About three weeks ago, the entire feel of the race changed for me and the whole squad. There was a team change and we all ended up with new teams. This means that we would be separated from many of the people we spent the last 4 months with and united with new people from the squad that we would do the next half of the race with. This was a very built up and exciting moment for almost everyone on the squad. Everyone was so eager to know who they would be doing life with for the next 5 or 6 months. However, I don’t think I spent more than 5 minutes total thinking about it since the start of the race. I just kind of thought we would be forever. I knew teams would change since the start of the race but my heart did not come to that realization until it happened.
Needless to say, the week teams were revealed was a shocking week for me for two reasons; number 1 like I mentioned before I never really thought about who my team could possibly be and number 2 I received news early in the week that I would be the team leader for my team. This blew me away!!! Up until the race started, I had never viewed myself as a leader for anything, even though the title of my ministry was high school student leader. I really always saw myself as a behind the scenes guy who just serves in the background. However, I have learned on the race that I am a leader and even the behind the scenes background guy is leading because a true leader, leads through service.
Not only did I realize that I was leading back at home whether I knew it or not, but I also realized that believing I wasn’t a leader was false humility and it was stifling the work God wanted to do through me in my leadership position. I realized that as a world racer I was a leader everywhere I went because I was a follower of Christ first. Everywhere Christ went was somewhere worth going and if I was following Christ with all my heart, I would also be worth following. I believe that since being on the race I have sought the Lord out more consistently than ever before and as a result the Lord has increased my influence to bring more people closer to him and glorify his name.
As Team Leader, I have had to make decisions for the team, be assertive and cast vision for my team. I have already helped mediate conflict and given some tough feedback and had difficult conversations. Being chosen as a team leader has given me a level assertiveness that I have never had and I believe God has given me this opportunity to break a lot of the insecurity I had especially when it came to listening and obeying the voice of God. A lot of the construction feedback I have received involves taking time to listen for the voice of God and being obedient and confident in obeying his voice. That’s what true authentic leadership is. It is following God no matter what and leading people to do the same. King Saul was given instructions to wait for Samuel to offer a sacrifice before the Lord, but he got impatient and made the sacrifice too early and thus was disobedient. As a result of his disobedience, the kingdom was snatched out of his fingertips. Whatever God gives he could take away at any time and he requires obedience and full obedience at that.
Without further Ado, let me introduce you to my lovely team; team olive tree.
Jake Ormonde
Meet our team treasurer Jake Ormonde. This guy is one of two other guys from my old team resurgent and it has truly been a blessing having him on my team all of this time. Jake is one of the wisest people I know. He spends his life trying to apply proverbs to his life and carries the wisdom he acquires from his study of that book into our team. He is a man of few words, but the words that come from his mouth are wise and well thought out and almost always carry so much conviction and make you really think about your life.
Colby Wayenberg
Meet our team storyteller Colby Wayenberg. He is the other guy on this team that belonged to my old team resurgent. He has been the biggest blessing a guy could ask for. How else could I have possibly documented everything that has happened on this journey without his epic photographs? If I ever post any photos on social media, you can be almost certain that he took them. Not only does he document our journeys so well but he just brings humor and joy everywhere he goes including that one time in Peru when we got arrested.
Caleb Dawson
Meet our team worship coordinator Caleb Dawson. He is one of the most passionate people about the worship and glorification of the name of Jesus I have ever met. When Caleb starts talking about the worship of God, he speaks with so much conviction, that his words cut through the room. Everyone feels convicted and the name of Jesus is glorified. In addition to passion in his worship, he has also been gifted with a creative mind to find new ways to worship besides the conventional worship we see on a typical Sunday morning.
William Schneider
Meet our backup storyteller and story listener Will Schneider. Will knows the value of people’s stories and does his best to document the stories of the people he meets everywhere he goes. Colby does a great job at telling the story of our team, but I believe Will’s heart and gifts equip him to tell the stories of the people our teams minister with. He sees people for who they are as individuals whom Christ died for. He digs deep and dives into true authentic discipleship through his love for people’s testimonies.
Joseph Cronin
Meet our lead evangelist and preacher Joseph Cronin. Joseph has the heart of an evangelist. His story is so powerful and the fact that he is the only one of us who did not grow up in a Christian home, I see that it gives him more compassion for those who don’t know Christ because he sees the difference more drastically that Christ has mad in his life. The Lord has gifted him with boldness not to care about what people think of him but to share the truth as it is. He also has a tremendous command and knowledge of the word and is able to quote with references a verse pertaining to almost any struggle you may have.
P.S. The name olive tree comes from the scripture where Jesus tells his disciples to Abide in him and they will bear fruit. This was the picture I thought of when I thought of our team. The picture of tree with many branches united and rooted in Jesus Christ and as a result of that bearing tremendous fruit. It just so happened that is the analogy used and Caleb had just gotten a tattoo of an olive tree on his arm that it just made sense.
