Change … an inevitable part of World Race culture.
“Team Changes …” the buzz word at Month 8 Debrief … the focus of several conversations with squadmates … “What do you think? Do you think we will have team changes?”
… Nah, we all met the financial deadline and there is no real reason for team changes.
… I think there will be a few changes but not a major shake up.
Those were just some of the responses we would hear as we batted the idea back and forth. And if there are team changes, when will they tell us? Right before we board the plane? Sooner rather than later?
I mean I think I should have speculated that something was up at debrief when we were supposed to have three team debriefs on the first day, but then only one debrief actually happened. Though I could write that off to “World Race time” which often looks alot like “Africa time” in the sense that it doesn’t really exist and start times are all relative anyways. But then what about the fact that my team’s debrief (the meeting where you talk about what’s been going on the past few months) got switched around like 4 different times … from the second team to meet to the first team to meet on the second day to the first team to meet on the third day to finally, the very last team to meet? Something was up … which was definitely made clear when two of my teammates, Kayla and Jaime were called up to the Team Debrief with Brandon our team leader before the rest of us. Hmmm? Not to mention we had heard about a couple other teams who were called to meet a second time around the same time our team was having debrief … Things were stirring up and the winds were changing.
Well, we finally make it to our team debrief and we find out that Brandon our team leader is stepping out in obedience to what the Lord told him, and he had chosen to step out of leadership for the final three months. WOAH … didn’t see that coming. With that being said, team changes inevitably followed … Kayla and Jaime would be switching to two different teams, and the other five of us: Brandon, Olivia, Drew, Peggy, and Myself would be staying together. After we found out this information, Rozy, our squad coach asked us how we were feeling … and in a moment of clarity I realized that something had to change for things to change. In all honesty, our team was hitting a point of coasting through and in the place I was at before debrief I was struggling. I love everyone on my team and everyone that was on my team, but something in me quit fighting. Something in me quit trusting. Something in me quit choosing vulnerability and intimacy, and instead chose solidarity and being an individual rather than a member of the team. But then … change happened … and God revealed to me that He was setting this change into motion to push each of us farther than we would have gone on the original Team TUFF.
After having a moment to process, the other two teams affected by the change, Scott’s team and Tom’s team were called into the room … at this time the official new teams were announced. Kayla would be going to Scott’s team, and Leah Day would be coming to our team as the newest member and Jaime would be going to Tom’s team, and Sarah Croaker would be stepping into the role of team leader for what we now jokingly call Team TUFF 2.0 (Okay, maybe I’m the only one who actually jokingly calls it that).
This new team will be venturing into the final three months together… Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova (in that order) … we will be seeking to push each other farther than we have been pushed and seeking to call out the crap and call up the greatness that can be found in each of us, because for this season God has put this team together for the good, the bad, the ugly … and the beautiful.
Please check out the blogs for Leah and Sarah, they are pretty cool and follow our journey through Eastern Europe … and we also found out that we will be flying into JFK on June 26th, so please pray for us as we finish out this crazy season of our lives.
Here’s an awkward family photo of the ladies of Team TUFF 2.0, we’re pretty awesome:
(Clockwise: Leah Day, Peggy Randell, myself, Sarah Croaker, and Olivia Coward)
