Dear Team Decided,
I can’t count the number of times we’ve been told that we are a team of strong, powerful women. And I can’t say that’s not true.
You have taught me so much these past four months. And you have loved me so well.
Thank you for being strong when I was weak. Thank you for pretty literally dragging me across South Africa when I was feverish and low key drooling on my airporter. Thank you for teaching me about gentleness. Thank you for always buying me popcorn, for letting me take candid and not-so-candid photos of you, for pointing out Christ in me without ever apologizing for it.
Thank you for being a team worth missing. You are fierce women, yes, but fierce servants all the more. And I believe God sees that. He looks to the heart. And as strong and built as we got by running in the African sun and holding planks on roach-ridden tile floors, it’s nothing compared to the ways our hearts were strengthened these last few months.
Kasey, with open hands you step into salvation and submission. He speaks to you so often, and I love hearing you relay the message.
Angie, you are sure of salvation, sure of scripture, sure of self. And you don’t let anyone take that away from you.
Elsie, you’ve shown me that tender can be strong, and what it means to carry the authority of Christ.
Katie, you see those who feel unseen. You seek the one, and leave the 99. And you do it every single time.
Alexa, you defy expectations. When disaster strikes, you blossom out of the fault lines.
Today we came together, and then we disassembled, and then we reassembled, and then we—and our 25 squadmates—reconfigured, and the ladies of Team Decided ended up divided. We went to separate circles as our new teams were announced.
But you will always be my first team. You will always be the sisters I launched with. New beginnings, new memories, new lessons will come, but they don’t erase the old.
Thank you for deciding to love me, for pushing me to my limits and ever closer to Jesus.
Mantha
