Many of you will remember my Happy Holidays blog of
broken heartedness at the announcement of team changes. What I have not had
time to tell you yet though, is that God pretty much blessed my socks off with my new team. Each of them are a treasure and when my team was
‘announced’ 2 weeks ago at our Nairobi debrief, I had to double check with a
squad leader to make sure I had heard correctly, I was so excited.
We settled on the name Team Harmony because we are ‘a
musical combination of sounds, pleasing arrangement of parts, lack of conflict,
internal calm.’ Our focus for this team name was on unity, and we believe this team to be harmonious before the Lord. Plus
we have dancers, worshipers, singers, and musicians on our team, so Harmony just fits us well. 🙂
Kris Tippett, Tom and
Casey Kowatch, Tyler Samuelson, Angela Murray, and Garrett McNeil
Kris is one of the most pure hearted people I have ever
met. She is sincere and hilarious and I am so thankful she laughs at my jokes. Tom
and Casey are about the cutest couple I ever did see. (They are our squad’s one
and only married couple.) Tom is a man of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3) and Casey
is spunky and real and delightful. Tyler is one of my best guy friends on the
squad and I am stoked to follow him as my new team leader. I believe in him
immensely. Angela and I joked at training camp about being best friends and
have been waiting the whole race to get some time to make it happen. She has a
huge heart and speaks truth to people. Lastly, you’ll remember Garrett from my
passport fiasco in Nairobi. His heart for Jesus and worship amazes me. Plus, he
is inviting and hilarious and rocks a beard that draws Muslim men in airports
to come over and stroke it. Who wouldn’t consider themselves blessed to be
surrounded by this crew? At our first meeting as a team, someone said that on
this team feedback will not be so much about ‘calling each other out’ as it
will be calling each other ‘in’ to who God has called and created us to be. I
truly believe this and I am stoked to see how God will use us to take each
other higher.
This month of ministry looks a little different from every
other one. Our guys all work together in what they like to call
“man-istry”, doing physical labor and such at an orphanage in
northern Thailand. Us ladies are residing right in the middle of Chiang Mai
city. During the afternoons, half of us will help out at a snazzy little coffee
shop! Girls who have gotten out of prostitution are given opportunities to work
at Wongen Kafe, and we will be right alongside them this month serving up some
lattes! The other half of us will be hanging out at Chiang Mai University,
which is right across the street from the cafe and is home of 35,000 students.
Building relationships is our focus, as we get to know the people of this city
and just show them love.
Kris and Angela at the Wongen Kafe.
At night, we are going to be in the red light
district, also building relationships there with the girls and boys we meet.
Half of us will be staying back to intercede in prayer for those of us who go
out at night. I can’t wait to tell you more about what God is already doing in
and around us.
Welcome to Thailand! Bust out the beanies.
