So, with Indonesia in our past and Philippines half way through I wanted to introduce my team and a couple leaders who I have gotten the chance to know their hearts a bit. Also, recent update!!! We have decided to change our team name to make our team more unified because our current team name, Voyaging Daughters, was not picked by all 5 of us.
I have been through a range of emotions this month-ish and through it all there have been six bules (Indonesian word for western foreigner) I have been living life with this past month. Megan who is one of our squad leaders stayed with us all month and Kirsty another Squad Leader in charge of storytelling joined us for the last week in Indonesia. Then there is Erin, Chelsea, Kimberly, and Holly and I that make up the formerly Voyaging Daughters, currently Abba’s Lil Nugs team of E Squad 5th generation! And now I am with our entire E squad in the Philippines.
I have gotten to know these women (or as the Indonesian friends we met refer to us as “Strong Women” because of the huge packs we showed up with on their doorsteps). I am overfilled with joy and beyond blessed for the people God has put on my team. They truly are strong women. But not just because they can carry 60 pounds of gear around for 11 months. They know what it means to be devoted, disciplined, a vessel for Christ, and are willing to push on when times aren’t ideal. They know it isn’t always the big things that make a difference in life. Its small things, it’s checking on each other even when you don’t feel good, it is recognizing someone is not in a good place but it is okay to let them feel, it is laughing through uncertainty or in the face of messed up plans and being able to just go with it. Please let me tell you more about my bules!
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Erin from Misery(Missouri)! has amazing focus and determination. She does not complain often. She has a pure and good, innocent heart like a child. But still manages to be detail oriented and naturally responsible. Her heart goes out for people who need an advocate or people in need. She is gentle but doesn’t let people walk over her. She has an amazingly silly side. She makes me laugh when we are in serious moments. She is an up-lifter/encourager by heart and a peacekeeper naturally. She likes to encourage people to be the best person they can be and of course, that is encouraging people to walk more closely with the Spirit.
Perseverance.
Chelsea loves to know the Lord’s heart. She is extremely gentle in her approach but listens carefully she may say things quietly but they are usually powerful. She listens to the Lord well. Her heart is to follow the Lord even when she is faced with uncertainty. She knows how to make you feel seen when you feel lost in your own world and alone. Her jokes, puns, and whit keep us laughing. God, you love her playful and obedient heart.
Willing.
Kimberly is an extremely loyal person. She can be extremely fun loving and a bit of a goofball at times. Like a child, she comes to you God, for correction or direction and truly loves you Lord. She feels extremely deeply. She has a heart to care for people hurting and innocent little ones. Her heart is giving and gentle but it doesn’t always come off from the start. She guards it from hurt because she has such a gentle heart it can get hurt easily.
Whimsical.
Holly or as our Indonesian people joke- Holiday! Man, the depths of this woman’s heart is amazing and encourages me to go deeper with my own issues. She is constantly surprising me with the perspectives that come out of her mouth. She is one of the most perceptive humans I have ever met. She can normally tell when something is off with me and it doesn’t take long for her to notice. And with her perceptiveness, she also has a heart of genuine care. She looks after people well: Gently and lovingly pushing you but totally understanding. She truly pays attention to people and takes the time to remember specific details about them. Her sarcastic banter can make a long car ride go fast and bring us all together on days we are feeling off. Her inspiring courage can be seen in the most unplanned ways like impromptu speaking. She boldly steps forward in the uncomfortableness all for God to be glorified.
Deep Genuine Care.
Megan is one of our squad leaders who will be guiding E squad for the first 5 months of the race. She got to be with Abba’s Lil Nugs the whole time in Indonesia! Naturally, a leader would have wisdom. But wisdom is something that is above and beyond with this woman of God. It naturally flows out from her with ease. You never walk away from a serious conversation with Megan feeling hopeless. She is a vessel for Christ’s hope. She walks humbly with what the Lord has given her. A sentence the Lord gave me for Megan is that she is more than the position she fills. There is more to her than the wisdom she offers or the way she can lead people. She stands strong in Christ not easy to be swayed. She walks boldly in self-discipline which makes her stand out from people of this world. Her heart is real and strong. She gets her joy from the Lord and not the outside opinions of people.
Kirsty is a squad leader with a special job of storytelling. Her job is to raise up story leaders from E squad to help motivate the squad to use your blogs to reach people all over the world. She only gets to stay with E squad 2 months and will be leaving at the end of our time in the Philippines. I got to know her in a week. Honestly, her heart was evident from the first serious conversation I had with her. I could tell why she was the storytelling squad leader. Her heart is such an encouragement. She can see people like really see the positive in people and expresses it well, uplifting her community. She is genuinely interested in people’s stories and has a passion for how they can touch others’ lives. The way she leads makes it easy to relate to and that speaks volumes and opens the ears of her audience. She makes you feel heard and understood. She is incredibly resilient in her walk with Christ. An overcomer throughout her life. Her heart is beautiful and she is so easy to talk to. Carefree and embraces the ‘His burdens are light’ verse in the Bible, even when the world tries to convince her it is rough.
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They are strong emotionally, spiritually, and physically. They build you up when you are feeling down and laugh with you when there is time to kill, they are considerate of how you feel, and they know how to love well. They persevere when there is no real plan. And they do it for God’s kingdom.
Thanks for letting me introduce you to my people!
TTFN, Jenny
