LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Walking into United Supermarket on 130th and Indiana on a Tuesday morning, the sound of distinct rhythmic clinking can be heard from Mahjong tiles being shuffled across a table.<\/p>\n
But for the local women gathered around it, the centuries-old Chinese game is just the backdrop. The real story is the deep bond, sisterhood, and faith that has formed between them.<\/p>\n
What started as a weekly women\u2019s Bible study has now evolved into a cherished community tradition. Now known affectionately as the \u201cMahj Squad,\u201d the group has grown into a lifeline for its members.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe learned there\u2019s friends for a season, friends for a reason, and friends for life,\u201d said Mahj Squad member Kristi Cole. \u201cSo maybe we just met, but we\u2019re friends for life with all these ladies. It\u2019s just a wonderful group of women.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the women mix the tiles, they share a sense of comfort and support each other through life\u2019s ups and downs. That sense of fun even extends to a unique weekly tradition: handing out small trinkets and souvenirs to whoever wins at the table.<\/p>\n
But the women agree that the real prize is the sisterhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen need women, and it\u2019s good just to get together because not just playing Mahjong, but we help each other,\u201d said member Brenda Wilson. \u201cWe\u2019re very much like sisters. If something\u2019s wrong with someone, everybody\u2019s going through something. And we\u2019re good prayer warriors. We are just really, you know, sisters in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson says the \u2018Mahj Squad\u2019 was nothing short of an answered prayer. What began as a group of women who barely knew each other has transformed into a network of support that they can no longer imagine living without.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod brought us all together to share our experiences, to share our personalities, to be prayer warriors for each other,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cTo help each other go through the hard times, celebrate the great times, and to realize that we\u2019re not alone. We\u2019re all going through something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone sitting at the table brings a completely different story. Cole is a retired teacher, while Wilson is currently battling stage-four cancer. Despite their different backgrounds and personal battles, they unite under this shared, weekly bond.<\/p>\n
For Wilson, the Tuesday gatherings provide a powerful reason to keep pushing forward on her hardest days.<\/p>\n
\u201cInspiring. Gets me out of bed, makes me put on clothes and makeup,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cAnd even on the hard days, I can come in here and be greeted with smiles.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is a sentiment shared by everyone at the table as they look forward to every Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cGives us something to look forward to on Tuesdays to be with the women we love, enjoy a game we play, and spread the love and spread our faith,\u201d Cole said.<\/p>\n
The Mahj Squad is just one of several Mahjong groups rising in popularity across town and the nation, proving that sometimes, a simple game can build a community that lasts a lifetime.<\/p>\n
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