As of A-Squad's 8-month debrief, I am now on my (count it) FOURTH team…
A-Squad at Training Camp, July 2011
If you're a future racer, that may really intimidate you. don't let it. I haven't done research to formulate statistics for the world race, but team changes are a reality…I know of one team that stayed together for the 11 months straight, I know of people on my squad who have been on seven different teams, it's just the nature of the beast that the Lord brings us seasons – even within the season of the world race…
But this past debrief got me thinking.
A-Squad finished out at our ministry sites in Thailand on April 29th and met up in Bangkok. While we were there, I had dinner with a woman I’ve been on a squad with for 8 months and have never broken bread with. It should’ve been awkward, maybe, to go to dinner with someone I didn’t really know…but it wasn’t, it was fantastic, because I’ve been on a team with women who have been on a team with her so I know stories about her – I know what her hobbies are and where she’s traveled before…
And then I realized that I have 34 sisters and 8 brothers that I get to love on THIS year. I get to hear from them, I get to pour into them, I get to learn from them – and these men and women have got a LOT to teach me!
We got on a bus to leave Bangkok in the early morning May heat (seriously, Thailand is like a sauna right now) and I consciously scanned the people on the bus with me, peering at face after face realizing that I know some sort of intimate detail about every single person on my squad. I have a family of 43 people and 12 months ago I had not met a single one of them, now I would fight for any one of them.
Team WALDO at Training Camp, ready to take on the world
When we first got our teams at training camp I remember thinking Team WALDO was going to make it all 11 months…now I know WALDO couldn't have done it since Christian is now squad leading A-Squad and Stephanie and Wes were raised up to team lead. So…WALDO wasn't an 11 month team, I get that.
Team Waldo unknowingly 1 month away from being released as a team.
There are people on my squad who have had 7 different teams…seven. Is that weird? Every squad is different…even within the same squad, every race is different…but why has A-Squad had so many changes?
Answer: Jesus loves us. A lot. A whole lot.
I don’t want any squad that comes after us to miss out on what it really looks like to have between 40 and 60 people – who have different priorities, different thought patterns, different opinions, different habits and lifestyles and tastes in music – to really, truly be united as a squad family.
The Lord forced us into it, sort of. I’ve either been on a team or been partnered for at least 1 month with 27 of my squadmates.
Teams WALDO and Beauty for Ashes in Romania, month 1.
members of 3 different A-Squad teams and a U-Squad team in Moldova, month 2.
members of 4 teams plus 4 squad leaders in India, month 4.
Team Azar Ignited, Tanzania (month 5)
Team Naked – (wo)manistry month team.
The reveal of my current team will have to wait for my next blog…. 🙂
But, the point is:
Even if I’d wanted to stick to my team this year, the Lord wasn’t having that…and I find myself now halfway through month 9 realizing that I am in love with A-Squad…all of A-Squad…and the world will know us by our love for one another.
Race culture has this saying about how each squad’s desire is that their ceiling be the floor for the squads coming after them…I KNOW A-Squad feels that way, so,
squads coming after us and future racers:
Your team may change several times on the race…it may not…either way, intentionally get to know your squad, your whole squad. It will take more effort than you know…but there’s a reason you start and end the race with more people than just your team, God has something for you to learn from every one of them.
Don’t let the ch-ch-ch-changes get you down! The Lord (and everyone who reads my blog) knows that I did, but embrace the change when (if) it comes and love the team you have while you have them knowing that you have them for just a season…even if it is the whole race, how long is 11 months of your life, really?
Let the world know you by your love for one another.
A-Squad in Cambodia, May 2012
Photo by Christy Zbylut
