Did you STOP dreaming when you STARTED to grow up?
Have you had a fire burning in your heart?
Did you let it die?
Or did you fan the flame?
Sadly many moms dread the drudgery of doing the same thing day after day. They’ve let their passion die.
When I had a passion for a MOPS conference, I called up Cris. Eight months later, hundreds of women were gathered for a conference in Tirana.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll tell you about this call, how we dreamed as a team and the impact of this day. Check out my story and the testimonials below.
A Fire Burning
That was me.
Albania. 2013.
It was like a fire burning inside to start a MOPS group in Tirana.
I wanted my cousin Blerta to experience the freedom that I had experienced.
I wanted the women I grew up with in Albania to flourish as I did in relationships with people like Heather, Della, and Jennifer.
MOPS had grown much more quickly than anyone imagined–from one group to two groups to three groups.
Within a year, six groups had started!
“Each MOPS group was so unique.”
Some amazing women started each group. Each MOPS group was so unique. Yet each group shared a common spirit that bonded us all together. The women who became a part of it were experiencing something different – empowered in their new roles, they were flourishing.
MOPS had become a place where women were welcome as soon as they walked through our doors. This felt unique.
A dream of something different
I love byrek.
Byrek is a pita-like pie filled with spinach, meat, or cheese, steaming hot when it’s fresh.
I love being able to go shop at the local corner fruit and vegetable stand and then talk to the shopkeeper about their kids or about a topic that I recently spoke about on TV.
I love the sea and the beach.
There’s a lot in Albania that puts a smile on my face.
And there’s a lot that makes me want to cry or scream!
My entire life, I have watched a family with a daughter who has special needs hide her from the public. And I don’t blame them.
I have seen women whisper to each other when anyone they don’t like enters the room.
This is why the first time a single mom wanted to come to a MOPS meeting years ago, she called me on the phone ahead of time–just to be sure that she would be welcomed. “Of course you are welcome,” I told her. I was filled with joy she was coming and sad that she felt the need to call first.
This is why I have been so afraid of being shamed.
“the MOPS community had to be different”
And this is why it was so important to me that the MOPS community had to be different—a place where women were welcomed.
And MOPS had become different!
Women were walking through our doors just like me when I showed up to a MOPS meeting in Chicago, feeling exhausted after our move there and giving birth to our son Ben. And they were welcomed just like I had been welcomed!
Women who were parenting as single moms walked through our doors and they were welcomed!
Women who had kids with special needs walked through the doors. And rather than feeling like they had to hide who their kids were, they were welcomed.
Not just grudgingly accepted but rather celebrated!
Another spark
There was another fire burning inside me.
It started as a spark.
It was still a big step for many women to walk into a MOPS meeting. After all, it was a Christian meeting.
Burning inside me was a desire to grow the impact. Rather than asking women to keep coming to us, I wanted to go to them.
“Could we do this Albania?”
That was when I had the dream – a conference.
A Fierce Flourishing Conference
Fierce Flourishing was the theme for MOPS that year.
I remember the day I opened up Facebook and saw pictures of hundreds of beautifully dressed women in Brazil.
Could we do this Albania?
I had no idea, but I had to find out.
Calling Cris
I picked up the phone and called up Cris Cardoso, who was the leader of MOPS Brazil.
“How did you do it? I asked Cris.
She told me about it, and I told her what I wanted to do in Albania.
“Do it!”
“Do it!” was her response.
A Call with Monica
After talking with Cris, I called Monica Rovira, who leads MOPS in Guatemala.
Since the first time I met Monica, I have felt a kindred spirit with her—the sparkle in her eyes, the energy, the free spirit—she reminds me of myself.
That day, Monica told me about what she and other women did ahead of their conference. “We went to the preschools,” she explained, “And we connected with moms in the community to invite them.” Monica gave me the idea of doing appearances on media and the idea of opening a Facebook page.
What if I hadn’t called Cris?
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I didn’t call Cris.
What if I had talked to someone who said something like:
“Nuk behet.” (It can’t be done)
“C’mon Bona, where would we get the money to do something like that?”
Would that have been enough for the vision for this conference to die?
Keep calm and call
Do you have a dream that is like a spark in your heart right now?
Who can you call?
Celebrating Momcon Albania
Starting this week, I’ll post testimonials of some of the amazing moms that were with us that day.
Were you with us too?
Feel free to add what you remember in the comments below:
Despite the fact that I can hardly remember the conversation that Bona and I had on the day she called me about doing their conference, I still remember the moment she had that special spark and realized she had been given a task that would make the groups in Albania flourish! I could see it in her eyes!
Personally, this tells me: never to underestimate the power of mentoring leaders and giving them full attention when they come to you. You never know how God may be using you to build confidence in a leader.
– Cris Cardoso, Sao Paulo, Brazil
“When Bona showed us her idea for the conference, it captured my heart—“A conference only for mothers!”
– Anila Qiriazi, Tirana, Albania
“That conference helped me to dream about myself again.”