Training Camp comes to a close….teams are announced. Excitement explodes in the crowded room of missionaries to be….Ali Page, Melanie Barber, Amy Mcallister, Sara Ellis, Natalie Montgomary!
Our team, our family, our community. These are the amazing people that make up team 5 Alive and I will get a full 11 months with these women!
As we were released in our teams for the first time we were asked to return 2 hours later with our team names and to go create our first memory. In my head my thoughts exclaimed, “A first memory….kind of like a precious moment?” We decided “Team Precious” was not fitting. (Don’t ask me why I thought that or where it came from!)
After driving to the closest “coffee shop” to camp in Gainesville, we had some fun at a thrift store. We made some memories laughing and enjoying each others company for the first time as an official World Race July ’08 Team. Us 5 girls cleared our heads after some fun and went to sit down and get serious about naming our team.
We started to read 1 Peter 2:4-5 (we looked up “precious” in a concordance, this verse had been underlined in my Bible)…..
“As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him- you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy preisthood offereing spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
After much discussion and creative thought processes to decide on the perfect name…(precious stones, gems, living stones) I believe Natalie shouted out, “5 Alive!” It sounded great to the ear and there are 5 of us who are more alive in Jesus than we ever have been, after a transforming week of training. Plus David chose 5 smooth stones to use as his weapon against Goliath. (see 1 Sam 17:40) We are 5 women which God will use in a powerful way to defy evil and to glorify His name!!!
WE ARE 5 ALIVE
P.S. Five Alive is a line of fruit juice blends created by Minute Made. The name refers to the five fruit juices each variety contains. Five Alive’s slogan is currently “Feel Alive!” Okay but my team….we dont just feel alive, WE ARE ALIVE. And my God is not just about feelings, He is about being.
