When Emily Cruz joined a work team to New Orleans in July
2013, a life changing experience awaited her.
On her first day there, Emily sat transfixed listening to Ariealle’s
testimony. A heaviness filled her heart,
and she felt an instant connection to Ariealle.
Tears filled Emily’s eyes, and she knew God wanted her to return to New
Orleans. Fears rushed in at the thought
of leaving home and doing something so out of her comfort zone. As the return trip to Pennsylvania began, Emily
stared longingly out the window as Covington passed out of view. Her heart ached as if she was leaving
home. She heard a voice inside her say,
“You’ll be back, don’t worry.”
When Emily emailed Katie Hooks in mid-August, Katie invited
her to the September staff meetings to get a better feel for the ministry. Car problems prevented Jen Jones from driving
Emily as planned. Instead, Emily met
Ariealle in Pittsburgh, and they drove together. The connection between the two women grew,
and Ariealle told Emily she was going to be her protégé and replace her
someday. God had again directed
circumstances to plant a vision in Emily’s heart.
A group fast from the evening before through supper Monday
started the week. Emily’ reaction was,
“We’re fasting? What? Just one meal?” Ariealle informed her it was a whole
day. With her hypoglycemia, Emily would
drink juice to keep her sugar levels up.
“This was a test. It really got
me to connect to the Lord in a different way.
Fasting was not what I thought.
My definition changed. It was not
taking time focused on filling myself with the world, but filling myself with
God instead and growing close to Him. … Fasting made me think a lot more, feel
a lot more than I ‘ve felt before, and made me vulnerable to God.”
Emily’s hunger kicked in as delightful smells filled the
room for the group feast. As the steam
rose from the pig roast pan, she thought, “The Lord provides in His time. There is a little sacrifice in the beginning,
but He provides abundantly in the end.”
At first, watching people who knew one another made her feel
like an outcast and unsure if she could fit in.
This changed quickly as she connected with others. The meetings and
tests benefited Emily. Spiritual gift
tests and strength tests reaffirmed direction in her life. Group member’s tests helped her discover who
others were. A visual exercise moved people into groups according to strengths
allowing everyone to see similarities in others.
All parts of the body of Christ work together for a
purpose. God made us the way we are to
reach out to certain people who will respond to us. If everyone was the same, how could we reach
the world? Emily needed this reminder. It is okay to be different. As she pointed out, “God knows what works.”
The need for time alone with God beckoned to her. She impatiently waited to hear from God. Taking a walk, she watched children in the
church play area. The thought of
childhood faith came into her head. God
spoke to her heart, in a way He never had before, telling her to run into His
arms like a child seeing her father, and He would hold her close.
Toward the end of the meetings, Mark Lewis called Emily to
the front, laid his hand on her shoulder, and prayed over her. He told her, “We hope you come back.” As small groups prayed, Emily could hear her
name mentioned. She thought, “They want
me here. I’m not being pushed
aside. They actually see something in me
that nobody else does.”
Mark is the director of the ministry, and “He didn’t just
see me as someone tagging along. He made
a point to notice me. A lot of people
look over me. Mark is intentional in the
way he cares for people.”
Amid the confusion at so many new ideas, Emily felt
peace. These were principles she could
learn. “They all made me feel like I was
part of something great. This was one of
my favorite parts, even from the beginning when I felt like an outcast. I felt part of something that would change
the world. At the end of the week, I
felt part of a family. ReachGlobal
Crisis Response is part of MY story.”
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