Oasis Gathering

God often calls you to minister comfort from the comfort you've received. But sometimes He asks you to give what you wish someone had given you... Oasis Gathering is that thing... that space I wish I had when I was a volunteer with WGM in Uganda way back in 2002. I was young, lonely, and desperate for community. When we moved to Uganda in 2011 I realized there were other women in Uganda just like I was- alone in this big city, confused about where to find baking soda and molasses, trying to find healthy rhythms and desperate to be known. I created this monthly gathering for international women our first term here and it has been meeting monthly since then!

It is a simple model: everyone brings a snack to share, I make coffee and tea (and often a fun syrup for coffee), we have a couple discussion questions ranging from "How do you Sabbath in a capital city?" to "Where can you find white Christmas lights?", then we break into small groups and pray for one another. I wanted it to be easy and sustainable- a joy for me to host instead of a weight on my shoulders. And it is just that.

As I think about what it takes to live a transformed life, I think about the women who come every month to Oasis. Some of them limp in, weary and burned out. Others come longing for company on the journey. And others come ready to bear her sisters' burdens.

In order to live a transformed life you must take time to be filled. You've got to let Him meet you. You cannot work up transformation in your own strength and you can't walk it out alone. You need to link arms with others. You need to lean in to the Father and be filled with the Spirit so you can live like the Son. And that's what happens when we gather for Oasis- women get refreshed and encouraged so they can go back to their sphere of influence and bring the transformation He longs to bring.

A couple coffee syrup recipes:

Peppermint Mocha Syrup
Pumpkin Spice Syrup