Training camp was incredible but my favorite moment at camp was when we found out our teams (the 6 other people we will be living with every day for 11 months). My team is incredible and we all mesh together so beautifully. We are all so different and bring so many different things to the table. But, when we sit down and see what everyone has brought it all works together amazingly. If someone is weak in an area there is someone who is strong in that area. Nobody is inadequate or left behind. Everyone has the ability and the courage to lead when there time comes.
Our team name is (drum roll)……………..Team Bioluminescence!
Don’t worry! I will give you a quick explanation of what Bioluminescence is and why the heck we chose it as our team name.
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Bioluminescence is found mostly in marine animals such as the dinoflagellates. These single celled plankton have an incredibly beautiful characteristic, when they are exposed to an increased amount of oxygen, in the water, they glow a bright blue! Basically whenever they are disturbed, by man or nature they will glow!
As christians sometimes we get a bad reputation of forcing the gospel down peoples throats or being way to abrasive in our delivery of Gods word. My team and I all know those kinds of people and we didn’t want to be thought of in that way. We want to share the good news of Jesus, but in a way that is inviting and beautiful.
The dinoflagellates are living there lives just fine with no problem. All of a sudden a small wave crashes over them and a bright burst of light is created from inside them, and made visible for everyone around them to see and enjoy. The wave didn’t put that light inside of them they had it all along, The wave just helped to release it.
My team and I aren’t going out into the world to bring the light of Jesus to everyone we meet. We are just going to calmly, like a small wave, release the light of Jesus that has always been inside of each and everyone of us.
Now I would like to introduce you to each and everyone of the amazing people I will get to call my team/family for the next 11 months.
Ben Baecker- Ben is our team leader and is the perfect guy for the job. Every single person on our team is incredible and brings something to the table that others can’t and Ben sees that. Ben is the kind of leader who sits down with everyone to solve a problem instead of delegating to others. Everyone has greatness inside them and its a leaders job to bring that greatness out of them. Ben does that with an incredible amount of authority and makes sure every person knows they are needed. We are going to do great miraculous things this year with Ben leading the way.
Tiffany Johnston- Tiffany is an absolutely incredible person. When you are down in the dumps and just don’t know if you can make it through the day Tiffany is the person you would want to call. Tiffany is one of the most positive, upbeat, and patient people I have ever met. She brings a light to the team that glows bright enough for everyone, even if our light is out. This year won’t be easy and here will be times that we won’t know what to do next, but Tiffany will be able to lift us up and encourage us in a way that nobody else can do.
Jessica Parks- We all know that one person who, when they speak people listen. Jessica is exactly that and much more! There have been multiple times when we are talking as a team and Jessica will say something that makes the rest of our team go, “WOAH! Dang Jess that was deep!” Jessica has an amazing amount of wisdom and guidance. But the only reason she is able to speak with such grace and power is because she listens and truly cares for people. There will be times this year we will all ask ourselves “Why?” We won’t understand whats going on but Jessica will be able to communicate to us in a way that nobody else can and it is a way that each of us treasures and understands.
Drew Dahlsten-We all put on masks to impress people and make people like us. Some people in this world are blessed with the ability to connect with everyone without even trying, Drew is one of those people. He has a gift to connect with people on a deeper level than most. I know that there were multiple times when either I or another person was struggling at camp and he saw that right away and was able to speak words of encouragement to us. We will be on the field and meet some very very difficult people that we won’t know how to deal with. Luckily, we have Drew Dahlsten on our team who will reach out to them and speak life into them like nobody ever has before.
Anna Williams- Anna is the most peaceful person I have ever met. She has this presence that she brings with her wherever she is that just makes you feel at peace. This peace comes from her deep relationship with Jesus. Every time Anna would say something to me it was always just what I needed to hear at the time. While we are traveling and spreading the good news of Jesus it is going to get incredibly hectic and overwhelming at times, but Anna is going to be there to bring us all back together and remind why we are doing what we are doing.
Brittany(Bee) Davis- “Woah Fireflies!” Every single night we would see fireflies and Bee noticed every time. The whole week we were at training camp God did a lot of remarkable things and it would be easy to overlook some things. Bee is not the kind of person to overlook Gods faithfulness and Glory. Bee is so in tune with her heavenly father that she is able to notice him working in even the smallest of ways. We will be doing some incredible things over the next 11 months but, we won’t always see the results we were hoping for, if any. Bee will be there to remind us that God is in control and he is doing things that are out of our control and understanding.
This is my remarkable team and I look forward to seeing how God will grow each and everyone us this year. Tune in to either my blog or theres over the next 11 months. If any of you would like to support them please please do. I am fully funded but the rest of my team still needs some help with fundraising. There are some of you out there that haven’t donated yet but want to and this is your chance. We will be leaving next week to begin our adventure and I don’t want fundraising to still be an issue while we are gone. Please help in anyway you can and check out there incredible blog as well. They are truly some remarkable people.
Good Stuff team.
