Earlier this summer, back at the end of Malaysia (May- month 5), I was asked to become a squad leader. An opportunity I’d been praying about and trusting the Lord in with open hands was being offered to me. I was invited to step into a new season for the second part of the race, and I accepted with excitement and gratitude.
Following that, I stepped into a month of training with my three other teammates on the River Otters and the alumni squad leaders. I want to give you some updates on what this journey has looked like since training finished at the end of June. Feel free to look back to my blog posted on June 2 called “The River Otters: Squad Leading” for more of my heart in accepting this new role.
Squad Leading has been an adventure that has come with lots of beautiful moments and difficulties as any moment of the race can include. In preparing for a new month, the Otters come together and pray for the squad. We pray for the squad as a whole and for each team. We then read over the set up sheets for the ministry hosts for the upcoming country. We get to read about the visions of the hosts and possible ministry opportunities that each one holds. Following this, we take time individually to pray into where each team could be placed and then come together to talk and make final placements.
Once the teams are placed, we pray and ask the Lord to lead us to which team we each will be with for the month. In the Philippines I was with team TLC, and this month in Argentina I am with team Ohana. During our time with the team, we get to join them in the host’s ministry as well as be there for support to the team. Each week can look different and has been filled with new ways in which the Lord orchestrates community and conversation.
Sometimes the week looks like …
- Checking in with the team leader to learn the ways the Lord is moving in their team
- Talking with teammates one on one
- Offering space and questions to process and reflect
- Praying for people individually
- Encouraging people to use their gifts and follow what the Lord is guiding them in
- Sharing my testimony to the team
- Communicating with the host and team leader
- Sitting with individuals in their pain or sickness
- Getting up out of a tent to scare off the many dogs that won’t be quiet where we are camping (funny story to share another time)
- Playing what are the odds and eating the gross food for the dare anyway just for the fun of it
- Coming to the Lord first for my strength and patience and love and energy
- Leadership calls weekly to check in with our squad mentor, coaches, and Otters – praying for the squad and teams
- Sitting in prayer with the Lord to write each teammate an encouraging note with scripture, songs, and promises of the Lord
- Checking in with treasurers as the Finance Coordinator to answer questions, pray, and encourage them in their roles
- Encouraging and challenging the team in taking time to cast vision with the Lord and strengthen their focus
- Loving God and loving people
It has been a wonderful few months so far! Please pray for my team of Otters – for Mady, Josiah, and Jess. Some of the most loving, thoughtful, dedicated, fearless, and compassionate people I know. It’s a true honor to be apart of a team with them. I love being apart of the church with such an awesome squad of thirty-three. Each person with a beautiful story of the Lord’s heart for redemption, reconciliation, and restoration.
