When we changed continental areas from Asia to Africa, we also went through team changes. About 4 months into the Race, AIM (Adventures In Missions) shuffles who is on which team (groups of 6-7 people) within the squad (all 36 of us who are on the same Race/route) so that we can be poured into by different people and simply grow more. At the beginning of February, we had our team changes. It has been a big, but good, change that has required some adjusting. The Race is about the ministries we are working with, but it is equally, if not more so, about the people you are with who are pushing you to be more like Christ. Through the change, I have tried to stay present with my last team to finish well and present with my new team so that we start well. Being present meant that I did not blog as much which is why you haven’t seen a lot from me. Changing teams has required somewhat of a paradigm shift in what I think the Race looks like because it involves a few different faces than the last four months.
Without further ado, let me introduce you to Team Clutch!
From left to right, Myself, Crysahna Suarez, Allyson (Ally) Buttshaw, Kara Faber, Meagan Dooney, and Hannah Erickson!
All of them are amazing women who I have connected to during our times as a whole squad over the past 4 months. They push me and hold me accountable to becoming more like Christ. Please feel free to look at their blogs and get to know them. They are remarkable women of God!
You may be wondering about our team name, Clutch. Picking a name for ourselves is one of the first things we do as a team. As we talked, we realized that we bring a lot of talents to the table that will be very helpful in a pinch. My generation refers to these last minute saves as ‘coming in clutch.’ We also discussed how we want to engage and continue moving forward with greater and greater speed. The key is we want to do it well and not get burnt out. This means balancing rest and activity, spending time with God and with others, and many more things. If you have ever driven a manual car, you know that to shift gears and go faster you have to do the balancing act of gas and clutch. It takes practice, and when done wrong, you can stall out the car and bring it to a stop. However, when done well, the car speeds up without any bumps or stalls. We are Team Clutch because we bring amazing things to the table but also because we want to learn the balancing act that will help us grow deeper in God! We are ready to go and be more for Christ.
As of the 23rd of February (I am writing this on the 23), we are hopping a train moving to our next country, Zambia. From what we understand, we will be doing door-to-door ministry. I will be posting more about it as I find out information!
Thank you again for your continued support! You are a blessing!
Elise Swepston
Member of Team Clutch!
Two of our Team Clutch members are still not fully funded for the Race. Meagan Dooney needs an additional $760, and Crysahna Suarez needs $1,350. Would you consider partnering with them to allow them to remain on the Race? All donations are tax deductible.
