Ready, Set, Go —–>
I’M STAYING THE FULL 11 MONTHS ON THE FIELD AS A WORLD RACE SQUAD LEADER!!
It was a Monday night in Alba Iulia, Romania. My leadership team and I were out to dinner at this hole in the wall steak house. In casual conversation, Teresa (our squad mentor*) asked my co-leaders (Julie, Davante) and I, “What do you think the best situation for the World Race leadership team would be? In a dream world, what would be most effective to better disciple, guide, and engage with the squad?”
At that point we began discussing how it would be awesome if the coaches** came and out to the field for weeks or maybe even a month at a time.
We mentioned how it would be incredible if the Squad Leaders*** stayed another month or two. Because in just five short months we are not able to spend time and invest with all seven teams, which is truly disappointing.
We started to discuss a plethora of benefits to the squad leaders staying longer – deepening relationships, longevity in discipleship, continuity of care, walking alongside people through all the hardships that come with the journey of abandonment on the race, and just being better able to serve the squad as a whole.
Teresa squad led in 2015, and she too stayed for the full 11 months. She expressed to us how much she loved it and all that she learned through that experience. She shared how incredible it was to see people at the start of the race and then to be able to cross the finish line with a completely transformed and renewed person.
Upon hearing this Julie asked, “why couldn’t we stay for the full 11 months?”
**crickets
We began to look at each other, eyes lit up, and reality hit that it was actually a possibility. After our dinner conversation, Teresa e-mailed our overseer on our leadership team to see if he was “open to it” and she encouraged us to pray about it.
I was the most hesitant. Sure, I entertained the thought of an additional six months tacked onto the original five at the dinner table, but then I decided the next day that it was not for me. After all – I signed up for five months, I packed for five months, I brought contacts for five months, and I even had a dentist appointment scheduled at the end of five months. Five months was the plan.
By Tuesday we found out we had the green light and were just waiting for the Lord to individually give us a yes or no.
In true ‘God form’, He gently let me know that staying for the entire eleven months was indeed for me.
As I fasted and prayed over this decision, I experienced so many emotions:
Excitement. God, it would be so incredible to see this squad and the transformation in them through your Holy Spirit from start to finish. Fear. God, I would have to fundraise even more money. Sadness. But Lord, this means another full 11 months away from home. Away from family. Away from friends.
As I laid emotions and my desires aside, I boldly approached and dangerously surrendered my will to God – asking Him to show me His.
On Thursday night, Julie, Davante, and I all sat in the hammocks outside our house in Romania and began to laugh, cry, and rejoice together as we shared that we all felt the Lord was saying, YES!
In the eleven years the World Race has been sending people onto the missions field, never once has a whole trio of Alumni Squad Leaders felt called to stay out on the field for another 11 months!
We are the first.
The Lord is doing a new thing in us.
He continues to grow me more and more everyday!
I have never had to depend on Him as much in my life as I am in this season.
I am ministering daily to 41 people of X-squad.
I’m speaking life into them, walking through past hurts that have defined their lives until now. We are breaking the chains off and stepping into freedom together through Christ.
I am listening to the Lord daily for what He has to share with them, how He wants me to Shepard and disciple them, and how I can best serve them as their leader and a representation of Christ.
It’s still hasn’t quite sunk in that I GET to be here.
Abba called, and I answered. This is abundant life
It has been an incredible journey that has only just begun.
God is truly doing a new thing in me daily here and a new thing in every person on X-squad.
From baptisms to shattering the boxes we put Him in, He is in it all and we are in awe of His goodness and mercies!
Thank you Jesus for choosing me to serve you in this way.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
*Squad Mentors have not only finished their own race, they’ve also squad led before, and are truly some of the most incredible people you’ve ever met. Teresa, our Squad Mentor has been living as an Evangelist, radically proclaiming Jesus’s name to 47 nations. She felt the call many years ago that God wanted her to go to all the nations and share Him with all she meets. This woman is a force to be reckoned with. She sees every person through the eyes of Christ and actively walks in a heavenly mindset, sharing Jesus’s love with all she meets and telling all of what He’s done for her. It is an honor to follow her leadership.
**Squad Coaches are a vital part of our leadership team. They are a married couple that has given their lives to ministering to people in Jesus name. They are able to offer insight and perspective that can only come from years of pursuing the heart of the Father. Our coaches, Tanya and Kevin began their journey as coaches after their daughter went on the World Race’s Gap Year (a 9 month trip for 18-20 year olds). X-squad is the second squad they have invested into. They will come out to visit us at multiple debriefs and pour into the squad. We talk with them weekly about what’s happening on the field and they spend many of their hours in prayer and interceding for us. I have been blown away by their incredible leadership.
***Squad leaders – that’s us! We are the on-field World Race leadership that travels and lives with world racers (typically two-three teams per month). We have completed the World Race, and we lead by example in and out of ministry time. We teach, we serve alongside, we mentor, and we make disciples in our squad. X Squad is being set free and in turn they are setting people free through the power of the Holy Spirit!
