So before I begin to explain what this new season holds for me, I need to start by explaining how the world race is set up.
On our squad, there are 43 racers going through this world race journey for the first time. We are from all over the states and all have uniquely beautiful stories of how God brought us here.
At training camp we were broken up in to seven teams, each team having a team leader and a treasurer. For the past four months, I had the incredible honor of leading Team Tolmao (more commonly known by the squad as Rosie’s Rangers).
Traveling with our squad for the first five months are two alumni squad leaders, Heather and Benita. Both of them have already been on the world race previously and are here again to lead us along the way. They travel from team to team and while they still participate in ministry, their primary ministry is the squad. They walk alongside us, encourage us, challenge us, and provide communication from us racers to our squad mentors back in the states.
But like I said, Heather and Benita are only with us for the first five months. So at the end of month four, three racers (from that initial group of 43) are raised up to become squad leaders.
So, here goes.
We just closed out month four of the race and spent a few days in Pretoria, South Africa debriefing the last few months. Month four debrief is another season of change. (You may have realized by now that every season of the world race is a season of change.) A season of looking back on the last four months and knowing that what we did was good, really really good but more importantly, a time to look forward and know that so much greatness lies ahead of us and that is where we need to keep our eyes fixed.
Month four debrief brings the thing most racers fear the most: team changes. We are no longer seven teams but instead only six teams. And I am no longer a team leader of the wonderful people I’ve been able to call family.
A couple of days ago, I, along with the rest of my squad, was anxiously awaiting the news of what team I would be. It was all anyone could really talk about at this point because it was so close we could all taste it. We just wanted to know. I just wanted to know.
The past four months if I’m being completely honest were hard. Month one on the race, our first month as a team, we were six strangers thrown together and together we stayed for meals, ministry, and every single thing in between.
Month one we had to learn how to love each other. We had to learn that even though back home we get to choose the people we want to hang out with, that choice isn’t a luxury we signed up for this year. And even though we weren’t people that would naturally gravitate towards each other, we could still choose to fight for each other.
Month one was messy.
And at debrief in Albania at the end of month one, one of our team members was moved to a different team. We were no longer six, but a team of five. And man, it was painful.
But it was in that moment of brokenness, in that moment of loss, that we realized we had to start fighting for each other better. And we did. The next three months we became family.
So walking in to a season of change, not knowing if I would remain with all or none of my previous team members, was difficult. But all we could do was surrender, placing every ounce of our trust in the process and be reminded that no matter what, we would remain family.
My first four months as team leader brought me so much growth, challenge, and insight into who God created me to be. I’ve learned that I don’t have to be a people pleaser, how to let go of expectations, how to walk alongside people without carrying their burdens, how to have really hard conversations, how to extend an abundance amount of grace for others, but also how to extend that same grace for myself. I’ve grown more in my relationship with the Lord the last four months than I have in the past several years of my life.
All in just the first four months. We still have seven month left. And for the next seven months, God has called me to even more. Myself, Tabitha, and Austin, have been given the unbelievable opportunity to be the new y squad raised up squad leaders.
From left to right: Benita, Heather, Austin, myself, and Tabitha
An opportunity with a whole new set of challenges and an abundance more of growth.
Heather said it perfectly this morning: this season is going to require more dependence on the Lord than ever before. That there will be times when I let people down, when I fail, and when I don’t know what to do, but that it’s okay. This will be a season of extending myself grace and forgiveness and walking in complete trust. This will be a season of finding all of my strength in the Lord, not on my own leadership abilities.
To be honest, we aren’t quite sure what this next season looks like and most of it will be learning as we go. If it’s anything like the last four months, it will be extremely hard and extremely good. So pray for Austin, Tabitha, and I during this new transition as we face a season of unknown. Pray that we can serve our squad well and that we can encourage each other along the way.
We only have seven months left of this crazy journey. Seven months to dive deep and see what the Lord holds for each of us when we get back to the states. Let’s make these seven months count.
