Yesterday, me and three teammates were blindfolded, stuffed in the back of cars, driven out and abandoned in the Albanian countryside.
Need some explanation? Let me rewind a bit.
For the first 5 months of our ministry on the field, WR Squads have alumni squad leaders with them – incredible and selfless and loving people who have already done the race that offer guidance, shine light on areas that need growth, pour into and guide team leaders so they can lead their teams better, and make logistical and spiritual decisions for the squad. C-Squad has been blessed to have had Jeffery and Alyssa Peck, an incredible young married couple who have loved us and loved each other radically, and taught us how to not only thrive on the Race but have equipped us to thrive back home in relationships and in whatever Kingdom-building assignment The Lord has for us next, as well as Beka Hardy, a driven, passionate and wise warrior for Christ who has taught us to burn with love for Jesus Christ and follow His calling wherever He leads. These 3 have meant so much to our squad and myself personally on this journey.
A big role of alumni squad leaders is to seek The Lord while on the field and serving with us to see who He’ll have them raise up as Squad Leaders when they leave. Raised Up Squad Leaders are announced at Month 4 Debrief and spend Month 5 in training with the Alum SQLs before they take over. After months of prayerful consideration and intense seeking by our Alum Squad Leaders, Squad Mentor, and Squad Coaches, they invited 4 people on my squad to prayerfully consider filling the position, and I was one of them.
Let me start by saying that I remember them talking about the role of Squad Leaders at training camp but I didn’t pay a ton of attention because I NEVER thought I would be stepping into that. Heck, I prayed against team leading before I knew The Lord was calling me into that role. The Lord changed my heart on that and I loved leading my team for the first 3 months of the Race. But when Jeffery called me at the end of March in El Salvador and told me that they were asking me to step down from leadership for a season of rest, I was content in that as well and excited to be able to lean in and experience the Race without responsibility. I had an incredible month in Albania resting under my dear friend Rita’s leadership. Many people on my squad have spoken over me that they could see me squad leading but I fought it tooth and nail. I know how important SQLs are and they are an absolutely essential piece of the squads experience. But THAT WAS NOT FOR ME. That’s not the Race I expected. That’s not what I had mapped out in my head. That would be way too hard for me. I could never do that. I came on the Race to minister to the nations and THAT’S IT. I never signed up for serving and leading a squad of 41 passionate, strong, and driven servants of Jesus. That’s not my Race. That’s not for me. Thanks, but no thanks.
Well. Here I am, stepping into exactly what I never thought I could ever step into. The Lord has called me into the unknown, into the unexpected, into uncharted waters. Frankly, there are times that I don’t know what in the world He was thinking. But I’m so excited because He has put me into a position where I literally can’t do it without Him – where every morning I cry out in dependence on Him and humbly say, “Jesus, I won’t move without you.” As terrifying as that can be, I know it’s exactly where He wants me, and not only will He be with me every step of the way, He’s given me 3 absolutely incredible new teammates who will be serving C-Squad as leaders alongside me.
Rita and I have been on the same team the whole Race so far – starting with Dubs, then Team RAD – and I have been blessed with 4 months worth of doing life with an absolutely incredible servant of The Lord. Rita leads beautifully because she serves humbly. She loves those around her so well, and she has such unique gifts to bring to the squad. She obeys the Lord’s calling, prays radical prayers for increased boldness, and walks confidently into the opportunities The Lord gives her to fulfill those prayers. She is a loyal friend, fun companion, and has a wicked awesome dance face. I am so blessed to be on her team for the full 11 months!
Daniel is an awesome man of God and I knew from training camp that he’d do great things on our squad. He is a natural leader with a passion for the Kingdom and for missions. His confidence that stems from the strength of The Lord in him makes him trustworthy and reliable. He is a natural encourager and connects with people so well. His sense of humor draws people to him and he often has a crowd of people around him laughing (usually with him… sometimes at him). He is a mighty warrior – one that others would follow into battle. He’s always on top of things, a joy to be around, and he rocks some woman jorts. So pumped to serve with this guy!
Matthew aka Matteo is one of the most genuine, kind and humble people I’ve ever met. Matthew came to training camp a member of another squad, but The Lord had other plans for him and he was put on C-Squad the first night. I’m so glad he was because our squad wouldn’t be the same without him. He is an incredible encourager and he knows how to call out greatness in people. He is compassionate and caring and his heart for people is so evident. No one has trouble talking to him because they know he’s one that will bring them before The Lord and fight for them. He sings along with Johnny Cash and the Backstreet Boys, will surprise you with his dance moves and He will do such great things for the kingdom and this squad in this season.
This is my new team – my brothers and sister that will be my family and support for the next 7 months. They are truly incredible, gifted, and strong individuals and I am honored to be counted among them. The Lord has called us into a season of dependence, of growth and of limitless opportunities to be used by Him in mighty ways. I love my new team and I’m so excited to spend next month training with them and my alumni squad leaders.
Which brings us to my adventure yesterday.
Unbeknown to us, for a training exercise, our leadership blindfolded us in the morning, put us into two taxis outside the hostel, and rode with us for about half an hour into the Albanian countryside. They then pulled us out of the car, put money in Rita’s pocket and instructions in
Daniel’s and told us to wait 60 seconds before we took off our blindfolds. We were shocked to find ourselves standing in the rain in the middle of nowhere with several small groups of local people staring at us curiously. Standing there under Daniels umbrella at 9:30 AM began our long journey back to the city (about 10 miles out) with tasks to do along the way like blindfolding teammates for an hour at a time and leading them around, praying on a park bench for our squad, giving each other piggyback rides, swapping stories at lunch, making a music video in the park, praying for homeless people we met, leading an insanity-style aerobics class in the park, making a human pyramid with two local people, riding bumper cars and flipping on trampolines and much more. Was it ridiculously crazy? Yes. Was it easily one of my favorite days on the Race so far? Absolutely yes. I learned a lot about trust, leadership, vulnerability and boldness and I had a blast with my new team while doing it, even when dripping wet and walking 10 miles with soggy feet (now that’s saying something). We will spend the remainder of this month doing more practical training and shadowing before our alums leave us in June.
My team is incredible and I am blessed to travel into these uncharted waters with them. Jesus is calling us out in faith and even though it’s terrifying, I can’t wait to see Him show Himself faithful over and over again. Your prayers over this new leadership team would be absolutely invaluable. Thank you for laying us before The Lord as we walk humbly as He’s called us.
I appreciate you, friends!
In His Wild Steps,
Bre
