‘Firsts’ are sacred. First days of school, first lost tooth, all big moments. Firsts mean there is growth, advancement, and change. Most of the time, a first is followed by a second. This past debrief marked the end of our first world race teams, and we are now on to our second.
The first world race team is a special one. We got our team assignments at training camp, and then had 2 months apart to stock each other on social media, chat, and pray for each other. We then went to launch where we spent time with each other, and took off to Month 1. We were all new to this journey, all walking through the realities of world race life together, and we all chose to fight for each other.
My team, Ahava Chara, was the best team I could have asked for. The 7 of us really did wake up each day and choose each other, we prayed for each other, we encouraged one another, we called each other up into a more Christlike life, and we loved each other. I learned a lot about what makes a healthy community, what it means to choose each other when you don’t feel like it, and what it means to invite others into my walk with the Lord. We built each other up, we worked together well, we laughed a lot, and we danced the nights away.
We fought sometimes, but we learned from it. We compromised, we were open, and we were honest. We brought joyous love to everybody we encountered, and we found joyous love in others. We extended grace, and we accepted forgiveness. We really did become a family, and I will forever be grateful for my avocado family.
Month 5 brings team changes, which we have learned does not mean we loose our first team family, but rather we add more loved ones. We have a new opportunity to take the lessons from our first team into our second team, and this new team has 4 other teams perspectives coming in. We have so many lessons, joys, and celebrations from our first teams that our second teams are already so much more healthy. We are more open, honest, and we choose each other well.
So, Ahava Chara, GOODBYE FOREVER.
Uplift, HELLO, it’s nice to meet you.
