This has been on my heart for a while, but trying to gather all my thoughts correctly has proven a challenge lol. This is for you guys, and I hope you take some encouragement from it:
Back in February someone prophesied over me that God would surround me with a team of like-minded people who had a heart for seeking the lost and the broken. That we would share the fullness of the gospel, not just part of it. They didn’t know I had just started looking into missions, but the way they described our group matches this to a tee. I was in a very broken place back then working through a desert season, so I took that and held onto it. I wanted a community to challenge me and grow with. And so God led me here.
It blows me away just the hearts you all have and what God has called us to do for his kingdom. Getting to know you all has been a hilarious adventure in itself too. “Grandma” Mary hates hugs, not gonna stop us from smothering you with love. Hannah loves her veggie burritos from Chipotle and is a fellow lover of all things Star Wars. Edgy Emma, I’m just gonna start calling you that. Kyla is happy and excited no matter what lol. Brandon is the group prankster with no filter or shame. On an on, but one thing we all share is that heart to make a change and be changed. We all come from different walks of life, but we answered the call. I heard a cool analogy once that described the verse “many are called, but few are chosen.” A guy was moving and in his group of friends he asked around who would be available to help, only a few raised their hands and offered to give up some of their time and labor to help. As they raised their hands he pointed and said “I choose you.” I’m excited and humbled to serve with fellow believers such as yourselves, and as we all of said from the beginning, we are family. Which means there will be moments we clash, but our hearts are still for the same cause.
Recently I think it’s safe to say most of, if not all of us have been feeling the squeeze of time as each deadline approaches. Either that or some degree of spiritual warfare. Training and growth started the moment we began to fill out that application. Satan is doing whatever he can to discourage us and question. Yes, some of us may end up switching routes or not go due to outside circumstances, but we are in this together fighting for something so much bigger than ourselves no matter how much we try to imagine. I can feel it deep down in my gut that God is just going to move in ways we have never seen or expected, and I’m sure you all can sense it too. Even as he uses us together, he is going to do some incredible things in us personally which I have no doubt at times will be frustrating, tiring, and just flat out hard. However the outcome will be one we can embrace with confidence and joy.
Stay the course my friends. Don’t give up, don’t be discouraged. Fight the good fight of faith. Embrace what is before you. For Romans 8:37 says “we are more than conquerors through him.” God gave me this revelation about this verse a while ago: do you know what it means to be more than a conqueror? The victory doesn’t stop when a winner has been declared and the enemy defeated. We share in the spoils together. We rejoice together. We worship together in freedom. Through Christ there is more than just the victory of setting the captives free, but storing up treasures in heaven and getting to see yet another shed their rags and be embraced by our Abba.
We are growing each day even if it doesn’t feel like it. Our bonds are being strengthened. We are warriors in different ways. I pray each day he encourages us in ways that speaks to our hearts and that we stay steadfast. Things will get harder, but we will get stronger. God will come through time and again when we least expect it and how we expect it. It’s ok not knowing. It’s ok not having everything figured out or prepared (That’s probably one of the hardest things for me personally lol). Take comfort in knowing there will always be a hand to pick you up and we all have something to offer one another. We are January N Squad, we are Divergent, we are fighters, we are his children, we are going to make a difference in many ways, and we are deeply loved.
