When I first heard about our impending team changes, I have to admit that I was pretty anxious for a few days. The thought of having to say goodbye to Team BLAZE sent me on a downward spiral, and I found myself lamenting the fact that three months seemed much too short with these six amazing people. But the more I thought and prayed about team changes, the more I realized that it had the potential to bring something exciting and new.
Formerly Known As Team BLAZE (from top left, clockwise): Scott Cangemi, Sarah Ball, Drew Phelps, Kayla House, Emily Chan, Andrea Garcia, and Sabrina Utz.
My fears dissipated as I began thinking about the members of our squad and realizing that team changes would mean the possibility to build these relationships further. I realized, too, that working with new teammates meant that the Lord could teach me new things and challenge me further than my former BLAZEmates would be able to. I knew that it was possible to become too comfortable and too familiar with my teammates, in the sense that we might not be able to challenge one another as far as we could, were we with other people.
Yesterday, our team changes became official. Andrea, our faithful Team BLAZE leader, has been called up as one of the new Squad Leaders, along with Kevin Buzzie and Michael Desmond. They will be replacing Sarah Schrack and Lucas Tillman as our Squad Leaders at the end of next month, and then they will remain as our Squad Leaders for the rest of our World Race journey. My BLAZEmate Scott was also called into a new place of leadership as one of the new team leaders.
Although my team has changed almost completely (save my wonderful sister, Sabrina), I am excited to introduce Team Child-Like Prophets to you (from left to right): Sarah Croaker, Megan Czerwinski, Sabrina Utz, Stephen Sloan, Joshua Robinson, yours truly, and team leader Tom Hoffman.
The name “Child-Like Prophets” came from a discussion we had about what we wanted to see our team become. The “child-like” portion of the name was derived from Matthew 18: “Unless you become like little children, you will never inherit the kingdom of God.” We want to build a child-like dependency on God our Father, knowing and believing that we will continue to grow as He works in our lives, humbles us, and teaches us to be bearers of our Heavenly inheritance. And, if we are completely honest, I believe that each member of our team has a child-like streak within us because we rejoice in being kids at heart and in spirit.
As for the second part of our name, we believe that names are prophetic, and likewise, I believe that there is a prophetic anointing upon this new team. From art, dance, photography, music, and words of knowledge and encouragement, I believe that each member of our team has been gifted in at least one of these areas of prophecy, and I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to mold and grow each of us in the coming months together.
Although I still have much to learn about my teammates, here’s a brief introduction of each one:
Tom Hoffman – Team Leader: Although Tom was one of the last people to join Y-Squad, I felt an instant connection with him when we first met. Like me, I feel like Tom is a youngun at heart, even though he's a few years older than I am. Tom spent several years working with an English-teaching program in China, and has traveled to China a few times, so we definitely have great conversations about our perspectives on China. Tom is an amazing man of God, filled with patience and grace, and I love that he's such a great communicator and works hard to promote unity and honor among our team. I am really excited to be able to serve alongside him and learn from him over the coming months ahead.
Joshua Robinson: Joshua makes me laugh with his antics and mischief, but I believe God has great things in store for this man of God. The Lord has already been so faithful to carry Joshua through some trying times in his young adult life, but he is passionate about preaching, and I believe God has some great truths for me to learn through him. Joshua has such a strong love for people, and I know I will learn from his servant's heart and his desire to encourage and challenge others around him.
Stephen Sloan: Although he seems quiet and unassuming on the surface, Stephen has words of great depth and wisdom, and I have already learned so much from this man. He served in the National Guard for five years and was called to serve in Iraq for a year. Meanwhile, he was also attending Bible School and has such a strong knowledge of the Word; I know we are going to have more than a few great discussions ahead of us.
Megan Czerwinski: Megan's sweet, gentle spirit is unmistakably the work of the Holy Spirit working in her life. I love her desire to go deep with people and to really delve into understanding the culture in which she is serving. She is a gifted teacher and loves to work with children, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Lord continues to expand her teaching abilities as we serve together. I believe Megan has several special prophetic anointings, and I believe she hears very clearly from the Lord and can't wait to learn more from her and through her in our journey ahead.
Sarah Croaker: Precious is almost always the first word that comes to mind when I think about Sarah Croaker. I love how much her passion for the Lord shines in her sweet smile and in the way she serves others. Sarah is the epitome of the "positive pants" attitude that I think all Racers are encouraged to have. Even when an unfortunate paddle smack gave her a bloody nose right at the beginning of our adventure on the Nile River, Sarah still didn't let it ruin her day. Sarah has an incredible gifting in art and the written word, and the Lord has been growing and developing her ability to reflect truth through her beautiful masterpieces. To see some of her artwork, check it out HERE.
Sabrina Utz: The lucky girl is stuck with me for another round of World Race adventures, but I am honestly so grateful to be able to continue this journey with her. Sabrina carries such a strong peace wherever she goes, and I know I have learned so much from her (and I have much yet to learn, I’m sure). Sabrina amazes me with her creativity… the other day, she crocheted a double-sided, dual-colored beanie for our former teammate, Kayla… and the only guide she had was a picture that Kayla had shown her. The girl has mad skill! I am excited to keep on keeping on with Sabrina and celebrating all that the Lord will continue to do in her life.
Please pray for us as we prepare to begin our new ministry in the Philippines. We were initially supposed to be in Thailand this month, but due to severe flooding, our ministry there has been postponed for the time being. We are presently in the Bangkok Airport, en route to Manila, where we'll begin our next ministry early next week. Stay tuned for more information to come, but in the meantime, thank you for your prayers!
