At the beginning of month 4, we were told that several changes
were going to be made to the Q. As the 4th month arrived, our squad
leaders, Patrick and Tiffany, were tasked with raising up two new squad leaders
from the squad to take over and lead us into the next season of the race on our
own as the Q squad. God pretty much did the brunt of the work, but with a lot
of prayer and wisdom, they asked Andrew and Tricia to step up and lead the
squad. Of course, Tricia was my team leader for the first 3 months and she’s
one of the most incredible leaders I’ve ever had the pleasure of following. I
have complete faith that her and Andrew will lead our squad into so much
greatness and freedom. They both have an amazing calling on their lives and I
was super excited to see Tricia step into the role like a pro.
But with Tricia and Andrew stepping up into squad leader
positions, we all knew that teams were going to change in some way. After
spending several days on pins and needles, trying to let go of all expectations
and place our teams in God’s hands, they announced the new team leaders and the
new teams. I should have trusted more that God was totally in control of
placing teams together! I’ve been put on the team with some of the most
incredible people! They’ve all pretty much been together for the first 3
months, so I was the newbie. J
We decided on a new team name…Tabula Rasa. It’s Latin for “blank
slate.” With everything that this group had been through for the first 3 months…and
even before that…they were ready to move on from things that had been spoken
over them, mistakes that had been made and hurts from years before. The name fit
me perfectly, too. Since I’ve found my voice and begun to walk in complete
freedom, I’ve been made new…clean…without blemish or scar. As I was researching
the name, I found that in years past, scribes would etch into wax tablets. When
they decided to start over or begin a new writing, they would put the wax over
a flame and let it melt until it was smooth again. In so many different ways,
this describes us all perfectly and the path that we’re walking.
So without further ado, here’s the new team…TABULA RASA!!!!
Taylor is our new team leader and ironically, the youngest
in the entire squad, both physically and spiritually…he accepted Christ only 5
weeks before the World Race! But as soon as you talk to him, you realize
quickly that his wisdom and heart for God are so intense. His passion to follow
God in every way and give up those things that used to consume him is
unrelenting. I have so much respect for him in this new position and I’m so
excited to see him walk in leadership. I’m excited that I get to serve on a
team with him and watch as God pours into him. His potential is unbelievable
and I’m stoked that I get to follow his leadership as he steps into that
potential more and more!
Stefan is an incredible guy who’s grown up in the church and
walked in leadership. In fact, he led one of the teams for the first 3 months!
His knowledge and depth of insight into all things God baffles me sometimes. He’s
truly seeking after God and looking for opportunities to empower people by
humbling himself and seeking God for His direction. He’s got a great sense of
humor and although there are sometimes cultural differences…he’s from
Switzerland…and I don’t always get it, he always tries to look for the best in
every situation.
Christina is absolutely beautiful! She’s married to Stefan
and stands by his side in such a Godly way that I’ve rarely ever witnessed
anything like it. She looks for every opportunity to seek God’s heart and the
things that He wants to speak to her. She’s more interested in taking care of
children and showing the love of Christ to those who are less fortunate, than
she is in getting what she wants. Her love for others around her is so pure. I’m
excited to see how God continues to seek her out and speak to her heart. I can’t
wait to see her continue to walk in more and more freedom and life!
Brian is the other new-ish person on the team besides me.
His last team worked every month with this old team and he was able to form
relationships with everyone previously. Throughout the first 3 months, we
walking through a lot of freedom and began to truly believe who he is in
Christ. Being on his team has shown me another testimony of what God can do in
a life when a person is prepared to give it all up in abandonment to His plans
and purposes. His heart is for God and his passion is to see others walk in the
freedom that he’s found in Christ. He’s always ready to give you stories of
life in good ol’ Georgia and he’s super strong willed in his beliefs and
convictions. He’s unswerving and knows the God who he’s devoted his life to.
Amy is simply amazing. She’s my roommate for the next
several months and the only other girl on the team who’s single like me. She
has an unbelievable passion for children and looks for every opportunity to
pour out her love and time with kids. She jumps into ministry with her whole
heart and doesn’t look back. She’s super strong but trusts God with every
weakness in her life…which shows more and more of God’s strength through her.
She loves to laugh, joke around and have fun. She serves God wholeheartedly and
gives her life for the sake of the gospel. I’m sooo excited to see how God
continues to pursue her and pour into her!
Be praying for our new team as we jump into all that God
lays before us. I’m so excited about the opportunity to serve with these 5
people. God is going to work wonders through this team and write new things on
each one of our “blank slate” hearts. I’m honored that I get to be a part of it
and live life with them!
