Last month at training camp (TC), I met my World Race family for the next 11 months. Our large group of 59 racers, along with 2 leaders, is known as the I Squad. We will travel together monthly to each country and have debrief time together every other month or so. Our squad is amazing! We have men and women from various backgrounds and experiences, but all with a story woven together by God that has brought us together for the purpose of taking Love to the nations. I was so encouraged by the immediate acceptance and comraderie that bonded us together as a squad. When you know you are in partnership with a sold out, commom purpose there is joy and empowerment. It's an awesome feeling!
My specific group that I will be doing life with each day is called my team. Toward the end of TC week, we were given our teams and asked to come up with a name. My team, made up of 2 men and 5 women, talked about our team name, discussed some options, but had trouble deciding on something. As we were brainstorming, I closed my eyes and asked God to give me a picture or a word that would indicate a representative name for our team that is unique and meaningful. I kept getting the word "banner" with a picture of us walking together with a banner from God floating over us. In my mind, this banner declared love and peace and showed the people we will meet our purpose. I shared that with my team, and others has gotten some similar ideas. We decided to look at scriputre and see how this word is used in the Word. We found two verses using the Hebrew form of the word "banner" (also translated as "standard").
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: "The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family."
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
These two verses proved significant to us, as we anticipate tenting as a family and taking God's love to unknown people over the next year. We want to be known by our love of the God we trust. As we discussed it more, we decided it would be cool to look up the orginal word in Hebrew. We found the word to be "degel" (click here for pronunciation: http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/degel.html).
I found two other verses that resonated with this team name:
shout to them;
beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
Ceena Idicula, Sara Hernandez, and Chelsea Dana)
Launch is only 10 days away! I fly to Chicago on September 4 for some financial training to be the team treasurer, and then our entire squad will be reunited on September 5. We will fly out from Chicago to our first destination, Zimbabwe or Botswana. I don't know where Team Degel is headed first, but I'll be sure to post when I find out!
P.S. Ceena, a beautiful, gentle, talented, and brilliant member of Team Degel, found this song that is absolutely perfect for our team! It describes our heart as a team and the unity of purpose as we embark on the World Race.
