New squad. New country. New role. Same God.
Six weeks ago I started this journey with V squad. Squad leading has been a dream of mine ever since I finished my semesters trip to South Africa with the world race back in the summer of 2021. The Lord changed my life that summer and I haven’t stopped testifying about it since. My squad leaders played a big part in that. The way that I saw my friend Sarah pursue the Lord encouraged me to pursue intimacy with my creator. She prayed with me and walked alongside me in my deepest hurts and she pointed me to the only one who can truly heal. I knew that I wanted to be able to do the same for others one day. I wanted to be able to participate in what the Lord is doing around the world and in the people walking next to me.
After three short weeks at home I headed back to Gainesville, GA for leader training. I spent a lot of time learning and also hearing beautiful testimonies from other alumni racers that would be leading this fall as well. I also got to spend some time with some of my beloved P squad family. It is truly such a joy to see my friends stepping into this next season with obedience to where God has called them to be.
After about a week and a half of leader training the racers arrived!! I finally got to meet the nine people that I had been praying for! Once the racers got to training camp Kirsten and I moved out to a ten person tent to camp with our squad. This was a stretching experience for everyone, but it also helped bond us together quickly.
I’m not going to lie to you, aside from the joy and excitement of meeting the squad and starting friendships, training camp was really hard for me. The spiritual warfare I experienced during training camp was more intense than I’ve ever experienced before. I know and the enemy knows how much the Lord can use something like the world race to change the lives of the people that go and the people that we are sent to. I could hear the lies that the enemy was speaking over the racers. I could see the ways that it was causing doubt to rise up in our squad.
But above it all the Lord was still moving and speaking. I saw people experience true freedom as they encountered the Holy Spirit. I saw strongholds break and I saw healing happen. One day in worship the Lord showed me 2021 Lexy at training camp. I remembered exactly where I was standing in worship. Where the Lord spoke over me that I was His. His beloved daughter fearfully and wonderfully made. Where He reminded me that He created me intentionally and on purpose. And the Lord told me that He was doing the same thing for people in the room that day. What an honor to see people experience the Lord in fresh ways. To see people in a similar state that I was in walking into my first semesters trip and knowing that the Lord is about to change their lives.
I am forever grateful for training camp because of the reminder it gave me of my desperate need for Jesus. I cannot do this in my own strength. It simply won’t work. Luckily I don’t have to and you don’t have to either. Because of Jesus, I don’t have to do a single thing alone. He is always right by my side and ready to fill me back up. His goodness is never ending. I have tasted and seen this to be true. So if you’re feeling weary and burdened come and lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Come and live under the easy yoke and the light burden! Jesus is waiting with open arms.
More to come on my life in the Dominican Republic and the super sweet girls that I have the privilege of leading in this season. Thank you so much for your prayer and support!
