Last Thursday night, all the girls in my team got together and talked about, well, girl stuff. And somehow I started telling them about the past couple years in my life. The story includes heartbreak and pain, and I ended up sitting with these girls who I have only really known for two weeks, sobbing.
Once my story was finished, a girl in my group looked at me and told me that my story, the testimony I had just given, was going to change people’s lives. That my struggles and pain would be able to relate to others and help them realize how God has taken me from these struggles and gave me freedom and hope through Him.
Well little did I know this opportunity would come less than a week later.
I have really started to have a compassionate heart for the women of Nicaragua. The church we go to is primarily men. There is only 1 girl who comes to the teenage youth group and she is typically not involved. So the Immersion women wanted to start a Girls Group for the teenagers and young women that are here. We went out into the barrios early this week and invited girls. I volunteered to lead the first study of Eve, and after a lot of encouragement from my team, decided to tell my story.
When we started on Tuesday afternoon there were 13 women from my group plus our translator and about 5 other women. I felt comfortable, it would be mostly easy to tell my story to these women, there were so few I knew and could try to relate to all of them.
But God had more in store. Right before I began talking, 25 more Nicaraguan women walked in the room.
I am guessing the look on my face was pure terror, but I prayed, stood up, told my story and the great news of Jesus’ redemption in front of almost 30 women. Their eyes watched as I opened my heart and my story to these women. The girls started to open up and actually talk about some of their struggles. It was the most beautiful moving of the spirit I have been a part of since I have been here, and telling my story gave the women of the church a chance to encourage me. I hope that these women could see the hope and compassion in my eyes and find strength in it.
I would encourage you, don’t stay quiet any longer. There is power in what God has brought you through, and there is no shame in where you have been, you are forgiven and pure. I understand how scary it is to open your heart to others, to talk about those ‘embarrassing’ subjects. But don’t be afraid. Your story has the power to change lives for Christ.
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If you would like to share your story with someone of if you don’t know where or how to start, feel free to contact me, I would love to share what God has brought me through, and hear your story. If you are still wondering about this whole freedom in Christ thing, please contact me. I promise, it will be worth it.
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