New seasons are weird. They are weird & messy & scary & exciting. They’re exciting because they bring new adventure, scary because they bring change, messy because you might not be prepared for this change, & weird because it’ll come whether you’re prepared or not.
On the Race you experience a whole lotta change. You’re kinda always on the move & it can be a little overwhelming at times. You never know what the heck is about to happen, one day you’re teaching little refugee nuggets what it means to Sabbath & the next you’re sitting in a cave drinking tea & praying healing over a woman’s back. Sometimes the change can be pretty hard. I can feel unanchored & it takes a lot of extra work to be present because I really miss the people I left behind or I’m really looking forward to the new adventures ahead. But sometimes the change can be beautiful because as soon as I get comfortable God calls me to take another gigantic, scary step that I don’t feel prepared for & yet He does the wildest things through those steps.
Well, I write all this to say that I am in the midst of taking another gigantic, scary step that I don’t feel prepared for at all, but here we go!!!
I have been given the amazing opportunity to be a Squad Leader for the rest of my race! This means that I, along with 3 other incredible women (Cortney, Emily, & Talia), will be leading my squad of 28 racers throughout the rest of our route. At the beginning of our trip, in August, we had 4 awesome alumni join us on the field to lead & show us the ropes. Now, come January, they will be returning back to the States after handing over the baton. We are so incredibly sad to see them go, but we also know that this is a huge part of growth & we cannot wait to see how M Squad grows throughout the remainder of our time serving overseas.
With this new role comes a new ministry opportunity. As a Squad Leader I will now be traveling around each country visiting the different teams within our squad. We will be partnering with them in whatever their ministry is for that month, but a huge part of our job will be pouring into the men & women on our team & facilitating the cultural environment of our squad that will allow us all to move through this transformational journey.
To be honest I feel so in over my head here, but what a sweet place to be! I get to enter into a season of full & total dependence on the Lord & I get to be used by Him in facilitating the growth of our squad while growing in my own walk with Him. I know for certain that this is exactly why the Lord has led me to the World Race, to make His name known among the nations while leading & serving His sons & daughters along the way.
We have two weeks left here in the Middle East. It’s so hard to believe that we are about to leave this part of the world. My heart is so sad, but I can’t wait to dive into a new culture & meet new people. It would mean the world to me if you could pray for our squad as we prepare for these transitions & pray for the new leadership team as we enter into this new season of serving the squad. I am so thankful for this opportunity & I cannot wait to see what the Lord continues to do within this squad & within the lives we come in contact with on our journey throughout Asia. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!!!
