I never thought these days would come… the days of preparing for home. I remember being in the early stages of my trip and thinking about how far away Malawi seemed. Yet it came, and it has gone so quickly. Home is the next stop.
One of the biggest differences and hardest adjustments from this season to the next…
saying goodbye to my family.
These are my incredible brothers… Thomas and Ryan!
As squad leaders, we are the highest authority on the field. We travel a lot… typically every 3-6 days. The squad is our ministry, so we jump from team to team each month, doing life with them for a few days before heading to the next team. It is tiring, but it is an amazing privilege. I have loved it!
The three of us have done life together 24/7 for the past eight months. And, I want to take this opportunity to honor these amazing men.
Thomas and I honestly did not know each other until we became squad leaders at the end of the third month. We had rode together our first flight when we flew to Guatemala and knew each other because of us both being team leaders, but we had never had a real conversation until we became a team.
It didn’t take long though to get to know each other. Thomas has become a real brother to me… like the little brother who is constantly doing the “I’m not touching you” game. He picks on me relentlessly… especially when we would get stuck in the Nairobi, Kenya traffic jams. He finds any way possible to annoy me. Strange enough… I miss it when he is not around.
I love Thomas’ heart for worship! He is a man of worship. Some of my favorite moments as a team with these two have been in worship. One night, Thomas ran around me under the stars in Uganda yelling, “You’re crazy Kay, you’re crazy!” …as we danced around and worshiped. We would see shooting stars and “send them” as prayers to countries and people we love. Thomas can write beautifully, although he does not do it enough… He wrote one of the most beautiful worship songs we have sung on the Race.
Thomas dreams big! He has an incredible vision for his future and I know the Lord is going to do even more than he knows! His heart is in Cambodia. It shows in his eyes when he speaks about that place and the people he met there. His heart is still with them. I have no doubt in my mind that he will be back there in the future doing incredible things and changing lives there! He is passionate and carries boundless joy. I believe in him completely and am so proud of him and where he is going!
Ryan
Ryan and I actually did connect at training camp. We got to know each other walking down a little creek one of our first days there. But, we really did not connect too many times on the Race until becoming a team.
When we first became the squad leaders, the joke was that Thomas was going to be the fun one… I would be the realistic/logical one… and Ryan would slap people when they were out of line. Looking back, we laugh at that… Ryan is such a softie. He has an incredible heart for people. Ryan is always pulling out verses or words of encouragement for me and others. He speaks so much life into people and really challenges them to walk in confidence and grow.
Ryan has a heart for discipling… and more specifically, discipling men. I don’t think this man can have a conversation that doesn’t turn to Jesus and how He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” I cannot even count the number of times I have heard Ryan sharing the Gospel with those we meet. He loves life at the hostels because it opens so many doors to speak with people. I feel like most of Ryan’s ministry is on our days off when he finds people to share with. In Tanzania, we spent a few days at the beach before heading into our last month here in Malawi… Ryan could be found on those restful days sitting with the “Rastafarians” we met, telling them about Jesus and answering all of their questions.
Ryan doesn’t yet know what his future holds, but I know for a fact that God has an incredible plan for him all lined up. He has a big heart for people and a hunger from the Lord that will take him far for the Kingdom. In the past 8 months, I have grown to have great respect for this man. Wherever he goes and whoever he is in contact with will be blessed by Him. He is a Kingdom bringer.
Crazy to think this is our last week.
Ryan and Thomas… My Brothers… Thank you for loving me well throughout the months… The good and the hard times. I have been blessed. There is no one I would have rather spent these last 8 months of the Race with. I believe in you… Believe in yourselves and be confident in the road ahead… “It’s gonna be wild, it’s gonna be great, it’s gonna be full of Him!” I love you both!
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
