It is a new year for all, but for most the season may remain unchanged.
While I’ve longed for that type of familiarity and consistency, God has been persistently reminding me that that is not why I am on the race. I will not find familiarity in culture or environment and I will not find consistency in comfort or safety.
It frustrates me for a moment, but then I lift my eyes up.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2
There is familiarity in His grace and there is consistency in His character. He is who He says He is, and His love never changes. It does not matter if I am lost in the luxurious comfort of my queen-sized-memory foam-American bed, or lost underneath the deceiving twinkle lights of Pub Street in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where human trafficking runs stealthily rampant. My God never leaves me, nor forsakes me, and His plan never fails me.
This changing season for me brings about a new role within my squad. I, along with three of my other squad mates, have been asked to step up as squad leaders for the remainder of the race. This means many things, but mainly that our focus will now be the health and physical/emotional/spiritual well being of our squad. We will be traveling amongst the various ministry locations that our teams are serving at for the month and supporting them in their ministry.
While the offer to squad lead caught me by surprise, the Lord has assured me that there is purpose and intention in His leading me to this place. I am sure He has many more surprises for me in it.
Here are some FAQ’s to give you a better glimpse at what exactly squad leading entails 🙂 Don’t forget to check out my amazing new squad leading team on the left side of this page! I am excited and honored to be serving with them for the remainder of the race!
What is your role?
The focus of being a squad leader is ministering to the team leaders and squadmates by walking alongside, supporting, challenging, encouraging, and loving the squad fully in their spiritual, physical, and emotional journey on the race.
Will you still be able to continue outreach to local communities?
Yes! While visiting teams, we will be participating in their ministry with them. But ministry doesn’t stop there! My heart and prayer is still to serve and love and reach out to anybody and everybody I encounter on this journey as the spirit leads – whether it be at a ministry site, at a coffee shop, or on the local bus.
Are you traveling by yourself?
Don’t worry mom and dad, I’m not traveling by myself. There are three other squad leaders. We will either travel in our team of four, or split up into groups of two as we visit teams throughout the month.
What do you do when you are not with a team?
For the most part, we will be with teams. But there are many other administrative tasks that come along with squad leading…helping plan/organize debriefs, preparing upcoming ministries, and communicating with the AIM office to ensure that everything and everyone is okay on the field. Whatever the squad needs, we’re there to help and support! (I will probably learn more about what this all looks like as I am trained in the next month 🙂 )
How and who supports you in your new role as squad leader?
The AIM staff provides an amazing support team for everyone on the field. Our original squad leaders, Amanda and Laura, will be training us in this month and will continue to support us in whatever ways we need even when they leave at the end of the month. We also have amazing squad coaches, Phil and Ruth Rouchard, who live in the states but are constantly praying for, encouraging, and challenging our squad every day. They come out to the field for most debriefs and are always only a phone call or email away! We also have amazing support from the staff in the office, Tim and Erin, who have been with us every step of the way. Communication with any of these various support systems is expected but not limited to a weekly basis! And of course, last, but first in line of importance, God. I cannot do this without His grace and guidance.
