About a week ago, I said goodbye to my alumni squad leaders who have been with us for our first 5 months on the field. They have shared wisdom, cast vision for ministry, stirred up excitement, cheered us on, and loved and served the nations alongside C-Squad. They have called out greatness in me, guided and corrected, trained me to lead the squad, and became dear friends along the way. They have taught me so much about serving and leading, about humility and wisdom, and for that I am so grateful.
Jeffery, Alyssa and Beka showed me one of the most beautiful pictures of service and humility their last few days with us. The last 2 days we were in Albania, the alumni and raised up squad leaders took the team leaders and logistics leaders away to a small city called Shkoder for a few days of leadership development training. The alumni leaders had spent the entire month serving right alongside C-Squad doing hard manual labor at the camp – whitewashing, painting, wading through literally tons of pig poop, while still making time to pour into the raised up leaders and focus on training and equipping us, and doing it all with joy and grace and sacrifice and a smile. After all that, no one would blame them for taking a backseat at the leadership development weekend, resting and enjoying their time with all of us, and letting my raised up team completely run the show. I know I certainly wouldn’t have faulted them for that! But because they didn’t, they showed me one of the most tangible pictures of Christ I’ve ever experienced, and made scripture come alive to me in whole new ways. Because they chose to serve us up until the very end, I fell more deeply in love with Jesus.
Every day while in Shkoder, Jeff, Alyssa and Beka cooked wonderful meals for us. While everyone else enjoyed their downtime and gelato runs, they insisted on doing all the grocery shopping, preparing and serving the meals (and these were NOT WR typical meals, mind you.) Everything was delicious and prepared with care and love. But on the last evening with them is when I truly saw their hearts for us and for the Father. After dinner, we were sitting at the hostel together. Jeffery pulled out his bible, Beka and Alyssa brought out a water basin and a towel and Jeffery told us they wanted to wash our feet. I immediately thought “No! They shouldn’t be washing our feet! It’s their last night here. After all they’ve done for us this year, we should be washing theirs!” Then Jeffery began reading from John 13 and Peter voiced my exact thoughts.
“Then Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing now you don’t understand now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’” – John 13:5-8
As many times as I’ve read that passage, it’s never resonated with me like it did in that moment. I felt Peter’s heart for the Savior, after all they’ve been through together and after all Christ had done for him, still not even really realizing the biggest sacrifice that Christ would make for him in a matter of days. I felt his heart that called for a role reversal and I saw more clearly than ever before the heart of he Messiah who gave and gave and gave, even unto death. I rolled this around in my head as they washed the feet of my brothers and sisters before me. When it was my turn, Jeffery washed my feet and Alyssa and Beka spoke truth and encouragement to me. I cried as I heard their heart and felt their love and humility wash over me. I knew in that moment that the situation with Peter and Jesus had to look very similar, with worship and thankfulness and tears and awe and reverence and “I love you’s” all around. After everyone had their feet washed, Jeffery led us in communion. We took the bread and passed the cup and remembered what Jesus Christ had done for us on the cross because that’s what it’s all about! That’s what it was about in that upper room with the disciples and that’s what it’s about for us these 11 months and beyond. Jesus physically washed them that night but the washing He was talking with Peter about was not from dirt, it was from sin. That night Jesus temporarily cleaned His disciples but in a matter of days He would eternally and permanently cleanse them when He hung on the cross in their place, when He defeated hell and seated them above the Fall, and when He forever laid death in His grave.
That night was one of the most tangible worship experiences I’ve had, and it didn’t involve a song or a guitar or crowded church pews. But it was full of beauty, sacrifice, and thankfulness and love. Jeffery, Alyssa and Beka did on their last night what they resolved early on to do their whole time with us – point us to the cross and help us look more like Jesus. For that gift, I am so thankful. JAB, you’re now on to the next grand adventure The Lord has laid out for you and I am so excited to see what He does in and through you three! He will do great things through your service and devotion to His Kingdom and His purposes. Keep close to Him. Continue choosing in to what He has for you. Show grace to those around you. Forgive often. Be bold and risky. Prioritize your relationship with Him. Go deeper. Die to yourselves. Worship Him through your full trust and abandon. Have fun! Be joyful! Memorialize what He’s done and then move forward. Jeff and Alyssa, let your marriage continue to be a shining example of Christ’s love for His Church. Love each other well. Disciple others. Pass on the wisdom you’ve attained. Build relationships in Seattle and Thailand and wherever else He calls and be quick to give a reason for the hope inside you. Breathe in His grace, kneel beneath the cross to receive the Love He pours out on you every single day, and Arise & Go.
I love you guys so much.
Love,
Bre
