The Start of Something New

February 12 launched us into short-term team season here at Beautiful Gate. Between now and when I leave at the end of June we have four more teams, as well as five after I’ve returned to the U.S. Needless to say, 2016 is turning out to be one of the busiest years we’ve had at BG with teams.

Over the last ten days I dove headfirst into my new role as North American Ambassador with our first team of the year. Graafschap CRC from Holland, MI has been a great team. They’ve worked hard, fallen head over heels with our children and housemothers, and blessed us all with their hearts and service. It’s been a pleasure being a part of leading this team and introducing many of them to Beautiful Gate for the first time. As hard as it is to see people come and go so often I’m already learning to prepare my heart for the constant change and shifting that is inherent in this job. This first team leaves tomorrow, but we only have just over a week before the next team arrives. It’s a fast paced gig with and many nights leave me wondering what exactly I did all day.

I’m also learning just how much work being a team coordinator is. Months are spent preparing for these teams. We meet with them a number of times before they ever set foot on campus. We prepare the staff for their coming. We make plans and schedules and preparations for their arrival. Those plans and schedules inevitably get changed throughout their time here. We’re responsible for guiding them in their work and helping them have positive experiences in a new place. We lead devotions in the evenings, attempting to help them see things from a perspective we can only hope they’ll catch a glimpse of during their short stay. We live where we work, so we’re constantly “on the clock” leaving us completely exhausted at the end of the team’s visit.

Despite the 120+ hour work week, the constant catering to and balancing the needs of both the team and the staff/children, and never really being in control even though you’ve planned things out several times over, I’m so grateful that God has given me this privilege and opportunity. It’s not easy, but God never promises that our lives will be easy. In fact, He promises just the opposite! This job forces me to persevere when I feel defeated. It forces me to rely on God when I’m physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained. It forces me to meet, work with, and love all kinds of people from all over the world. Most of all it forces me to trust my Abba and His plan for my life and the lives of all those I interact with. There’s no way I can do this on my own and, to be honest, I really don’t want to. Truthfully, I hope people don’t really remember me after they’ve finished serving at Beautiful Gate. My greatest hope and joy would be for every team to see the work God is doing in this place. My honor is to walk them through and lead them to the feet of Jesus. My desire is to be invisible so that Christ can be made visible in a whole new way for everyone who sets foot on Beautiful Gate’s campus.

It’s clear to me now that I’ve signed on to a massive and incredibly complex position. There’s a lot of responsibility. There’s a lot of work. But it’s also clear to me now, after this week and a half, there’s a lot of reward too. As chaotic as teams can be it is evident that God uses them to do immeasurably more than we could do as an isolated group of staff and long-term volunteers. They are our advocates all over the world. They are our encouragers and prayer warriors. They allow us to see this place with new eyes again and be reminded of why we are here in the first place. This is the beginning of a wild ride and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.