Well here I am writing my first blog for month 4 on the race. I am currently in China at the flat we’ve been so lucky to live at this month. By the time I am able to post this blog, my time in China will be finished and my first month as team leader will also be complete.
I was going to go to ministry today but felt a tug on my heart to stay back and rest. I realized that I haven’t really rested since before leaving Swaziland and with the chaos of travel days and being inducted into team leadership, I realized that staying behind and actually processing all such business would be best. So this blog is me writing as I process, I will warn you, it might be a tad long.
I didn’t ever believe I would be able to say this, but, “I was in 5 countries in 3 days. Yes, 5.” Travel day chaos began on November 30th as the I squad family ventured from Swaziland to South Africa, South Africa to Kenya, Kenya to Thailand and Thailand to Hong Kong, in 3 days. It was mad crazy. In South Africa, I was asked to team lead. While being completely at peace and joyful about this opportunity, I also was going a little crazy as I was asked to keep my new position on the DL until it was announced in Hong Kong.
Let’s just say I did a lot of internal processing and am forever grateful for Jo-Burg wifi as I was able to Skype and Facetime some of my closest and vent. In Nairobi, Kenya I felt the Lord confirm this new season on the race as team leader; it was amazing. I did get FREE Starbucks in Thailand. We weren’t suppose to have a layover there, as a courtesy gesture from Kenya airways, they gave us a food coupon for our 2-hour delay. The Thailand airport is MASSIVE and finding Starbucks required much running, “WHERE is it?,” more running until finally we saw those beautiful green letters. I was overjoyed; I hadn’t had Starbucks since leaving the states. I happily got a Cranberry Bliss bar and a Grande hazelnut latte with soy. If you know me, you know I was happy. I also got free internet while their and was able to talk to another one of my closest. I must say that travel days thus far on the race, have been the most draining, testing for me; they are also when I have seen God so graciously provide.
We had about a 3 day stay in Hong Kong during which time all of I squads new teams were announced. I discovered that my new team consisted of some of my closest friends on the race. Honestly, it is nothing but a privilege to lead these women. There are 6 of us, an all girls team, starting with 2 of my previous teammates, Anna Primrose and Raychel Mayko, and the other beauties: Katie Noble, Sara Hernandez, and Alexzandra Rangel. These women are prime, godly, beautiful, and powerful testimonies of His beauty and glory. Already, I have been gleaning from them, learning more and stepping further into the woman of God I am because of who they are. Corporately, we decided that our team name would be “Hidden Refuge.”
With that, it is also been a process of grieving as I said goodbye to my first team, Redeeming D.U.S.T. The joy though is that I get to look forward to seeing all of them on our travel days and at I Squad debriefs and I trust that this is where we are all suppose to be. So it’s been good.
As our time in Hong Kong came to a close, my service as team leader began as well as our 4 days of travel into and across China. This consisted of leaving Wednesday from Hong Kong and arriving at our ministry destination Saturday morning. This is how it went down…
We walked from where we were staying to a bus station- packs, backpacks, purses, everything in hand. We rode about an hour-long bus ride, laughter found us as did stares from the locals, to a bus stop in the middle of a city. From that stop we walked to a metro station, took the metro to the border crossing in China. Exited the metro and went through customs into China. We waited for a while until we took a train to another train station where we “slept” on the floor of the train station. In the early morning we woke up and took a metro to another train station. At that train station we waited for the day until boarding our LONG train at 8:45pm that evening. We spent 35 hours on the long train, slept 2 nights on it. Finally we arrived Saturday morning and ventured around town before finding everyone affordable housing. By the afternoon we were settled in.
I told you travel days were mad crazy.
In all this, a new season begins as month 4 on the race unfolds. It’s a new continent, another country (I love China), a new team, and a new beginning as team leader.
Oh and just so you know, being a team leader essentially means more responsibility than a team member. I oversee my team, Hidden Refuge. I am the contact person at our ministry sites and the means of communication for my team to our squad leaders. I facilitate team time and feedback, and I am responsible for getting my team from point A to point B, essentially in charge of logistics. As leader, I monitor my team’s spiritual growth and make sure the standards of Adventures in Missions are being met.
(I'm not trying to toot my horn or anything; just letting you know. 🙂
All in all, it is a blessing and a definite stretching experience as well as a sacrifice. And as I’ve told my girls, right now, my passion lies in them; in hearing their stories, knowing their heart, their struggles and pouring into them in encouragement, healing, and growth.
China has been a good month and I still am hopeful for so much more to come. Feel free to read my next blog as I will share what my time and ministry has been like here on the race.
Happy Belated Christmas.
