A Must Read for All Future AND Current Racers!

 

There have been many blogs posted for future racers
to prep
them for their race, based on what they need to bring, what they need to
prepare, what they can expect out on the field. This blog is to prepare
all of
you for what you need to be aware of so that you can work effectively as
a
team, as a squad. I hope you will find it helpful from a racer’s
perspective of
each of these roles.

First of all to my fierce squad Leaders
Mike, Denise and
Tamica. Thank you for serving us! You did not sign up for 7 months of
squad
leading so your race was completely different from the rest of us. But
you
continued to say “Yes Lord”. Thank you for pouring into us, even when
you were running empty. You had different challenges than the rest of us
in
ways that we were not able to support you but you kept running. The Lord
will
honour your service. You are probably exhausted but I’m sure that the
Lord will
give you sweet rest and over fill you. All 3 of you guys have different
gifts
and God put you together so well. Mike, you have authority when you
speak and
it is a natural leader quality. Denise, your love flows out of you and I
will
not forget all the times that you pursued each one of us to spend
quality time
with us. Tamica, you are bold when you need to be, even if it ruffles a lot
of
feathers, you take it because you see the good behind it. You are a
soldier,
taking all the hit for the sake of the bigger picture.

Future
SQLs:
There will be days where you will hate being a squad leader. You are in a
position to make the tough calls and have the hard conversations. And
the squad
may, or more likely, may not, support you at all. Just remember that God
didn’t
put you in that position if He did not equip you for it. Be firm, stand
in
knowledge that you are equipped, in the same way that Moses was
equipped,
though he did not feel like it.

My current Team Leaders: Thank you for looking out
for us
and being patient with us as we each made this journey together. If I
were to
have a visual for this Race, I can see a group of us walking together on
a
journey, and team leaders, you are the ones that are always turning
around to
see if anyone is lagging behind and if they are, you go back to help
them while
some of us are trudging forward, and others stay with the one behind.
You
consistently do this for us, leaving no one left behind.

Future
Team Leaders:
You are not just disseminating information to your team in your role.
You may
be the point person for your contact but you play a much bigger role
than that.
YOU set the tone for your team – they will thrive in walking in the
Spirit if
you thrive walking in the Spirit. You need to have a keen awareness of
how each
and everyone on your team is doing, especially on bad days, so that you
can
challenge, encourage and support at those critical times. Understand the
profiles of each team member: married couples, young guys, older(above
30)
girls and be aware of their needs. Ask the Lord for discernment, you
will not
be able to lead on your own strength. You should learn very early on,
each of your
team members’ strength and weaknesses and use that to help your team
work as a
unit. You NEED to be aware when someone is having a bad day and reaching
out to
them, even when you don’t feel like it. Equip yourselves by being filled
with
the word of God, it will protect you and give you wisdom to handle
situations.

 Finance Folks: Thank you for being the
stewards of what God
has given us this year to be on this Race. You guys have been so
responsible
and have made many investments along the way for our squad.

Future
Finance Folks:
The one thing I would say to you is that even though there is an
emphasis on
meeting budget and not going over, TRUST in the Lord that He will
provide,
especially in the expensive countries. Don’t do the finances all in your
own
strength, watch how the Lord WILL provide for your team especially when
you are
over budget. We often try so hard to meet budgets on our own strength
and fail
to ask for God to intervene. I have seen teams who have been overbudget
and the
Lord blessed them with a month of free vegetables and fruits. Don’t let
the
task of handling money consume your faith.

Finally but definitely NOT least, to Mads – i thank
YOU for
serving alongside me in our Logistics role. As 2 very different and
independent
women with very different working styles, God put us together to learn
from
each other. I thank you for always putting 110% when working for the
squad. I
have learned from your assertive ways and efficient ways of getting
things
done. You give it all for the squad and though you may feel that you
have not
been respected at some of the BEST work you have done this year, know
that this
little buddy of yours has always respected you in everything you have
done,
absolutely everything. There is no way I could have done this role
without you,
in more ways than one. I didn’t think that at the beginning but I see
that now.
I am so thankful that Brian & Stacy heard from the Lord to pick you
to work
with me.

Future
Logistics
Folks: Some days you will feel “Life is Unfair”. There
will be
days while the rest of the squad is out on their off days, you are stuck
working hard to find a bus/train station to arrange for your next travel
days
for the squad, or arranging hostels for everyone. You essentially do the
bulk
of the work for your squad, more work than team leaders, more work than
squad
leaders but no one will see that. Take a deep breath on those days and
remember
what you signed up for in this role: To Serve YOUR squad. NO ONE on your
team
will understand what you go through or your frustrations, not your
leaders,
maybe your squad leaders. The only person that will fully understand
what you
go through is your logistics partner so lean on each other. You will see
the
fruit of the partnership because God picked the 2 of you. As an
encouragement,
being in this role, you will have sharpened many skills by the end of
your
race: research skills on the how to travel from country to country,
negotiating
skills because you will be always asking for discounts since you have
the
volume of business, networking skills because you will be the first one
to
touch base with each new contact in each country, patience and grace
because
you do a TON of work that no one sees only to get some disgruntled
comments in
the worst of times. Remember, take a deep breath and remember what you
signed
up for.

To all other
racers not in these roles: support these
people!!! Learn and be aware of what their challenges or struggles may
be and
help them, pray for them, support them. They need you but they may not
always
tell you because they are in a different role and don’t expect you to
understand. Reach out to them.”

“The body
is a unit, though it is made up of many
parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is
with
Christ” 1Cor12:12