I met Hannah at a park in Florida. We had an WorldRace Alumni get together and she came. A month later she jumped on the van and was surprised when our first dinner together was at Outback – provided for us by another team members parents!
She is tall and lanky and has this habit of popping her shoulder joint.
She says, people take her for a 12 year old – I think it’s because she has these big curious kid eyes and this small innocent face.
But watch out if Hannah has her mind set on anything! One time she sat me down to resolve conflict she felt was between us.
hhkkkhhkhh – she swallowed and tucked her chin, “Im stubborn and you’re stubborn,” she started. Then she very maturely tackled the points she had thought and prayed through.
Hannah is not afraid to laugh hysterically, or sit across from you and tell you that she thinks you’re failing at things you’ve stated are your goals.
She is also not quick to speak, but takes every opportunity to interrogate reality and pray about it before she brings it to the team.
She is a fiery, spit swallowing, syllable dropping, hoarse whispering prayer warrior.
Her head down, her hair falling around her face like a weeping willow, her long fingered hand on your knee, and her toes curled up under her feet, she prays fervently with passion and a depth that are unexpected.
She is quick to apologize when she hasn’t done anything to be sorry about, and slow to apologize when you’ve made it clear you don’t care either (stubbornness). She is a foodie for sure and will finish anyones food when she knows you’re going to throw it out.
Everything that freaks her out (aka delights her) makes her squeal and exclaim, “This is my love language!” in the most dramatic way possible.
But her real love language is any chocolate exceeding 90% cocoa.
She makes a great ministry work partner, tvshow watching companion, music gushing conversationalist, tv celebrity critic and is more often than not more passionate about their life choices than a tabloid.
Even though she is one of the youngest ones here she fits with us as if she was one of our own aged people.
Sometimes she is so jocular, goofy, and silly to the point of her stalking people while they’re showering – and that is how we maintain a balance with not being too serious while we fight spiritual warfare and personal weaknesses.
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A few days ago I sat down and Dosson shared with me what the Lord had been teaching him.
About how we have to carefully look at what the Lord has called us into, and under the umbrella of our leadership choose how to personally fight for the right and against the wrong that is in our own lives.
He was much more eloquent but the point was that we cannot depend on others to define our fight, and if we do – and when we are struggling with how to accomplish that, we are losing because it has not been personalized nor owned for who we are and where we are and how we are. Therefore it is not relevant and pertinent to our space and our spirit and our situation.
He shared about how when God gives us an opportunity to face and overcome something that if we don’t choose to fight and have victory – but instead avoid it, that we will always be in a place of facing like people or situations never knowing how to overcome.
But if we face it the first time and face it through we will come again to like circumstances with a platform, a foundation with how to conquer and we will not live with fear, or uncertainty and anxiety – but will live with courage and with love for others.
It has been interesting moving from place to place to place without much rooted time. It has allowed a much greater awareness of the spiritual environments we enter.
Currently we are in Ridgecrest CA working alongside a WorldRace alumni and a former WorldRace host from Ukraine. They work with the youth in a Christian Sports Club called FCA, and do anti trafficking work here.
When we got here our team immediately started experiencing extreme frustration with no apparent cause. When one of the team spoke it out, suddenly a huge burden lifted – and come to find out there is a lot of anger and competition here in the church.
Please be praying for the believers here in Ridgecrest!
Tonight we will be leading a worship prayer service and we want God to use us to shift the atmosphere! The Church here needs revival! They need unity! They need humility and forgiveness!
On my own team there has been many moments of conflict and resolution. By the grace of God we are making our way in this journey, learning to love each other well, and from that place of overflow love others well.
Humbling myself and owning up to my parts of problems – being responsible for my pride – is so hard.
But if we cannot apologize, if we cannot be restoration initiators – how will people ever see our love for each other? How will they witness God’s love?
If the Spirit of God is speaking to them – what will our lives confirm or deny?
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:16
His Spirit testifies with ours – will ours testify with His to others?
