A Season of No Doubt

Hello to the people who are supporting me from afar! My deepest apologies for being so MIA, especially because I know you are all on the edge of your seats, waiting for me to tell you all about my life as a squad leader. There is so much to talk about, and I am going to do my best to take you through all that you missed.

TRAINING CAMP:

Long, long ago, on August 21st, the newest and coolest set of world race squad leaders arrived at the AIM base in Georgia. We had one week of training before our squads arrived to begin theirs. From the moment I arrived, I was in awe of God as I walked through a familiar place with memories that revealed just how much God has worked in my life to get me there. There was an unexplainable amount of peace in me all throughout training camp. I got to experience God’s perfect peace in where he had me, a place where I used to walk around feeling anxious in every little moment. It was the first season in my life where I had felt such a peace in the place God called me to, and I was able to see God’s words over this season come to life. It was a season of no doubt. Unlike past seasons, I did not have to doubt that I am exactly where God wants me.

Praise God for his p fruits, his peace and patience, because training camp did not start off as expected. We spend the majority of training camp in prayer for another girl squad leader. Patience was needed as we went undercover leading team times, anticipating the day when God would give us that leader. Praise God because as always, HE PROVIDES! We received that leader and the day we anticipated finally arrived. Our teams were told whose squad leader was whose and God revealed the beauty in remaining patient. For his timing is perfect, even if it was hard to see. And that was that, our teams were official, and we were ready to move from training camp to domestic ministry in North Carolina.

Hold up, because I cannot forget to move on without first introducing one of the teams that I get the privilege to do life with this year. So here they are…the super cool…super amazing… women of God and daughters of the king…

THE SALT SHAKERS!!!

DOMESTIC MINISTRY: 

After weeks of being trained, we were off to Black Mountain, North Carolina for a week of domestic ministry before leaving the place we all called home (except for Sion-ed who is from Canada). There, our squad worked with Adventures Relief on restoring homes after Hurricane Helene left its destruction. My team, Salt Shakers, specifically worked with Mercy Chefs, a non-profit that gives food to those in need after natural disasters. We assisted in a lot of meal prepping, which included: shredding chicken, folding tortillas, mixing together deserts, and cutting up plenty of vegetables. Fun fact, if you cut enough onions, your eyes grow numb to the pain. We were able to help in the thousands of servings that they make per day to feed those in need. We loved this ministry and all of the laugher that came with serving together as a team for the first time.

After a couple of days working with Mercy Chefs, we ended up finishing the week in Base Ops. This means that we worked directly with Adventures Relief and the base that they had set up for their team and those who come from all over to volunteer.

We cleaned up the base, organized different areas, installed lights, and did some power washing. We were also able to help with prepping the lunches that Mercy Chefs made and packed them up for the rest of the teams to eat while they worked directly with families whose homes were in need of restoration.

I deeply loved the time that we had serving in Black Mountain. There was so much growth in relationships both within the squad as a whole, and my team. There is something so beautiful about growing in relationship with God’s people as we serve him. Also, in serving God, he is so kind to reveal more of himself. He used that week of service to remind me that a season of no doubt not only related to squad leading as a whole, but also to my faith in God. This season is also one where I surrender doubt that I have had in God’s ability to speak and work in my own life. Since then, I have seen so much more of his character and I long for even more of him.

COLOMBIA:

And then, after what both felt like a snap of the fingers and an eternity, we were off to conquer Colombia with the love of God! We have only been here a short time of two weeks, but God has already done so much within our hearts. He is revealing more of his heart to C Squad in what it looks like to serve him in every aspect of our time here. For example, this looks like honoring our host in the space they blessed us with, the food they make for us, and in doing the work to the best of our ability.

Just like our time in Black Mountain, ministry looks a bit different for each team on our squad. The first week, Salt Shakers spent plenty of time with vegetables. From cutting off rotten leaves on cabbage to handling tomato after tomato, Black Mountain certainly prepared us for this moment. Most of the time was spent in the kitchen working on cleaning the tomatoes from the Market or throwing them out if they were bad. Trust when I say that many were bad. However, the work itself was good.

Parts of last week and the majority of this week were also spend working in recycling. We would spend hours tearing the plastic off of paper bags, which was really all there is to it. A tedious job that calls for such a sweet time of serving the Lord in the little things.

Finally, we were able to be a part of two English classes. All this consisted of was making conversation with a few of the locals. The easiest way for them to learn is by making conversation by listening and speaking themselves. We asked them questions about their lives, and they did the same for us. What a privilege it is to serve the Lord by simply getting to know his people.

I feel so beyond blessed to be working with such an incredibly kind and generous ministry while in Colombia. We get to live in beautiful apartments during our time here. Not to mention we live over a church and a bakery, which is both cool and bad for the bank accounts. We are also blessed with amazing food on the daily, amazing hosts, and a breathtaking view from our roof. God has given us blessing upon blessing in our time here and I am so very excited to see all that he continues to do during this time.

I do believe that concludes this gigantic book of a blog. Guess it would help if I were better about posting, huh?? Well… maybe by God’s grace and his strength, I can make that happen. Your prayers in order for me to do so could also be beneficial to that cause. Especially because I have zero desire to withhold the testimonies that God will be giving on a daily (no doubts here). Thank you all for your support through donation and prayer to get me here. I shall continue to squad lead and work on that no doubt thing, if you will also continue to seek the Lord’s face and pray for me, my leadership team, Salt Shakers, and the entire squad.

That’s it for now, PEACE OUT!