I am always amazed at the different ways God uses our gifts. I am a pharmacist, and my primary job here is pharmacy. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t do anything else. God has taken these girls’ talent of playing volleyball and brought them to minister through a sport that people in Brazil love. The kids are simply in awe of these players, and the teams they have played have been excited to have a team from the United States to play. Quite a few people from these teams have noticed the girls smiling all the time, and there is nothing like a smile. It speaks a thousand words that these girls can’t say because they don’t speak Portuguese.
This week has been an amazing one. I like small teams better than large ones, because I have the opportunity to interact with more of the volunteers the way I like to interact – one-on-one. I have watched each one of these girls, and each of their reactions to this trip is different. Some are wondering if this (missions) is something they can really do, asking “Is this a possibility for me?” Some are just trying to reconcile the inequality that exists in the world. Some are coming to see that their story is important because it is their story, that not everyone is going to have the same things to say about Jesus, because we have all experienced Him in different ways.
Every member of this team has been a blessing to me in one way or another. To see their expressions, to hear them talk about what they are experiencing and feeling, to hear about what they are learning, to hear them ask hard questions and know they may not get immediate answers; those things have blessed me more than they will know.
