Wow. Man oh man, I am incredibly blessed & honoured to know all sixteen of you & journey alongside each of you for as long as I have (& will continue to journey with each & every single one of you, no matter where I am in the world this year).
I’ve always said you’re a group of culture changers. You are influencers, shifting your culture & generation. You’re a group of girls who actively pursue the heart of Abba, who actively challenge each other (& myself!), & support & encourage one another throughout all life seasons.
From local impact in each of your spheres of influence (friends, family, school, sport, church), to Broken Hill, Cambodia, Africa, & other countries you have each been too, you inspire me with your humble & servant hearts. Your hearts are incredibly generous & kind, tender & warm, courageous & brave.
Even this coming year, many of you are embarking on travelling to different countries, states, & places, because you each have the fire of the Spirit burning within your hearts & you want to continue to cultivate that & continue to follow the Spirit’s leading. Your passion to pursue & journey to uncover the calling God has placed inside each of you inspires not only me, but a bigger community than each of you may realise.
The giftings on each one of your lives is INSANE. From being intentional with conversations, praying powerfully over people, stepping out in the prophetic, having faith for the unseen, praying for healing & the miraculous, & then seeing people be physically healed, to being open to be a mouthpiece for the Spirit & speaking with power the words Abba has placed inside of you, to having an incredible gift of wisdom & knowledge, to discipling those younger than you…you each have gifts that matter. You each have gifts that are worth being explored & invested into. & you are worth having others journey out with you what it means to walk in these giftings in your lives- to strengthen them & to grow in them.
I know transitions are hard. You’ve faced many of them, especially at youth. & you may feel as though starting the term for youth in two weeks time may feel like another leadership transition. But! Know you’ll have each other. You’ll have Abba (always & forever). You’ll have Stef. & you’ll have me too (obvs not physically, but I’m literally only a country away at the moment, & a Marco Polo or Facetime away too haha). Know you’re not alone, but are surrounded.
You will always have people around you who will want to support, encourage, & walk with you. I will always be here- through the joyful, happy, & laughter-filled moments, as well as the times when it feels as though you are walking through the trenches & low-lights of life. Because, even though you have all been through a whole lot of connect leadership transition, you are worth it. You are worth it to be invested into, individually, & as a group. You are seen. You hold value. & you are treasured in Abba’s eyes.
Each of your potentials for the Kingdom is crazy BIG (I actually tear up at the thought of how big each of your callings are) & you are always worth having older sisters :’) or leaders to look up to in your lives who can walk this journey out with you. Who can journey with you through intentional discipleship, & who will actually stick out this thing called Kingdom life with you through all seasons you may face in life.
Stepping into your senior years of high school may seem scary & challenging. But remember where your focus is throughout this year. What you focus on determines your perspective of situations & it ultimately affects the way you react- physically & emotionally. So, let me ask each of you, where is your current focus? Is it focused on anxious thoughts regarding your work load for school this year? Is it focused on the fear of transitioning of leaders for youth? Is it focused on something else?
I’ve specifically been praying Colossians 3:61-2, 3:12-17, & Phillippians 4:6-8 over each of you gal pals. Praying that your minds for this year will dwell on the treasures & realities of heaven, not on the distractions of the world surrounding you. Praying that your thoughts maintain focus on the things that are authentic & real from Abba, & not fixating your thoughts on any worry or anxiousness. Let your hearts be guided by peace, & clothe yourselves in the goodness of Abba, & Abba promises He will make the answers known to you (Phil. 4.7)
Praying for a year of growth for each of you. Praying for a year of strength, a year of wisdom, & understanding, & maturity, & all the lovely things that make each of your hearts happiest. You all know you can do hard things. Holy guacamole, each of you have already done hard things & have inspired many with your courage & determination to persevere through hard things. Hard things may continue come up this year, & probably will come up this year. Some of you are already facing some super difficult hard situations. But, you are more than conquerors, & each of you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.
I LOVE YOU each a whole lot. & MISS YOU a ton.
Like, a lot a lot.
(insert a typical Em hug for each of you)
– em
Ps, we should all facetime soon & drink coffee over the phone with one another, just like if we were going to a cafe or hanging out at connect :’)
Pps, before I left for Indonesia, I made a podcast with one of my youth girls, talking all things about identity in the Kingdom- check it out here: https://spoti.fi/30ydjfS
UPDATE!
Location: West Java, Indonesia
I am almost 75% funded (US$14,369) for next year! I only have US$4831 left to fundraise!!
Points for those journeying w me in prayer!
: health- I’ve been unwell since we landed in Indonesia. I am almost better, but still under the weather
: unity with my team mates, squad family, & leadership team for this year
: prayer for open hearts, intentional conversations, & friendships to flourish with our friends we are connecting with here in Indonesia (more to come about that soon!)
Ps, one of my super cool team mates is vlogging our Race, & she recently posted a video of our travel day to Indonesia & our first day off. You can check it out here: https://bit.ly/2uaDqxs
