I used to think kaleidoscopes were extremely tacky. What was so special about a bunch of random broken and colorful pieces thrown together in a container? A broken piece of glass or plastic, who wanted to stare at that? Where is the beauty in this?
But training camp taught me that brokenness is beautiful. I used to think that I was the only one who was a mess, the only one who had baggage, and the only one who was a broken Christian. 10 days in Gainsville and a wonderful support system taught me that we aren’t perfect and that’s okay. The only one who is perfect is the Lord, and anyone else who thinks that they are perfect are sorely mistaken.
Our past has given us colorful pieces and at times sharp edges, but the Lord loves our different colors and He loves our rough edges. The marks, scratches, and scars of our past make up a beautiful story.
He is writing a love story through you and He is no where near finished.
This is my beautiful team. We are diverse, colorful, broken, yet wonderfully made. We fit together like a beautiful unique Kaleidoscope. How lucky am I that when the Lord was writing our stories he choose the six of us to work together. Only Christ would be able to take our strengths, weaknesses, rough edges, and beautiful colors to make something amazing. My teammate Brittni said it best when she wrote, “A kaleidoscope is made of different shaped, sized, and colored pieces that, when reflecting light, work together to bring a beautiful picture into focus. This is exactly what we’re aiming for as a team—to reflect the same Light and bring a beautiful expression of Kingdom wherever we go.”
Without further ado here is my amazing team- TEAM KALEIDOSCOPE!
From left to right: Jon, Esther, Meagan, Brittni, JJ, Me
Jon is our biggest supporter and he never fails to make us feel great about ourselves. When you need a good laugh, Jon is your man. He love for the Lord is going to teach us all a thing or two. This kid can put down more food than anyone I’ve ever seen and for this I think we are going to get along just fine.
Esther is our fearless leader. She leads us with grace and servant heart. I am so excited to live life with this Jesus loving, lip stick wearing, Taylor Swift singing lady. Her medical skills may just come in handy when you face plant on the Gerogia asphalt, but no worries she will have candy ready when you need it.
Meagan is a spunky little thing. This gal from Oklahoma will never fail to make you smile. Meagan walks through life with so much grace and genuinely cares for everyone around her. This girl is going to change the lives of our team and those we meet along the way.
Brittni has a love for the outdoors and open spaces. Her curious personality is always seeking adventure in her great home state of Alaska. You’ll often find her lounging in her hammock or taking artsy photos. She has a passion for story telling and I can’t wait to see what she does as one of KSQUAD’s story tellers.
JJ – Oh boy, I don’t even know where to start. This kid will never fail to make you laugh. His adventurous soul is going to take him far. JJ evangelizes like its nobodies business. Talk about a disciple aiming to make disciples. From always succeeding to making you laugh and being someone who is always there to listen, I’m so excited to do life with this kid.
These five individuals are my family and I am so stoked to do life with each of them. I can’t wait to see the different things that each of us bring to the table over the next few months.
Several of my teammates are still in need of money to reach their next deadline for launch. Please consider helping them out as the deadlines are approaching quickly. Check out their blogs, their stories, and help send them with me to Côte d’ivoire!
brittniwisner.theworldrace.org
jjbecker.theworldrace.org
esthersong.theworldrace.org
