Once upon a time, in the backwoods of Georgia, 6 young women sat around a table. The 6 women had just finished a “team building” exercise, in which they realized that they did not think they make a very good team. And yet, for reasons unknown and not understood by the women, their leadership decided they were a good team after all. The next day, the same 6 women stood in a field and were announced to be an official team. Looking around the group, the women were unsure of what the future held.
The women went home after a long, hard week in the Georgia heat. Most of them cried to the mothers, their siblings, and to their friends. Most of them finding their future uncertain and even downright scary. They were to be sent out to travel the world together, 6 women who had no clue how they fit. 6 different women, in 6 different states preparing for a future they were unsure if they could fulfill. They prayed, they cried, they processed, they journaled, and they began to accept the inevitable.
6 weeks later, the 6 women reconvened once again in Georgia, as ready for what the future held as they could be. And so they went.
For 4 months, the 6 women traveled the world. Learning how to live together, how to work together, how to eat together, how to minister together.. how to do life together. And it was hard.
They spent many an hour, with many a tear shed, working out their differences. Many hours were spent trying to understand each other, to understand their differences, and to understand how similar they were. Many an hour trying to fight to get past their initial encounter. Fighting to not be the same 6 women that sat around that table. Fighting to be a team. Fighting to be family.
Then something magical happened. It didn’t happen all at once, or with one revolutionary encounter. but rather in small moments here, little growths there. And before they knew it, they were reaching the end of Month 4, and they realized they had done it after all. Not only did the 6 women feel and operate as a team.. but they were family. They were 6 sisters, that couldn’t imagine life without each other.
But seemingly just as quickly as it started, it was all over. The 6 women, who fought so hard against then for being a team, were separated. They were split apart, and placed on 3 different teams with other men and women.
Yet for as heartbreaking as it was to imagine not moving on in their journey together, they could not help but be over-joyed. For the impossible had happened right under their noses. A miracle had taken place in their midst. 6 women who thought it would never work were now life-long sisters — the kind that cannot be separated, even when there is miles between them. And for that, they could not be anything but thankful. Miracles do happen, they were walking proof. And 6 women can now live happily ever after knowing their sisters will always have their back.
The End.
Team River Dwellers (Plus 1) towards the end of our last month together (Month 4: Laos). I cannot even begin to tell you how much these women mean to me!! (Photo Creds to Anne-Michael and Kaitlynn)
