Even before first meeting each sweet human on N Squad, I felt deeply connected to them.
I remember praying through Alumni Squad leading while still on my original race and having a strong feeling that N Squad would be the squad I would be with. I remember sitting in a coffee shop in Chiang Mai, Thailand looking at each person who had already committed to going and reading their blogs to see how they were called to go on the race. I felt invested in them already.
Soon I committed to squad leading and was assigned to their squad. I could not be more excited and the anticipation continued to grow as the months passed by and being able to finally meet them drew closer.
I remember praying for them daily during my last month on the field in the Philippines. I prayed for them as they walked through their 10-day training camp and longed to be there with them. I remember creating a video and sending it to them to introduce myself since I was still on the field and could not be there physically during their training camp.
I remember reaching out to each one during the few weeks that I spent in the states in between arriving home from my original race and launching with them. It was sweet to get to check in on them individually and see how they were feeling about launching in a few weeks and pray for them more specifically.
Then, It came time for launch and I finally got to meet them. Even though I had only been back in the states for a month, I knew that I was supposed to go back out on the field with them and walk alongside them and I couldn’t wait. I remember hugging each and every one of them and feeling like I had known them for a while because I was so invested in their lives already. I had spent months praying for them, reading their blogs, praying for their funds to come in, and now I finally got to live life alongside them.
In my first month on the field with them in Colombia, I remember sitting at a coffee shop with one of the men on the squad and telling him that I would love to stay for their entire 11-month journey. I was so invested in their lives and could not imagine leaving the field while they continued on. In this, I knew that it needed to be the Lord’s plan too and not just my own. Dan, who was sitting with me, told me that he would pray that If I couldn’t stay the whole 11 months that I would at least get to stay for India, (which would be one more month than originally planned).
From that day on, I kept seeking the Lord about this. I prayed and asked him about it and began to feel that if I was meant to stay that he would have to speak the same thing to my co-leader Jenny. As the months went on I still desired to stay, but it became clearer and clearer that he was not speaking that to Jenny. I had to face the harsh reality that even if it was what I wanted, it wasn’t necessarily what he had.
Even still, my heart wanted to continue with them and in my third month on the field, the idea of PVT came up. PVT stands for Parent Vision Trip and is a sweet time that racers get to participate in, where their parents can fly out and visit them on the field for 5 days during one of their months.
When I heard about this idea my eyes lit up. What if I could do that? I love this squad, I got to meet many of their parents at launch and loved spending time with them. I have always wanted to go to India, (It is literally the #1 country that I want to go to). So many thoughts ran through my head and I began dreaming about this possibility.
Then my mind changed directions: But, is this what the Lord has for me? Is it even possible? I soon found out that I would have to create a proposal and argue that I would be a valuable part of the team that helps facilitate PVT since squad leaders are not usually a part of this.
The thought of getting to be a part of PVT seemed like a dream to me. How cool would it be to see the squad again along with their parents and spend 5 days walking alongside them in this incredible experience in INDIA of all places? I couldn’t think of anything more exciting in my mind than this.
So I prayed and prayed and then the Lord led me to write a proposal. I let my family in on the idea and asked them to pray alongside me that the Lord’s will would be done in all of this.
I soon sent the proposal and waited, just waited, for almost a month.
Then, a few weeks ago I heard back and the answer was YES! EEEEK, I could not be more elated! Soon after I got to announce it to the rest of the squad and share the exciting news.
This dream that I had with the Lord was one step closer to becoming a reality and I couldn’t believe it. It is crazy to me that the Lord delights in dreaming with us and often allows us to live out those dreams with him. He is so incredibly kind and it overwhelms me every time.
Since this trip was not included in the original plans of me being on the field with N Squad, I will have to fundraise extra for the flights to and from India. And in that, I would love your help if you are willing. I would love people to partner with me in covering the parents in prayer that are traveling to India to see their sweet children along with praying that the Lord would prepare and equip me to be a part of this experience as well. Along with that, I would also love for you to consider partnering with me financially to help make it all possible for me to get there.
I have been asked to fundraise $1,300 in total for my flights to and from India and cannot do this without your help. Please, let me know if you would like to continue to partner with me in either of these ways! It would be the greatest blessing.
I would also love to answer any questions that you may have about the trip and share more of my heart behind why I would love to be a part of this sweet experience.
If you have any questions or would like to receive a support letter sharing more of my heart please let me know and I would love to send you one the next time I am on wifi.
Thank you so much for reading my blog updates throughout this past year and a half and supporting me in so many different ways. It has meant a ton to me!
Until next time,
Han 🙂
P.s. I thought you might want to see a picture of the sweet faces of N Squad. They are such a joy!!
