So training camp was a little over a month ago now, and I am a little less than a month away from launching with my new squad mates! This next year, I will be traveling around America in a big white van with the lovely ladies of F SQUAD! And we have a killer name, too! BLAZE TRAILERS.
Our name is definitely no mistake. I truly meant to write Blaze Trailers. The story behind it, on the other hand, comes from a mistake made by our mentor during training camp. Teresa called us “blaze trailers,” meaning instead to call us “trailblazers.” After all, we will be the second World Race America group but the first officially launch of World Race America with a squad that went through training camp. Many things we will do this year will blaze the trails for the missionaries that will come after us, and we are going in style. At first we chose the name Blaze Trailers as a joke, but then it stuck. It actually is super significant to who we are as a squad. We are a squad who not only makes mistakes but also doesn’t hide them. Instead, we learn from them and repurpose them. God is a God of redemption, and He wants to redeem all of our mistakes as well.
Besides this, we are also a team that is on FIRE for Jesus, and our fire is BLAZING HOT! Gisele (our squad leader for next year) and I even shared a vision during one of the nights of worship. Both of us saw embers of fire that God was spreading around the room. So rest assured, this “mistake” was no mistake. It was intentional from the beginning.
I love my new squad mates. They are truly some of the coolest people I know. I mean just look at these people!
Err… maybe you’ll just have to take my word for it. They really are super cool!
ANYWAY…
By now, most of you probably know that God sometimes speaks to me in very unique and otherwise “weird” ways. Sometimes He asks me to stand for a whole day. Sometimes he tells me to go up to someone and deliver a very difficult “word.” One of my favorite ways that He speaks to me is through visions and COLORS! So now, I will explain a little bit more about how I see my squad mates (in alphabetical order by first name):
Amanda – YELLOW BEAM of light (I saw an image of Amanda kneeling in a beam of yellow light)
- Peace and tranquility in the midst of devotion. WORSHIP in the heart that is fierce, but outwardly it is peaceful and calm. You cannot see exactly what she is experiencing in her heart, but the Lord is ministering to her.
- Scripture that comes to mind:
- “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him” – Matthew 4:11
- Note: every temptation is an opportunity to grow in Holy Spirit power. Don’t let the things around you distract you from the beauty only found in His presence. You seek it and love it because you’ve found that there is nothing like it. All worries MELT AWAY!
Bridget – OLIVE green and brown
- Like an olive branch. The olives are growing. Their purpose is to anoint and call holy what is meant to be holy. SANCTIFY. However, she is not the one who does the sanctifying and “calling.” She’s the tool that the Lord uses. The olives need to continue to grow, and they grow wildly. There is a constant cycle of growth the midst of harvest. HEALING.
- Scripture that comes to mind:
- “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
- You must be rooted in Jesus. He is the lifeline that you have.
Delaney – two shades of PINK (light and dark), in the shape of a box
- PLAYHOUSE. Like a plastic doll house that is able to open and close. When closed, the box is sturdy and durable. Not easily broken, but strength alone is not why she was made. Made to play. This box, when opened, shows it’s original intent for which it was created— fun. Children are drawn in and love to play here.
- Scripture that comes to mind:
- But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 19:14
- You are a safe place, and you don’t push the little children away. You invite them in.
Gisele – green to blue gradient; speckles of silver
- Like the depths of the sea. It is very deep waters, and there is wild growth down there. Gisele is like a deep sea diver who is finding the treasure hidden in the deep; she is chasing after the Kingdom. No fear of unknown because she knows that what she is looking for is worth it.
- Scripture that comes to mind:
- “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:45-46
- You have tasted and seen that the Lord and the Kingdom are good.
Morgan – smooth GREY/SILVER, like silk
- This color flows. It is very graceful. There are many swirls and twists in, adding depth. Very detailed, but there is a also simple beauty found in it. There is no dross in this silver. It is not tainted but is very pure.
- Scripture that comes to mind:
- “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” – Zechariah 13:9
- You have been through the refinement. Now you sparkle and glimmer in purity.
Susan – a small cloud of black smoke, constantly shifting to hide a BRIGHT, WHITE that sparkles
- There is something hidden in here that is very special. It is a light that burns extremely bright, but it is hidden and obscured. There is hurt and pain that tries to keep it hidden, but they FAIL. The darkness shifts to try to keep it contained, but it CAN NOT contain it! Nothing can keep it hidden for long. What God has put inside MUST come out. And it does! It shines through in streams of white light that expel darkness. It grows and grows until it is all you can see. It shines intensely and boldly. UNASHAMED!
- Scripture –
- “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:11
- God has a plan for you that will be made clear. Nothing can hold you back or keep God’s plans for you from coming to fruition. Darkness has no power over you. Walk in this boldness.
I LOVE these colorful ladies. They make me smile and add a lot more spice to my life. I cannot wait to continue to do life with them and learn from all of them! SO much more coming in the next few weeks! I can’t wait to continue to tell you guys about them and all that the Lord does in our kaleidoscope team!
In all things, be blessed!
AG
P.S. – Too often, people tend to look at a color and think one thing or another about it it. Some people think certain colors are “ugly” or “evil” (like brown or black, which honestly breaks my heart a little bit). But the Lord created ALL colors, and He created them for good! Let HIM speak to you about them and reveal His hidden truths, and don’t let others (even me) tell you any different. God will speak and redeem any color for you. It is my prayer that this is used to encourage you and inspire you to think in a new light. Much love, my friends!
