I had the privilege of spending this past weekend with 15  incredible leaders.  Two months ago these 15 leaders gathered in Gainesville, GA to prepare to lead 130 students on a mission trip to 1 of 8 countries around the world.  When they arrived some were a bit nervous, some were asking themselves what they just got into, all of them were excited, all of them had a crazy expectancy for God to show up.  But they had no idea what this summer would entail. 

After leader training then training camp where they met their students we sent these 15 leaders to either Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, India, Israel, Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania with their teams of college-aged students.  Their mandate:  to go and serve, to be wrecked by God's love, to walk in the light and release God's Kingdom wherever they went.

For the next two months Michelle McDonald and I (the fearless field support team :)) had the honor of talking to these leaders weekly...sometimes several times a week.  If only we could accrue air miles or something for the amount of Skype minutes we used, ha.  Each week we heard stories of what God was doing & how ministry was going.  We heard about the great things; we heard about the tough things.  We heard stories of freedom and stories of brokenness.  We laughed & celebrated with them, challenged them, prayed for them, encouraged them, and just did our best to support them as they were pouring out all they had into their teams.  This is definitely my favorite part of my job!!

They went.  They loved.  They were changed.  They brought change.  They experienced brokenness.  They embraced community.  They grew in their dependency on God.  They experienced miracles.  They loved sacrificially and were loved by our relentless God.  Then they came home.  Changed forever! 

You can imagine the excitement that filled the house this weekend as we all gathered to celebrate what God has done!  These leaders are physically and emotionally spent!  They've poured out every ounce that God gave them to invest into their teams.  But even through the tired, jet-lagged eyes, something is evident on their faces.  I can't explain it with any other word besides RADIANT.  They're glowing as they talk about what they experienced, how they were changed, how their students were changed. 

They returned home with a new-found or re-ignited freedom and confidence in their identity.  They speak with boldness about who God is and how He's shown Himself faithful.  They realize that all this is SO much more than a group of kids going on a summer mission trip.  It's about lives forever being changed.  It's about a movement of young people who are finally waking up to who they really are - who God says they are.  A generation that's taking their place in this world, saying YES to being used by God to heal the sick, raise the dead, prophesy life, and bless everyplace they go.
    
I want to honor this incredible group of leaders.  Thank you to Amanda, Angie, Anna, Audrey, Becca, Blair, Braedon, Carly, Jesse, Laura, Nate, Nick, Traday, and Vicki.  You guys are rockstars!  May God bless you richly.  May you be refreshed today.  May your heart swell with joy as you realize how God has used you this summer.  God is so proud of you and so am I. 

I'm honored to sit at the table with you!