There are a couple pretty awesome things that went down at Training Camp that affect the formation of the next year for me, and I wanted to say a few things about each of them.
As many of you know, I came into the World Race family on the heels of some very painful ministry experiences. I saw the Race as a chance for me to step away from leadership responsibilities, to enjoy the freedom of not being in charge of anything, and to recharge my battery from the wounds I have received. God is really challenging that idea, however.
Something happened at Training Camp that I did not expect. I fell in love with N squad, fast and hard. I was hoping to connect with at least a couple of the squad mates, but I completely adore the Christ in every one of them in a way I could never have imagined. And through some incredibly insightful conversations with Squad-mate Julie, Team-mate Kylie, and Squad-leader Joshua, I am starting to see and accept that part of my calling into the Race was not only to serve the orphan and widow, but the amazing disciples of N squad. I am praying for contentment. Praying for a balance between serving others and being vulnerable/real enough to allow others to pour in to me. The truth is that God is going to use my unique gifts and abilities to call me into service in every way that He desires me to serve, whether I like it or not. Father, please break me of my personal desires and preconceived notions of what it means to serve You on the World Race. God, whatever it is You do – in me, to me, and through me – may it reflect the Kingdom of Heaven and bring glory to You, my King.
This is where my heart is, a few days after returning home. Not necessarily looking for clarification, just trusting in a God who may have more in store for me than I am prepared for.
With all that being said, my first big news from Training Camp is the formation of my team, Team Favoured. My fellow Team Members are pictured (and blogs linked) to the left of this page; check out their stories and read their hearts, pray for them and financially support them! My team includes our leader, Michael, a strong, confident, politician-in-the-making who has more heart than he knows and an inspiring passion for Christ. Then, there is Kirsten, my fellow “introvert” who has a lot of amazing insights into the heart of God and is not at all afraid to speak up when the Spirit moves her. Sarah is a spunky ball of joy who encourages and uplifts with her cheerfulness and unapologetic commitment to moving forward. Heather is a passionate God-seeker who is head over heels for Jesus and just makes me long to know God more, she is a deep thinker and I cannot wait for the conversations the Spirit leads us through in the future. Kylie is our level-headed problem-solving Canadian, who God has gifted with incredible insight into who she is as a child of God and who God is as a Master of the Universe. Finally, there is Lauren, a dancin’ queen who worships Christ in some of the neatest ways I’ve ever seen, she loves boldly and fervently and to be around her is to feel the Presence of her beloved.
And more importantly than who we are as individuals is what we are together. This is a fun-filled bunch, passionately pursuing the joy of our Creator (our first couple hours together involved balloon artistry and free milkshakes!). God is going to use our joy to contaminate the nations with the Kingdom of God. Also, we have a LOT to say. God is pouring through all of our veins so rapidly and we cannot wait to tell you about it (there has been discussions about a “talking stick” so that we make sure each person has their turn). Lastly, we are a bunch of worship-junkies. Michael and I sat next to each other on the first night of worship and I felt the fusion of “one accord” immediately between us. My teammates and I have held hands, prayed, danced, prayed prophetically, laughed hysterically, and spoken challenging truths into each other during worship sessions! Please be in prayer for us as we continue to pursue Christ together!!
My last bit of news is this: I will be serving as one of two Logistics Leaders for the entire squad. What is a logistics leader, you ask? Good question is my only response. I will learn more about it in the coming weeks, but basically my co-leader Nick and I will be responsible for the logistics of traveling with 60 people around the globe – getting through airports, purchasing Visas, finding Hostels, buses, meeting spaces for debriefs, etc. As you can imagine, based on the first couple paragraphs of this post, I was surprised and a little unsure when first approached with this opportunity. Here are the three reasons God used to nudge me into submission:
1) They pulled the God card! Yeah, right for the jugular. When presenting what the Logistic Leader does for the squad, they said, “You will see Jesus come through in incredible ways in the 11th hour. You will witness and appreciate trusting in Him to provide in a way that the rest of the squad won’t fully understand.” More ways to see Jesus, that is hard to say no to.
2) Secondly, a chance to serve the squad. Nick and I are both very patient, easy-going dudes. If we can absorb some of the stresses of travel, maybe our squad-mates can relax and rest a little as they transition into the next phase of ministry.
3) Nick Shiley! Like I said before, I fell hard for N squad. As Team reveals were looming, I knew I would be completely happy for whatever team I ended up on (which I am), but inevitably disappointed to not be with the other squad members in the same intimate way. Serving with Nick (who is on a different team) will give us the chance to serve, love, and worship Christ in a unique way together. When they offered this position to us, Nick brought me aside and offered the idea for us to pray together before we answer. He is such a Godly man and we are going to have a blast doing this thing together!
Thank you all for your continued support of this humble ministry. Thank you for getting me to the status of fully funded so quickly. Thank you for bearing with my random mix of thoughts in this blog. You all are the greatest!!
God bless
