Week 3: Freedom Week

I don’t even know how to begin to summarize this last week. It’s been amazing and full of good teaching. This past week was called “Freedom Week.” We learned about how God has an original design for each of us. Before we were born, He had us in mind, and He created us for a distinct purpose. Often, the sin in our lives keeps us from living the way God has intended. We believe the lies of the enemy, which blinds us from the truth, and we end up living in bondage to sin, rather than living freely in Christ. Like I said, it’s really difficult to summarize everything I’ve learned. We had so much teaching packed into such a short amount of time, and I’m still processing it all!

The highlight of the week for me was on Wednesday, when we were prayed for about our original design. I had a group of four women—two of whom I had some contact with before, and two of which I had never met—pray for me. They first just spent some time in silence praying, asking God to reveal to them the unique qualities and traits that God has created in me. As God was speaking, they wrote down the things He was saying. It was so amazing to be prayed for and to see the expectancy of these women. They were taking time to be silent before God, asking Him to speak, and expected Him to reveal things about ME to them. It was also amazing to hear the things that God told them about me, especially since they didn’t know me very well at all.

I want to share with you some of my original design. I am learning to be confident in these qualities, because they are not about me, but about God and His unique design of me. Here are some things that God said:

--I am a discipler, one who pursues for the purpose of restoring and redeeming.

--I am a nurturer, one who comforts and provides an environment for growth and rehabilitation.

--I am flavored with grace and compassion.

--I am a spiritual mother of so many.

--I am a lover of children and family.

--I am a leader and a pioneer.

--I am a warrior, a defender and protector.

--I am a radiant jewel, shining bright with much beauty.

--I look at people with the eyes of Christ.

--I am an intercessor, going to God on behalf of other people.

After praying together about the way God has made me, the women asked God about one stronghold that is holding me back from truly being who God’s created me to be. This time was so powerful because I realized that my sins really hold me back from living an abundant life, and being the things that God wants me to be—that He had in mind for me before I was even born.

During this “Freedom Week” we also learned really practical tools for how to tear down strongholds in our lives. It’s a constant battle, but with Christ, we have the power and authority to demolish the strongholds that give the enemy a foothold in our lives. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” I am so excited to further explore my original design and to continue battling my strongholds so that I can live free in Christ!

This last week was also our first real week in a routine, which I loved :) We have class everyday in the morning, then have lunch, then have free time/ work duties in the afternoon. Our evenings are mostly free, except on Tuesdays when we have an evening of worship and Fridays when we have “movie night” with our DTS. I am enjoying getting to know the community here. Last week I got to babysit for a family on the base! It was so great! The family was so friendly and so welcoming, and the kids were adorable. Babysitting felt like being at home, and I loved that feeling of comfort :) I’ve also been going running with a girl my age that works on the base.

I’ve been keeping very busy which is awesome because I hate being bored! The days go by so fast. I’m trying to balance working out, having quiet time to process what I’m learning, being social with my DTS, spending time with my one-on-one, getting to know the community on the base, and keeping in touch with friends and family back home. I’m thankful for all of the opportunities, and I want to make the most of my time here.

In addition to class lectures, we have been assigned “small groups” that meet once a week. I really enjoy this time, because it’s an opportunity to spend time in a small group of women, to get to know them on a more intimate level. Last week we all made and ate brunch together. The leader of my small group is also my one-on-one. We meet once a week just to talk about life—what I’m learning, questions I have, etc. I love the structure of the large group lectures, small group meetings, and one-on-one contact. Each of these settings meet different needs and serve different purposes and I’m enjoying the balance.

This week our lecture topic is “The Nature and Character of God.” Our speaker is flying in tomorrow. He speaks Spanish so there will be a translator. I’m excited to try to be able to understand his teaching in Spanish :)

I hope you all are well! I would love to have an update on your life. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I am so incredibly grateful for your support and your interest in me. I would love to talk to you more about what I’ve learned this week, so if you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail! Take care!

This past weekend I spent time resting and processing the teachings of this past week. A group of us girls went into town to get coffee. There are some really cute coffee shops in the town of Harpenden.