Above: Team Brave Hearts at Launch: Shannon, Me, Kate, Jillian, Rachel and Erin H.
I don’t like change; I never really have. For me change usually meant that something bad was about to happen…but this year is about change…Change is gonna happen.
Our Squad from the very get go has become a family and I can’t imagine going on this trip without any of them, and yet here we are just hours from getting on a plane to South Africa and we are missing one squad member. Life happens, things happen, and at the last minute one of our squad members realized God was telling her that now is not the time, and that she shouldn’t be launching with us today, so this morning moments before we loaded the shuttle bus from the hotel we’d been staying out for launch to go to the airport we were told that she wouldn’t be going. Change…. instead of leaving 36 strong like we’re supposed to we’re only leaving as 35.
But having Bri(Bri if you reading this, You will be missed, you’re in my prayers, and Squad D Loves you) leaving isn’t the only change we’ve had. Normally when a squad launches for the World Race, they have 3 SQL’s (Squad Leaders- men/women who have gone on the race before) but today we only launch with 1. The other two had passport issues, and won’t be able to fly out until Tuesday. While it’s true that, yes they will be joining us out on the field, in just a few days, it’s still more change than we were expecting.
This next year is all about change…month to month, day to day change. I’ve already begun to realize that I’m gonna have to embrace it, accept and allow God to grow me and change me with all this change. This morning I took my last American (USA) shower for 11 months, I ate my last American (USA) fast food Friday (It was Arby’s for those who care) ….I’ve begun to live on a budget provided by AIM for food…(not as hard as you thought, although harder with this set of travel days starting here in the US). I did my last load of guaranteed machine done laundry on Wed. I said goodbye this last week to friends and family.
Change…. Change is good, change is coming, and the biggest change starts now…I’m getting on a plane in about 2.5hours, and as I sit here looking at all my squad mates making final calls, eating airport food, just chilling before we take off for Mozambique by way of South Africa and I can’t wonder how much change we’re all gonna go through, not just the physical, but emotional and spiritual. Change is good, God is Good, and through God we’ve all got this…
“ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-8 ESV)
Key Terms for you to know as I talk through my blog this year:
Team Leaders- Leaders of the smaller teams within the squad
Squad- All 35 of us
SQL- Squad Leaders (First 5 Months, they’re people who have been on the race before to help us get our footing: Kent, Kayla Dawnn, and Jenni…last 6 months they’re the leaders that the other 3 have raised up as leaders).
SQM- Squad Mentor (Beka prayer’s over us, makes sure our spiritual needs are being met, and checking in on us to see how we’re doing spiritually along the way)…
Prayer Request:
– That Kent and Kayla Dawnn get their passports tomorrow so they can fly out on Tuesday and join us on the field as soon as Possible.
– Safe travels this week as we travel to our ministry sites (We should all be at our locations by Tuesday evening).
– For my Grandpa Ken’s health, he will be undergoing 2 s surgery’s in the next few months to remove a tumor from his esophagus area.
– Pray for good health as we go into this and that we all make it through our first month without any major health issues.
Fundraising Update:
I am currently about $2300 from my next deadline at the end of feburary of $13000, and am about $5500 away from being tottaly funded. If you would like to help feel free to click the support me button on this blog and donate (all donations here are tax deductible) or go to paypal and find my email [email protected] and donate there (donations made through paypal are not tax deductible).
