did!) and I was so excited to hear what he said. I was sitting in the front row with the rest of my teammates with the chair to my right was empty, soon to be occupied but my new Botswanian friend Sam.
I had met Sam a week or so before, one my teammates made sure of it, stating that I “HAD” to meet her. I didn’t understand the urgency as to why, but I willingly went; why not make more friends!?! I was lead to a girl sitting in the far corner of the back row but not introduced to her, just sort of placed in front of her, and to be honest, I was super confused as to why… until my teammate began trying to spell my name with their fingers, and it dawned on me… Sam is deaf. Now, I am not fluent in sign language by any means; I took 4 semesters of it in college, more so for fun than anything, and felt pretty accomplished with my Bs at the time… but now that I was placed in front of this random girl in Botswana, who some how knew AMERICAN sign language, and had very few other people who could communicate with there… until that moment when she was introduced to me… you can see how I felt like my skills where vastly inadequate. But Lord knows I tried to remember every detail my professors taught me, I tried to reach out, and tried to keep the conversation rolling. And it must have paid off, because close to every day after I met Sam she would somehow make her way over to where our team was saying and peer through the windows (shocking a number of teammates) till she was noticed and I was sent outside to hang out. It was painfully obvious that I was lacking in my ASL knowledge from our first conversation, but she was patient, and thankful to have a new person who kind of understood her.
So when Sam sat down next to me at Michael’s Fire by Nite, I wasn’t surprised, I was actually happy she had made the move from the very back row to the very front! I was happy to see her and happy to support my teammate, how was this night going to get any better?!? Well… let me tell you… The service started shortly after Sam joined us Racers in the front row, and it began with worship… that’s right, music. Music that Sam couldn’t hear… I felt awkward singing and dancing next to Sam and felt God tugging at my heart to ask her to interpret for her… WHAT?!? “No, Lord, I cannot do that! I am the opposite of qualified. Besides, the words for the song are on the screen anyway! She is fine.” The service progressed and the youth leader started giving announcements… and I felt the tug again, stronger and more pressing this time, to interpret for her. “No way God! I have no idea how to sign half the things they are saying! Besides, it’s just boring announcements anyway!” And, once again, the service progressed, this time to prayer time before the sermon… so I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and ignored the deaf girl sitting next to me. Not out of a place of indifference, but out of a place of fear and inadequacy. “God, I just cannot do what you are asking me to do.”
I let myself get in the way of what God wanted to use me for, but then a line into my teammates message I still felt the nudge… no, not a nudge… an aggressive shove from the Lord. So I swallowed my pride, hoped for the best, and asked if she wanted me to interpret. Her response and gratitude was so obvious and huge that it would have made up for any mistakes I made, just because she felt included, cared for, and loved… Expectant mistakes and all, I started signing, and somehow I competently made it through the entire message! If it was just me signing, I would have sucked, big time, but Jesus moved through me, and gave me a mastery of sign that I had never had before. And I know that this sounds strange, but it was as if my hands were moving on their own accord, making shapes in patterns that I had/have no expertise, or even basic knowledge in! In following the call of the Holy Spirit I was able to become a vessel for God to speak to this girl: from Him, to Michael, to me, into Sam’s ears/eyes, in a way that I would have deemed impossible.
Truly the will and desire of God can overcome any obstacle. I know this for a fact, I have lived it, and we have been told “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” -Philippians 2:13 He uses us in big ways, even if we are not equipped when he calls us, He will give us the power to do His will and equip us in His perfect way, in His perfect time. We just need to step out of our fear and ineptitude, offer up ourself as His hands and feet, and be ready to go where He sends.
Love well, and keep an eye out for more reports from my time on the field!
Molly Fae
P.S. Prayers, support, donations, and just kind word are always welcome and appreciated; especially now that I head out again as a Squad Leader in January! How exciting! 🙂 Shoot me an email, leave a comment, and as always, keep in touch! Love you!
