The last five months, I have been under the leadership of two of the most genuine and God-fearing people I have ever met. For the first five months of the World Race, each squad is led by two or three alumni squad leaders.
Our squad leaders were James and LeAnn.
James is adventure-driven, full of depth, and always seeks truth. He has taught me to fight to show love to others and the importance of the Father’s love for us. 1010 FIERCE had the amazing privilege of having James join our team for the first two weeks in the Dominican Republic. Having him with us as we began the World Race shaped how we united as a team and set the atmosphere to always choose each other even when it is the last thing you want to do. James and I can quote movies and Sponge Bob all day, he never fails to make me laugh. In the short months of knowing him, James has become a close friend and a true brother in Christ.
I remember having the worst second thoughts at training camp right after I was asked to take the role as a Team Leader. I didn’t think I was equipped to lead a team where half of them were almost 10 years older than me. I expressed my worries and fears to James before I made my final decision and I was shocked with how he responded. He told me, “I know you might not feel equipped for this, but I believe in you. And so do LeAnn and Grace. We know that you are capable of leading your team into greatness.”
They didn’t even know me… yet he and LeAnn both believed in me.
After our first month in the Dominican Republic, we had a week of rest, sessions, and debriefs with our leadership team and squad coaches. I had a one-on-one with LeAnn that honestly shaped a majority of the World Race for me so far. We were talking and she began opening up to me about some things she was wrestling with and she told me I was a very safe person.
Me? Safe?
She spoke so much life into me and my true identity in Christ. During this one-on-one, I felt like the Lord was using LeAnn to speak directly to me. That is something that I truly admire about her, she is discerning and knows the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Then she acts on it.
LeAnn is a bold warrior for the Kingdom of God. She is an activator and knows how to empower others to step up and take action. I will always cherish the moments we shared in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa serving at the ministry Beats and Books. Watching her excitement to teach kids how to play music sparked my passion for teaching others to pursue their dreams. She is an inspiration to everyone she meets and has loved our squad in a heavenly way.
I am going to miss James and LeAnn so much. They always pointed me back to the Father and empowered me to step into trying new things as a leader. I am going to miss the random memories and laughs we shared. Like when James cheered me on in the DR when I was man-handling a pickaxe in a drainage ditch. And when LeAnn had to pull me out of a car in South Africa like a rag-doll. We laughed, we cried, and they always called me higher.
Thanks, James and LeAnn, for believing in me and for showing me more of who Christ is. You both have changed my life forever.
What I’ve been reading lately :
Goliath Must Fall by Louie Giglio
