TEAM AWAKENING!!
After our teams were announced, AIMS staff gave us a couple of hours to go off site in order to bond with our new teams…. Our group was a little nervous at first, everyone had some reservations about how our team was going to work out… We hopped in the car, drove without a destination, and the laughter began to flow and fears began to fade… DeAnna’s car – Big Girl – had a lot of personality that helped break the ice due to it’s alignment issues that caused it to shake from side to side when we approached higher speeds. 
We even had a near death experience that brought us closer together. 
We began to asks questions and we began to get excited.
We ended up at Steak n’ Shake…where we were all so excited to have ‘comfort foods’ that when the waitress asked me what I’d like to drink, I rattled off my whole order, “I’d like a guacamole burger, seasoned fries, a caramel apple milkshake, etc…” My team and I bursted out laughing – we received a lot of funny looks in the restuarant because of our antics and raucous laugther. After our bellies were full, we drove to fulfill our caffeine cravings at Starbucks… we were on an energy/happy high the rest of the day.
During our team bonding, we had to decide on our team name… We were headed back to camp and had yet to come to a decision. So, we just turned on the tunes and jammed, and that’s when it happened. Awake My Soul by Mumford & Sons came on…and all of us tuned in when we heard the lines: “In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die…And where you invest your love, you invest your life…Awake my soul, awake my soul, awake my soul…For you were made to meet your Maker.” They spoke to all of us… and then we turned from secular inspiration and searched within God’s Word and Christian worship music, which led us to Awake My Soul by Christ Tomlin and Awakening by Hillsong United. (Music videos for all three songs are linked down below). Profound songs that resignated within each of us, and spoke to the vision that we had for our team – an AWAKENING of our souls, and to have God use us to awaken the souls of others around the world.
The Bible verse that we stumbled upon that called out the theme of our team’s vision is Psalm 57:7-11
“7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. 10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”
(Our teammate Hilary noticed something neat with the numbers of the Bible passage: 57:7-11 – there are 5 women in a team of 7, and 7 of us will go out to 11 countries/11 months to spread the love of God and sing His praises to the nations.)
TEAM AWAKENING FACTS:
Phrase/Motto: “Where you invest your love, you invest your life; awake my soul.” – Awake My Sould by Mumford & Sons
Secular Song: Awake My Soul by Mumford & Sons
Christian Worship Song: Awakening by Hillsong United
Bible Verse: Psalm 57:7-11
Mascot: To be determined… 🙂
“In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die…
And where you invest your love, you invest your life…
Awake my soul, awake my soul, awake my soul…
For you were made to meet your Maker.”
~ Awake My Soul, Mumford & Sons
“Breathe on me, breath of God, breathe on me…
I come alive, I’m alive when you breathe on me I come alive, I’m alive when you breathe on me…
Awake, awake, awake my soul, God resurrect these bones From death to life, through You alone Awake my soul…
Speak to me, speak to me, word of God, speak to me…
I come alive, I’m alive when you speak to me; I come alive, I’m alive when you speak to me…
Awake, awake, awake my soul, God resurrect these bones From death to life, through You alone Awake my soul…”
~ Awake My Soul, Christ Tomlin & Lecrae
“Holy Spirit we desire awakening…
For You and You alone awake my soul, awake my soul and sing. For the world You love Your will be done, let Your will be done in me…
In Your presence, in Your power awakening For this moment, for this hour awakening…
Like the rising sun that shines, from the darkness comes a light; I hear Your voice say this is my awakening..”
~ Awakening, Hillsong United
We were in two places at once…and in our time of bonding I believe we crossed three state lines – Tennessee, North Carolina, & Georgia.
