Wow! Our month 4 debrief was stinking amazing and definitely all the feels. You see my entire squad just went through a season change as we left Lebanon, entered Jordan, and went through our first team change of the race. So what exactly does that mean? I have been trying to explain this to friends and family and then it hit me, “Why not just write a blog?”
So during training camp way back in July we received our first teams. Basically my squad of 28 was divided down into smaller groups of about 6 through a great deal of prayer and submission on our leadership’s part.
Meet my first team: Joy Riders
These people so shaped me for the last 4 months! We have been sharing life, community, and ministry together non-stop while simultaneously co-creating a family dynamic in Spain, Morocco, Cyprus, and Lebanon. But with impending squad leadership changes, it was time to switch up teams and raise up leaders from amongst my squad.
So what does that mean?
Essentially my squad of 28 stinking amazing people has been loved and shepherded by 6 alumni leaders in the field for these past few months. This includes 2 alumni team leaders and 4 alumni squad leaders. One of the beauties of the World Race is the very intentional act of discipleship and leadership. These 6 alumni racers have poured so much into my squad as far as wisdom, love, and simply modeling what things like feedback and team time can look like. They were also amazing resources just as far as logistics and all the beautiful chaos that goes into international travel. And I am so sincerely going to miss them when they leave! They were strangers who became mentors and mentors who became friends.
Wait what?
So our alumni leaders pour into us for the first half of the race and then they leave the field and still remain present to us via phone, but start guiding us from a far. This idea of discipleship or parenting is such a reality in life, and on the race it is humbling, a bit frightening, and exciting to take on the rest of the race without them. It in all honestly it feels like the little bird leaving the nest as, my personal ownership and our whole squad’s ownership of our ministry and race just got real.
Anyways, our 2 alumni team leaders just left us after the last debrief and our 4 alumni squad leaders have prepared and officially raised up new squad leaders from amongst our group to fill their roles. Because 4 members of my squad are being trained to walk in new roles, there is an obvious need to restructure and hence the team changes.
Meet my new team: Homegrown & Flourishing
I am beyond humbled and honored to be serving as team leader for my team in this new season. Essentially as a team leader, I get to be a point of communication between my team, leadership, and with hosts. I also get to facilitate team vision and activities like feedback and team times, and I am honored to get to empower and support my team as each one of them is truly so gifted and such a powerful force in the Kingdom.
Here are our 4 lovely alumni squad leaders who are so freely sharing Jesus and tangibly changing lives. We will stinking miss having them in the field and cannot wait to see them again at final debrief in China.
During our debrief, we got to say goodbye to our last teams and get acquainted with our new teams and run through vision for this season while simultaneously grieving the last one. One thing that I so truly loved was on the last night of worship, our squad mentor and coaches washed our alumni squad leaders feet, then the alumni leaders washed the alumni team leaders’ feet, the new raised up squad leaders washed the new team leaders feet, and I as a team leader got to my team members feet. It was just a very beautiful moment of passing the torch and such an incredible way to honor our leaders and in that leaders got to honor our team members.
As a team leader, something I so want to carry and embody is Christ’s servant love and leadership. There is something so powerful about it and mind boggling. Think about Matthew 5:5 and how crazy this concept and is and how amazing is our Lord’s Kingdom!? It is truly an honor and a privilege to be serving in this role and to say the Lord is growing and teaching me so much is truly an understatement.
Prayer Partnership— I would love prayer right now over my squad’s leadership and over our teams as everyone is encountering a great deal of change and new responsibility. Also, prayers over my fundraising. Still going, and God has been so good to me!! I only have about $3,000 more to go until I am fully funded.
Blessings,
Bre
