We were told this month we weren’t going to have heat, running water, electricity, or Internet. Sounded like typical World Race conditions. But who would have guessed that our rustic conditions were actually a huge blessing?
Our home is in a small Russian-speaking village in Noslavea (Nos-lou-cha), right on the Ukrainian border of Moldova. It is actually in the process of being converted into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and our contact, Andre, planned to have us help with the renovation. But I find it ironic, and only by the hand of God that we were helping to build a place for future healing, when really, we are the ones who need healing this month.
Most of us on the team have been sick from India. It seems to be some sort of parasite that has wreaked havoc on each of our digestive systems. Individually we’re tired. India’s thick spiritual climate paired with our over worked immune systems has taken it’s toll on us, and even affected us as a team. Conflict seems to be hovering over us, and whether it is real or imagined, there has been something that is preventing us from becoming a family. At debrief we received a word that our physical sickness would go away when we started serving the team first, instead of ourselves.
Unsure of what exactly that looked like God has brought us to the perfect conditions to serve each other. We do everything for each other from cooking, to laundry, to going to the well to get water. Andre and his family live about 30 minutes away in a different town, so if we need anything, we kind of have t
o figure it out ourselves.
Adding to the blessing this month, Andre received a word from God that we needed rest. So while he intended for us to work on the house, his chore list seems be getting shorter, and our hang out time with each other and Andre and Larissa (his wife) seems to be getting longer.
This month’s ministry isn’t to the poor, the orphans, or the lost. It’s to each other. It’s a time to encourage, to serve, and to love each other. God’s plan this month is to break the barriers that hold Team Crux back. God’s plan is for restoration and healing. God’s plan is to get back to the heart of Himself: Love one another as you love yourself.
