After spending all night on a bus, we finally arrived in the capital city of Bulgaria- Sofia. Once we checked into our hostels and ate breakfast, our squad leaders announced that we had a few hours to go out and make one last memory with our teams. We all knew what was about to happen. It was time for our squad leaders to pass on the torch to new squad leaders, for they will no longer be traveling with us after this month.
Team Love Story walked around and spent the couple of hours sightseeing and exploring the city. Afterwards, we gathered in a gorgeous park with the rest of O Squad to officially find out the team changes. In the next five-ten minutes a lot happened. There were teams that were completely broken up, brand new teams that were formed, and teams that stayed together. Needless to say, there was lots of emotions happening… some people were caught off guard, some were excited, and some were upset about no longer being with their original team mates.
As for us Love Story girls- we learned that we would all be staying together, minus Kellie. She would be transitioning into one of the new squad leader roles, and we couldn't be more excited to see what God has in store for her. As for our new team leader- that would be this girl. 🙂
When I first learned about my new roel- I must admit that I was a bit nervous. In my eyes- I had some BIG shoes to fill. But as I was praying about it and having some awesome alone time with Jesus- I realized that it wasn't my responsibility to fill those shoes. My responsibility was to be the person that God created me to be- an atmosphere changer, leading in my own unique way.
I realized that I wasn't chosen by chance or by default. I realized that there was a very specific reason that I was chosen to lead these girls. God already had this ordained long before I stepped foot onto this race… as a matter of fact, He already had this planned out long before I even applied last July. Which is why I'm super pumped to be a vessel of the Lord to these girls.
Shortly after we found out this news, we decided that we wanted to come up with a new team name for this next season. Even though we didn't get placed on new teams with different people- we've all grown and changed so much on this journey already, that we aren't necessarily the same people we were when we began this race four months ago. So in that sense- we are a new team. However, even in our "newness" we've come to realize that we can still easily become lax or complacent with our relationship with Jesus, just like we may have done before this journey began. We've come to realize that intimacy with Him takes work- day in and day out…. no matter where we are. We admitted that we don't want to go back to our old habits of only seeking Him when it's convenient.
The word "steadfast" can be defined as fixed or unchanging; unwavering or determined in purpose; loyal; etc. We want to be steadfast in pursuing Jesus on a daily basis… not only for the rest of this race, but also for the rest of our lives.
So with that being said- we are now team STEADFAST PURSUIT, and I'm so excited to see God move and lead me through this next season. I believe in my heart that BIG things are in store… right around the corner! As long as I press in daily and listen to His soft whisper guiding my steps, I trust that He will show up in ways I could have never even dreamed of before the Race. For even in this first week of ministry in Bulgaria, God's presence has blown my mind!
Once again- thank you SO much for your support and following me on this journey!! Please continue to keep my team and me in your prayers, as we work with the Gypsy community in Bulgaria this month. Like I said- God's presence has already rocked my world in just one week- and I can't wait to share stories and photos with you in my next blog…. COMING VERY SOON!!!
With Much Love,
Pamela
