Wracking my brain only led to disappointment. The days turned into weeks and I still hadn’t introduced my new team. The tighter I closed my fist in determination to write the blog, the more innovation and novelty slipped through my fingers. But God made a way. He sent our freshly acclimated team straight into the heart of Masai land. What better way to introduce a team than by going tribal? Here we are. I hope you fall in love with my new family as quickly as I have.
INTRODUCING TEAM CLAY
(From the Left: Joel Chitwood, Lindsey Hogg, Sarah Diederich, Tomina Slevin, Mel Gibson, Summer Smith, Aaron Darlington)
Let’s start off with Joel. Here he is collecting grasshoppers with the kids. Recently we set up camp in the middle of a safari ant invasion. Here in Kingori we set up camp in grasshopper breeding grounds. Love was in the air. These tiny, green machines of passion were often found in romantic courtship on tent flaps, in mess kits, or on pant legs. God gave us six year-old boys and Joel to keep the population in check. For him, no mountain is too tall; no bush too dense; and no coffee too black.
Below is Lindsey playing with Lina. These two were inseparable. The little Lina attached herself to Lindsey’s hip. ‘Mzungu’ is the Swahili word for ‘White person.’ Lina could often be heard referring to Lindsey as “Mzungu yangu,” which means “My whitey” in Swahili. She cried when we had to leave, and the little girl was sad, too.
Mel Gibson is my team leader, and yes, Mel showed “Passion of the Christ” during our film ministry this week. The kids love her talent with the guitar and her singing voice (and as if that weren’t enough, she plays a mean cowbell). Worship is her native tongue. Mel is a rockstar, and she’s already spoken things into my life that were previously hidden!
Below is Sarah, our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (bad Harry Potter joke). She’s dressed up in traditional Masai garb, and I’m not entirely sure how this photo was taken inside and yet her hair is blowing in the wind. Sarah keeps me fed physically and spiritually, and she has the most hilarious stories about sleeping with cows, riding pigs, and naming goats.
Ah yes, Summer. It is rare to find a time when Summer is NOT laughing. She is the only person I know who can deliver a serious and powerful sermon while laughing the whole time. She and I worked together as team leaders back in the Philippines when our teams joined up, and I joked about her joining my team. PROPHECY?
Finally, below is Tomina and a super cute girl in Kingori. Sometimes I would rile up the kids too much and get myself into a mess when I find myself swarmed with twenty tots who want me to throw them into the air. In moments like these, I could always count on Tomina, with her mad nanny skills, to be my bodyguard/child safety lock.
I am blown away with how quickly our team has bonded. During ministry, we immediately started walking in our respective gifts, complementing and encouraging one another. With God as our rock and foundation, I pray each relationship continues to grow in purity and love. On a personal note, I couldn’t be happier with the ways God is molding our team. We are so thirsty for more and eager to be shaped and reshaped. It seems perfectly befitting; He is the Potter, and we are Team Clay.
