Today is the first day since training camp that I have been able to just sit and be still and truly process what all happened at training camp. As I am thinking on all of the fun memories and overwhelming moments, I want to share with you about my team and their sweet hearts for missions!
This is my very sweet and very special team for the first few months! Each one of these girls are so great and I can’t wait to share life with them for these next few months!
So, here’s our story!
WR puts a lot of thought, prayer, and time into who they decide to put into a team. It isn’t just a random selection or on a whim decision. They truly want to make sure they put you with people who grow each other, pour into each other, and blend well together. In order to decide this they have each of us take a personality test when we apply that they take into consideration. They also have us do small group activities where they would break us up into a group of 6-8 people and we would have to pay a game together or trust each other to complete a common goal. After the group is finished, we all would sit together with a squad leader and would talk about how we thought it went. The squad leader would ask us questions about what we thought was good or bad and also about if we thought we would make a good fit as a team. Then they took us each separately and asked us more personal questions like who would you like to be on a team with, who would make a good leader that you could follow, who do you think you wouldn’t work well with, etc. We did four or five rounds of this over the span of two days and on the last round I was put with the girls above!
I was instantly filled with joy when I saw this group of girls that were around me. As we worked through the team building exercise i continued to get more and more excited about these girls potentially being in my group. We all worked so well together and through great communication and listening we finished the task in no time at all. After being asked the same questions we had been asked before, we all spoke on who we thought would be a good leader, what our personal struggles would be on this team, how comfortable we would be with these people, and we all went around and spoke encouragement to one another. Throughout this whole activity, everything just clicked and fit together.
We then asked our leaders what they thought of us as a group and we were told that the words that stuck out to them about us were “Strong Foundation”. Later when we found out that we were officially a team two squad leaders prayed over us and they both mentioned words along the lines of “Strong Foundation”. Then they sent us out into the town to bond as a team and choose a team name.
After spending a few hours in the town we all went to eat at a pizza restaurant and discussed what we wanted our team name to be. For all of us those same words “Strong Foundation” really stuck on our hearts. We played around with synonyms for each of those words and finally someone said “how about abounding roots?” and we all almost instantly loved it! I don’t remember if we found this scripture before or after we came up with our name but Colossians 2:7 says:
“Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
After reading this and seeing how perfectly it summed up what we wanted our team to be, it became our “team verse”. And that is how team Abounding Roots was formed!
Each of these girls are so different but we all balance each other out in the best way possible. We each have something to add and take away from this group. We understand that there is no “perfect group” and that we will have struggles and sometimes we will get fed up with each other. We also realize that as a team and family we will be able to get through it and be able to rely on the Lord through any struggle and triumph we come across. I absolutely loved getting to know these girls during those 10 days in Georgia and I miss them so much. Its crazy how after 10 days 40 complete strangers can become family. I can’t wait to begin this new chapter of life with these new sisters!
I want to ask that you continue to pray for me as I begin to say my goodbyes to friends and family for the next few weeks. Although I am excited about this journey God has called me to, it is difficult to leave the comforts of home behind. If you have any questions or comments on this blog, or really anything, please please please comment below or email me at anniegrace1225@gmail.com!
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