Meet My New Team… WOAH!!!
(Me, Alice, Chach and Kirsten)
Another team of all girls! Before I would have been scared, but this time I was excited. I haven’t always had the closest friendships with girls, and found myself always being friends with guys. The World Race strongly believes in building and growing and living in COMMUNITY, INTIMACY and MISSION. Community is the friendships we have with each other on the squad, Intimacy is the relationship we have with God, and Mission is the reason why we’re out here… doing ministry as life and living life in ministry… sharing the GOSPEL!
Community for me has changed a lot for me in the past year: graduating college, moving to Hawaii for a few months, moving home with my parents for a month, and then my parents also moving in that month, and then of course, leaving the United States and traveling with a group of people that were strangers just a couple months ago. One of my leaders gave me feedback a few months ago to take more risks in my friendships and go deeper with my team. I asked her, “How do I take risks in friendships?” She said, “You do the thing that’s the most risky: get comfortable with the worst outcome.” After sharing my life story on that team, pretty much everything about me and how I grew up and my testimony, etc., I felt a deeper level of relationship with my teammates. But it came to switch teams again, and I got scared again. I have to tell these people all about my life again, and I really wanted to but the enemy gets under those fears and puts thoughts into my head that my team won’t love me after they hear my story or that they don’t want to be friends with me. Which is sooo not true! This year I’m learning constant vulnerability and to be unoffendable, learning to trust that my community has the best interest for me, and that even though we aren’t perfect, we will strive to become more like Christ and be an example of that to each other.
So, as I entered a new team, I knew I would have to do the same all over again. It was scary, and to be honest, the first week of being on a team with them, I felt really lonely. But God again was faithful and gracious, showing me the stories I needed to tell. And after we all shared our life stories, I felt more loved and seen and known than I ever had.
This time, as a team lead, I knew I wanted to lead by example. Sometimes you have to take the first step in vulnerability for others to also be vulnerable with you. Vulnerability deepens relationships to a new level, one that I’m certain God wants us to go to. He created us for community, to be in fellowship with one another. It’s beautiful. My new teammates have come around me in support through MANY things already and it’s been just than a month of being a team, including the passing away of my great grandpa, in which they bought me flowers and ice cream and sat with me to watch the live stream of the funeral service.
These girls are more than just teammates, they are my friends and sisters in Christ. They push me to seek the Lord in making decisions, to take everything to the Lord in prayer, to share the burdens I try to hold myself, etc.
Okay okay, enough talk, here are my new teammates…
Chach, the only person I will listen to Taylor Swift with!
Chach is a rockstar of a person. She is a bit older than me but our brains work in very similar ways. It has been fun to learn from her and experience life with her. She walks into a room and her presence is known, because she has the Holy Spirit inside of her! She has so much joy and wisdom and it comes out in fun spontaneity often. Quick story, we’re in Yerevan, Armenia, trying to figure out the bus system to be able to get to our ministry location. We ride the bus for a few hours, marking the stops and timing the ride. We figure out where our stop is at the orphanage that we are doing ministry at this month, and continue to ride it. Eventually everybody gets off the bus, even the bus driver… we look at each other and laugh, “should we get off?” we ask each other. Nah, let’s see where we turn around. The bus driver comes back and we try to ask him if we need to get off, he laughs and waves for us to sit, he doesn’t speak any English. He starts up the bus again and continues to drive, pretty fast. Finally, we stop at a “parking lot,” where another bus and its driver are taking a break, and our driver offers us some bread. We decline and he instead gives it to a stray dog. We pull out our own snacks, a granola bar and a Snickers and enjoy them as our driver sits outside and enjoys his break. Eventually he gets back on and again laughs at us, then starts the bus up again and heads back down. An interesting but fun afternoon, of many people staring and laughing at us, but I would be too if I saw us! Since then we’ve learned a few Armenian words and phrases that have greatly helped engaging with the people here. Just a glimpse into the fun and spontaneity and wisdom Chach brings to our team. I know I can always go to her when I need to feel safe and have sweet fun.
Alice, the coolest person I know!
Okay, Alice is truly the coolest person ever. She is always so calm and collected but so funny. She is a prayer warrior, always leading in prayer even at the most mundane moments. Example: I was telling her my back was hurting yesterday as we walked to get breakfast together and just casually as we walked, she prayed for healing for me. She has the kindest heart, and is so intentional with not only me and my team but everyone we meet, always talking to them, asking them about their life and families and jobs, etc. She is intentional in pursuing others and is growing in reciprocation of that vulnerability with sharing where you’re at. She is also an incredible photographer, and captures the sweetest moments. I know I can always go to her for deep talks and to feel seen and pursued.
Kirsten: my wildflower buddy!
Kirsten gets the privilege of being on a team with me again… I mean I get the honor of being on a team with her again!!! It’s been sweet to go through so many months of the Race with her and see how both of us have grown closer to the Lord and grown closer as friends. Kirsten is someone I want to be friends with even after the Race. She has a beautiful passion for homesteading and gardening, something I learned growing up living on a farm, and we have many conversations learning from each other. Kirsten is caring and kind. She sees beauty in so much, especially the small creations God has made. We like to pick wildflowers and go on walks and dance and sing, etc. Example: at the orphanage this past month, as we walk with the kids, she always stops to look at or pick the wildflowers that grow alongside the path. And the kids LOVE it and have started doing the same. I know I can always go to her for someone to be creative with and feel taken care of.
Another photo of us right after having a squirtgun fight in the park one very hot day with some local little boys!
Please keep me and my team in your prayers, for energy, rest and unity as we finish out our first month as a team doing ministry at an orphanage here in Armenia! AND head to a new country soon!
In which I must include, as we head to this next region of countries we will be traveling to, my blog will be password protected and use code for some words surrounding Christianity. Because of the view of Christianity in these countries, we will have to have extra protection for our hosts and other Christians in those countries. If you want access to my blog (and all my teammates), message me for the password!! Pray for the Lord to protect us and the people we are partnering with and for the people we will encounter!
Love always, Clara Grace
