DO THE PIECES FIT?
My brain loves to create analogies to understand the world. When I see something, I compare and relate it to something that I understand. Some of my analogies are brilliant (if I don't say so myself), and some are things that only my brain can understand (evidenced by blank looks from my friends when I excitedly share). One of my favorite activities in college was to create an analogy of how the brain works. My analogy was elaborate detailing how the brain is like a hospital. I explained how the brain functions by comparing it to the inner workings of the different departments within a hospital.
At any rate, all that to say, a couple of weeks ago I attended the WR training camp and it was there that I was assigned my team that I will be living, traveling, and ministering alongside for the next year. When I found out who my team would be, my brain did what it does and created an analogy for the occasion. So, here it goes…my team is like am extraordinary puzzle made up of unique pieces.
You puzzle putter-togethers out there know that when you take the pieces out of a box, they are sometimes radically different shapes, designs, and colors. Sometimes it is hard to envision how they will all fit together to make a picture. Once they are put together, however, the colors blend, the edges fit, the designs come alive, and something extraordinary is created. As people we all have different life experiences, backgrounds, strengths, and gifts. We don't always see how these fit together, but God does. I feel like when my team was put put together, God saw not just a bunch of random individuals (or pieces) but a picture where the pieces all brought something to the table to create something extraordinary with a purpose that man could not see. My teammates and I are from all over the USA and outside it as well. We have very different lives, jobs, and experiences yet God brought us together with a common purpose and is going to use all of that in our ministry to others and one another this year. I am so excited to be teamed with this incredible group of ladies in ministry this year.
My team is made up of 5 other lovely ladies and myself. Our team name is Daughter's of the Vineyard. The day we were assigned to the same team, we sat down together to come up with a team name. The suggestion was given by out lovely teammate, Sarah, that maybe we should share things that the Lord had been speaking to us personally and maybe that would help us come up with our team name. As we shared and prayed, we found that God had laid the same things on each of our hearts in different ways. We discovered that we each felt that God had confirmed in different ways that this is to be a year where we set things aside for the Lord and that He has some pruning in our lives that he wants to do in order to produce fruit. He gave us this scripture-John 15. We feel as if God wants to use this journey to teach us and make us more like Him. We want to be obedient to this as individuals and as a team. So, with no further ado, let me introduce you to Daughter's of the Vineyard!
LYNN-Lynn has one of the kindest and most sensitive spirits of anyone you will ever meet. She is always looking out for others and reaching out to them. Lynn is from the Netherlands!!!! She lives in Canada now and has been working on a farm in Dairy Management. Lynn likes country music, Dutch Blitz, and horses too so I think we will get along splendidly. 🙂
KRISTINA-Kristina is from Georgia. She has an infectious smile, laugh, and a fun personality. This girl has some great wisdom and an amazing heart for God. I am looking forward to getting to know her better this year. I learned at camp that she is a pretty good beat boxer as well!
CARLY-What can I say, Carly has one of the coolest laid back personalities of anyone I have met. Her humor is great and she is fun to be around. She is an observer and has the ability to step back from situations and see things that others can't. Carly is a photographer from California (yay for having a photographer on our team!!!! :-).
SHA'TERIKA-Sha'Terika has been going to school in WA but is originally from Ohio. She has a way about her that makes people feel safe and comfortable. Sha'Terika will be our teamleader this year and I am so thrilled to have such a Godly and caring women in this role for our team throughout the next year.
Sarah-Sweet Sarah brings a special sparkle to our team. She hails from North Carolina and has an awesome bumper sticker on her car about sweet tea (I discovered I LOVE Southern sweet tea)!!! Sarah has been working as a bridal consultant. She has such an evident desire to be obedient to the Lord and a heart to reach out to others.
Once again, I am so excited about getting to serve alongside these ladies and getting to know them better throughout the next year. Please check out their blogs and see what is new and what God has been teaching them as well. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare to launch in just a very short while!!! We will be flying into Atlanta, Georgia September 7th and then departing for Guatemala September 10th!!!!
