Almost exactly two years ago I was in Tanzania. My squad had just arrived there after spending two months in Eastern Europe. We were in the midst of a 100+ hour travel “day”. On our bus ride across the country I was reading the book Irresistible Revolution with one of my teammates reading over my shoulder. We were crammed into this bus like sardines. We were more than a few hours into this bus ride so the conversation had stopped and most people were trying to sleep it away. I was soaking up the daylight though. I would read for a while then stop and look out the window thinking about just how unique my life was.
I remember one of these moments clear as day. The red dirt of Tanzania was reminding me of my training camp in Georgia. The land was pretty flat except for one rather large piece of rock that stuck out of the earth like it didn’t belong there. As I stared at this rock, a thought crossed my mind. A thought that was the farthest thing from what I wanted in that moment. The thought was in a Voice I recognize, a whisper, a stillness… It was this “Squad leading. D squad 3rd Generation. July 2014.” I wondered aloud to my friend Julie if that was a word for me or for someone else, if it was a possibility, if it was true, that I didn’t want to receive that word. In the midst of my race, in month 6, the farthest thing from my mind was going out again. I needed to focus on finishing my race, I couldn’t even imagine trying to go back out two years in the future. I didn’t think about it much after that, because I didn’t think there was any way that word could be for me. So I went on with my race.
When I got home in December the thought of squad leading was something that felt like a possibility only if Adventures was desperate. Again, I put the thought kind of on the back burner, after all it was still a year and a half away. As time went on at home I felt the urge, the call, the whisper… that my life was about more than what I was doing. I decided to come to Georgia and be in the CGA program for Field Leadership with the hopes to maybe, someday, eventually squad lead. Right before I got here though, I ended up switching to Worship Track instead of being in Field Leadership track. I didn’t really think about squad leading much after that thinking that maybe it was just some crazy tactic the Lord used to get me to move to Georgia. I started making plans for what I would do after CGA was done. One day I was walking through the office and on the announcement screen was a sign that said “Interested in Squad Leading? We are looking for squad leaders for July and September!” Quickly in my head I was brought back to two things. 1) It is almost July 2014. 2) Y, Z, A, B, and C squads launched in January…. which meant D Squad was going to be July 2014. I literally stopped dead in my tracks, remembering that squad leading was what brought me here in the first place. I quickly went through the process in my head of reasons I shouldn’t be a squad leader. I quickly fought off those lies with some truth and asked for an application. It took a few days and lots of courage to submit my application, but I did.
Could it really happen? Could a word that the Lord spoke to me two years ago really happen?
As you know, I am squad leading, in July, and it is 2014.
Last week I was at training camp as a part of the training team for the squad I will be leading. I got to connect with pretty much everyone at least a little bit and I began getting to know the wonderful people on my squad. I already love them so much and I can’t wait to see what God does with them. The best part is that God holds true to His promises and is faithful… The squad I have the privilege of serving is D Squad 3rd Generation!!! I can’t even believe that something that started as a little whisper on a bus in Tanzania two years ago is really happening.
I will tell you about them soon, I just had to share this awesome story about His faithfulness to what He has promised. Here is a picture to hold you over.
Much love,
A
