There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven…
Daniel Snyder. A man called and anointed by God. A man with a strong prophetic gift who operates in such love for this squad. I have seen him broken and shattered into pieces out of love for this group. He has encouraged, promoted, and strengthened those around him. He has the respect and admiration of 42. There was no doubt in our minds when God was calling him to this. He fights for his teammates. He is a protector. He is an offensive weapon in the Kingdom. He desires to know God more deeply and to live out a life of reckless abandon for him. He is plain and simple, a stud.
Brandy Chaffer. A woman called and anointed by God. A woman who sacrifices herself for the greatness of others. I spent one month with her in Romania and it became quite evident that she would be the one destined to lead this squad through the Race once we were gone. She has a strong gift of discernment and exhortation. She empowers those around her to walk in their gifts. She knows and feels the hurts and the joys of her teammates. She speaks with such authority and has merited the love and respect of 42. They follow her. She longs for everything that God will give her. She is a comforter. She pushes those around her toward greatness. She is a godly woman.
~Ecclesiastes 3:1
The time has come for God to do something new with this squad. Over the past few months, it has been a tremendous blessing to lead this group alongside Caroline. I cannot explain the immense joy that I experience from dwelling amongst a group that so desperately seeks to know the heart of God. They are the body of Christ. Together we have seen and experienced so much…
With them, I have laughed and I have cried. I have mourned with those who have lost, and I have danced joyously with those who’ve been set free. We have built together and we have broken down. We have scattered among the nations and we have come together. I have experienced loneliness and I have felt unity. I have learned so much from being out here. I have learned how to live, breathe, and move as one.
This J-squad (the Jesus squad) is a radical group of believers who actually believe that there is a living God active in their lives today. They will be part of the generation that sees his Kingdom come to all the ends of the earth and they will settle for nothing less. I am so thankful that I have caught a glimpse of their lives over these three months. I know that this is just the beginning of what God has in store for them.
We’ve reached a crucial point of the journey. With only one month remaining for me and Caroline on the field, we had to make some decisions concerning the leadership of this squad. Through seeking the Lord and after much prayer, God has raised up two individuals to lead the J-squad. They are Dan and Brandy.
Daniel Snyder. A man called and anointed by God. A man with a strong prophetic gift who operates in such love for this squad. I have seen him broken and shattered into pieces out of love for this group. He has encouraged, promoted, and strengthened those around him. He has the respect and admiration of 42. There was no doubt in our minds when God was calling him to this. He fights for his teammates. He is a protector. He is an offensive weapon in the Kingdom. He desires to know God more deeply and to live out a life of reckless abandon for him. He is plain and simple, a stud.
Brandy Chaffer. A woman called and anointed by God. A woman who sacrifices herself for the greatness of others. I spent one month with her in Romania and it became quite evident that she would be the one destined to lead this squad through the Race once we were gone. She has a strong gift of discernment and exhortation. She empowers those around her to walk in their gifts. She knows and feels the hurts and the joys of her teammates. She speaks with such authority and has merited the love and respect of 42. They follow her. She longs for everything that God will give her. She is a comforter. She pushes those around her toward greatness. She is a godly woman.
As this time has come for Dan and Brandy to lead, so also has the time come for Caroline and I to step out of the role. Dan and Brandy (or Dandy) are fully empowered to lead this squad on to greater and brighter things. They will be the ones to foster an environment where health and healing break out in greater ways than before. They will propel the squad to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth and to see multitudes come to know our Lord. They will minister to the brokenhearted and will set the captives free in Jesus name. I think of what it has meant to be a leader and I realize that it comes down to this: promote others to do even greater things than what you’ve done and to go further and deeper than what you did. That is my desire for these two. That they would be even greater.
With these changes, we also made some decisions concerning the teams. We value squad health as well as team health and at the end of the day we had to operate out of a place of greater love for them. So we moved some people around after again seeking out the Lord and during the two days in which the changes were revealed, I saw the squad come together in greater unity than ever before. There was a realization that we are in this together and that we are one body. It’s amazing to see God move in powerful ways!
And now, as I gaze out into the desert that my forefathers walked through to reach the Promised Land, I am reminded that God is faithful. I am reminded of how he led the Israelites. In what could have been a confusing and frustrating time for our squad, he has brought us closer together and closer to him. He has set us up to reach our destination. We will not be wanderers without direction. Our path is clear and straight. Instead, we will look back at the desert only to celebrate the victory and we will look forward to the place where he is taking us. This month, my last month with the J-squad, will be one that I will never forget. I will not forget what he has done in each of our lives.
Please pray for all of our squad. Cover Dan and Brandy with your love and prayers. Pray for Caroline and I as we transition into the next phase of our journeys.
