That’s a whole lot of change. And that’s the WR for you. Change.
We all experience changes in our lives. We might find ourselves in a new job or a different city, maybe we are changing part of our daily routine, we’ve added something to our life or something has been taken away. Sometimes we desire change for whatever reason – I myself have the tendency to color my hair once a year just to change things up. That kind of change is often fun and exciting. But other times change gets thrown at us unexpectedly, like when someone we love is no longer a part of our life. That’s often when change becomes the hardest, and how we choose to deal with that change can be a test of our character, our patience, and our trust in God.
Change.
One thing I’ve learned about this whole WR experience is that it is an experience filled with change. Like, I’m talking change on overdrive here! Because each month we change to a different country, with a different language, different culture, different customs, different food, different environment, different accommodations, different rules, different family, different friendships, different ministry…the list could go on. And just when we all get used to the changes and our new home, the month is up and we have to move on to the next place. Yep, just when we get used to the big changes, more change comes. And I wonder why I’m so exhausted!
But really, going through so much change is a sweet thing. Because we all know that change is inevitable. But somehow many people have grown into this place of fear when it comes to change. But if we are clinging to the Lord, then what do we have to fear? Because no matter how much change we experience in life, the one thing that will always remain the same is our God. His love never changes, His faithfulness never changes, His goodness never changes, God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and always. So when we go through changes in life, it gives us an opportunity to let go of our need to control our earthly circumstances, and instead put all of our trust and dependence into the hands of our Father. So sweet.
So change is a good thing my friends. And change has once again come to me on the WR in the form of team changes. So I wanted to introduce you to the fourth team that I’ve been blessed to be a part of on the race – the A-Team (a team of Abundance, Abandonment, and Awesomeness). This is another group of amazing women that I’m excited to pour into and be poured into by in the coming months, so we would love your prayers as we grow together as a family! Below are fun introductions for each of us, written by my teammate Rachel Balson.
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Kendall Thompson
Our fearless team leader!!!! You’d love being around this spirit-filled woman of God. She speaks out exactly what the Lord puts on her heart and when she prays you better watch out because BIG things happen! When she laughs you can’t help but do so as well because her laugh is so contagious. She was a hairstylist before the Race and X squad is keeping her busy now! She’s accepts payments in food, mainly Snickers bars. She’ll probably be a ship captain one day after rafting class 5 rapids on the Nile river and not letting go of the raft once. Even when the boat flipped and was being swirled underwater she never abandoned ship!!
Julie Horst
Jules may be quiet when you first meet her but don’t let that fool you- she’s got spunk!! Her love for the Lord is evident to all through her compassion and gentleness towards others. The Lord’s given her a love for children, which is perfect for the Race. Her Grandma is her hero and best friend.
Savannah Rowland
This joyful woman of God brings laughter wherever she goes. It’s refreshing to spend time with her because you’re guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face!! She loves to dance and was a dance instructor before the race. She’s a dinosaur lover and shaved her head a couple months ago. She has a newfound love for g-nut butter and is working on perfecting the recipe before the end of the race. One thing she doesn’t like is when her teammate Rachel chases her down the Nile River.
Jill Jones
Words to describe Jill- enthusiastic, energetic, and has a love for life!! You might find her randomly jumping on beds or dominating at dance competitions. Her lifelong dream is to be married to Harry Potter, have Justin Bieber sing at their wedding, and then celebrate their honeymoon at Cameron Indoor to watch Coach K and the Duke basketball team dominate. Jill’s been given the role of Financial Manager of the team so she’ll be keeping track of all our money. She’s perfect for this because she was a math major in college.
Rachel Balson
This chick is the strongest I know! She can fight a herd of baboooons with her biceps and can run the entire country of Uganda without stopping. She is a warrior. Her arm gets a workout being on the phone arranging travel and lodging for our squad aka- she is LOGISTICS. Yep, that’s right… the mind and details behind X squad…without her we’d be a big fat messsss. She’s not only strong physically but spiritually! This crazy girl we know as Rachel Balson wants more…more of the Lord! Watch out folks! Here Balson COMES!!!!!
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So anywho, that’s us. I guess I’ll just leave you all with encouragement – if you are dealing with change in your life, be patient and rejoice in the blessings of the Lord, and take comfort in the fact that He is the one thing in your life that you can trust will never change!
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." -Hebrews 13:8
