Tonight Team HULK led the squad in foot washing. It was tacked on to the end of Ellen’s talk about serving out of a willing spirit and it perfectly illustrated the sort of humble love we ought to share with our teammates, squadmates, contacts, neighbors, strangers, and everyone in between.
Jesus washed his disciples’ feet the night before he was put on trial and sentenced to death. The end of Jesus’ ministry was in sight, yet he didn’t give up on his team. He didn’t quit his pursuit of those around him, nor did he focus on himself despite the little time left. He stuck it out with his team, loving them to the very end. Because of his humble service, he was able to come before God and genuinely say, ‘Not my will but yours be done.’
And he didn’t just say it; he followed through.
The end of J Squad’s ministry is in sight. We’ve got three very short, very jumbled months left before me. The parent vision trip is next week, cutting our time in Thailand short, and the following month is “Manistry” (when all the men and women are separated). After that, we’ve got a short month leading up to our final debrief. Time is running out and, if we are not careful, the next three months will slip by in the blink of an eye. But that’s only if we are not careful.
Right now, we are enjoying debrief on the beautiful island of Penang, Malaysia. In the middle of all the challenging talks, much needed worship sessions, and fun adventures, our squad experienced team changes. For some, not much has changed, but for others, it’s a whole new race.
I’m one of those walking into a new season. For the last eight months I have served as Team Leader for two different teams. During the last four months I had the honor and privilege of serving on Team HULK, a powerhouse team of uniquely gifted women. The name HULK stands for Heroines Unleashing the Lord’s Kingdom, and boy did we live up to it. Though we started out unsure of our voices, we have grown exponentially in our ability to share the Lord’s message of truth through a variety of creative means. In the midst of ministry, we strove towards a lifestyle of prayer, worship, and bible study.
I’m not going to hide the fact that we dealt with major conflict. Rarely did we go more than two days without facing difficulties and tension, but we stuck with one another, and in time we found ourselves enjoying life together and facing conflict about once a week rather than every other day. When you’re living with six other women who are emotional due to exhuastion and homestickness, that’s a pretty big deal.
I speak from my heart when I say we truly enjoy spending time with one another and appreciate the challenges we have forced one another into facing. Over the last four months we’ve made a hundred memories together. From singing karaoke in the mall to driving in the rain while crammed in the bed of a truck with a bunch of Africans, from preaching almost every night in Zimbabwe to performing a dance in Malaysia, from having lip sync battles to joining together in worship, this team has done life together, and we have done it well.
At the end of the foot washing ceremony, my teammate Sarah washed my feet and prayed over me. I sat there with love-filled tears streaming hot and fast down my face, realizing that this night was the last time HULK would be serving as a team. Soon I would have to say goodbye to these sisters and instead minister alongside a new family.
I cannot say that I am disappointed to join my new team, neither can I hide my excitement for the season that lies before me, but in the midst of the changes, I am grateful for a night to step back, wash some feet, and be flooded with a love and appreciate for my sisters on Team HULK–a love rooted in Christ.
I am walking away from this team with a storehouse full of the wisdom, confidence, and memories I gained from them. They brought out all the uglies in me, but in the end they pointed me into a greater beauty. No matter how bad the aftermath may have been, they were faithfully there to help pick up the pieces.
So thank you HULK. Thank you for accepting me, pushing me, supporting me, serving me, and loving me so well. Thank you for inspiring me to carefully press into what this next team has for me, even though time is running short. Thank you for proving to me that, despite the painful and exhausting difficulties of community, there lies a profit in sticking it out with those God has given you to love.
I love you.
Team HULK: Alice, Tristiana, Ellen, Margot, Anna, Shannon, Sarah, Deborah
