We got the bittersweet news last Friday that team P63 would be no more. It was a great two months as a team, and I will miss the fun times we had (especially “Jeeperdy” and “Oh, No! Why am I so Awkward?”) and am thankful for all that I learned through the team. Kate, Christina, Marissa and I are still together, and the guys are now on Dani’s team, Reckless Pursuit.
I am excited for this next season on the race as a member of team Lionheart!
Team leader: Kate
Marissa
Christina C.
Christina K.
Kristen
Laura
The theme of lions was inspired by Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.”
The godly are as bold as lions because they are confident in the Lord’s strength. Like David facing Goliath, they know that they aren’t strong enough in themselves, but they know that God is more than strong enough to win their battles. It is one thing to know that the Lord is the Creator and Author of eternity, but it is another to believe that He is in my heart and trust Him enough to give Him control. I know that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, yet at times it is really hard to believe that when we are called to do things we cannot do by our own strength, He will choose to fight for us. That is faith, and I know it is a gift of God. With the remaining months, I hope to be given even greater faith, so that I can speak and act with a boldness that comes from a confidence in who God is and, even when all worldly evidence suggests that there is nothing to hope for, have an assurance that He will not call me to a place and abandon me, but instead He will fight for me.
In other news, we are in India! This month four teams are together. Monday was our first day here and we shopped for traditional Indian outfits (we must wear these outfits whenever we go out to do ministry.) For ministry this month we will do hospital visits, children’s ministry, encourage pastors and each team will also spend one week in a village during the month.
Yesterday my team went to a pastor’s house to help clean up after an electrical fire (fire restoration job, Dad!) It was a great blessing to meet the family. The pastor ministered to people in the slums and his wife recently left the family because of it. I got to talk to his 14-year-old daughter Princey while washing dishes, and her faith was encouraging. Despite all the hard things she’s been through lately (her mom leaving and the house fire) all she talked about was how good God had been to her. She explained that someone shook her father awake the night of the fire. I asked her who she thought woke him up, and she said joyfully it was God. She told me how she got to meet her neighbors because of the fire and how thankful she was for their help for her family. Then we talked about her school. She goes to an all-Hindi school, and she and her sister are the only Christians. She has gone to the school for three years and has yet to see anyone come to Christ. Despite this, she excitedly explained how every day she leads a Bible study and worship for her class during the free period. Her teachers and classmates ask her about Jesus, and then they believe. She has faith that their belief in Jesus will one day lead her classmates and teachers to accept him as their savior, even though no one has yet after three years.
