How do you fit 10 people in a van that seats six? This is a happy problems of leading Key of Hope. It feels good when we have so many who want to work with kids, you need to develop creative seating. Sometimes you go home from the orphanage frustrated because the kids weren’t listening or things went sour. But there are weeks like this, where everyone’s excited about going and still happy coming home.

We’re in the Health and Hygiene unit of our life skills curriculum. The central message was the importance of washing your hands. I know it sound simplistic but it’s really necessary.

I’m finding that my role is more and more equipping and empowering team mates than being the front man. It’s okay, I still get to be there with a kid plopped on my lap or on my back or sometimes tied to my leg. (Three-legged race). I’m finding that I really like helping people find their niche, letting them experiment, make mistakes and guiding with a few suggestions.

Leadership is a lot like Christmas time. You have all these people with all these gifts, and your job is to open them up to see what’s inside. Some people are bold and almost want to take over, others need to be coaxed and encouraged. Some have developed skills for years and some have gifts inside that they don’t even know about.

Our newest team member is also our team translator. Katya is from Moldova. Before she went through her Discipleship Training School, she had never worked with kids before. She was an “only child,” and became a Christian as a teenager. But during her DTS outreach, she was thrown into work at an orphanage. In her mid-twenties, she discovered for the very first time that she not only CAN she work with kids, but she likes it and is good at it. This week she learned two new games never seen before. “Capture the Flag” and “Ultimate Frisbee.”

Katya started out for us as a translator. Most people in Key of Hope are only learning Russian and Ukrainian (or English). It was a regular pain calling around for somebody to translate for us. So right off the bat, Katya was a major gift from God for the team. Now, she’s volunteered to lead the next lesson.

Pray for me. I really love my team and want to encourage growth and discipleship. The normal and easy thing is for me to do as much by myself as possible and let others support me in the background. But why leaves workers frustrated and stifled with unreached potential? My continuing prayer is to help my team to keep growing, to be spiritually healthy and equipped to be the strongest team possible. Not just while in YWAM but in their churches and nations when their time with us is complete.

¶ 4:46 PM

Post a Comment