I posted a blog a little while ago that was the first part of this. And it’s high time to continue, because I actually know what’s next for me and the Lord! This September I’ll be leading a team of men on their Gap Year for three months! Currently, I’m not 100% sure of where I’ll be going, but it’s most likely that I’ll be going with my current squad mentor to Swaziland. A few other current squad mates of mine will be joining me, and we’re all so stoked for what’s to come. We get to return to where we were a year ago, but with all the knowledge and experience we have now. On top of that, we get to teach it to others! But I suppose this begs the question: why Alumni Team Lead?
During my first three months of the Race, I too had an Alumni Team Leader. His name is Luke Troyanek, and he is a man among men. He taught us so much in regards to faith, ministry, and even how we ought to treat our sisters in Christ. Luke had a massive role to play in setting up my team for success on our trip. We also have our Squad Leader, Luis Lam. Luis is wise beyond his years, and still has the playful heart of a 10 year old. He’s also had a huge role to play in our team. Both of these men have been inspirations for me in pursuing further leadership roles. My mindset is this: If I can be to my future team even an ounce of what Luke and Luis have been to my team, this new team will be a successful one. The Lord has given me a huge passion to disciple men, and so this will be an amazing first step into that path.
It’s funny, though, because team leading was off my radar for a good chunk of the race. I always knew it was a possibility, but for a long time I didn’t think it would be for me. I thought I wasn’t good enough, and that I needed to grow more before I could even think of something like that. But the Lord thought differently, and he showed me that even if I ended up not being good enough I could trust Him to do well anyways. Sounds confusing, but it makes sense in my head. Something that the Lord revealed to me recently was that I didn’t do anything to earn this privilege to lead. He just… gave it to me. I’m not doing this because I’ve proven myself, or because I’m a better Christian, or because I wanted it bad enough. He just did. Often times we find ourselves searching for answers as to the ‘Why?’ of God’s actions or decisions. The reality, however, is that we won’t always know, and that’s okay. What a glorious opportunity for moments of child-like faith where we can look into the stars and say, “Thank you, Papa. You’re amazing.”
Anyway. Next stop is Portland, then Swazi! More updates to come!
