The Next Year

Some younger teammates- side by side sitting

Last week we entered the final year of our team’s commitment. This may not sound like a big deal— I mean a year is a long time, especially when you take into account the whole commitment was only 2.5 years. It’s still a lot of time. But as we look at the next year, we see the things planned. We feel the grooves we get caught up in and we see the tendency for weeks and even months to fly by. We begin to feel throughout our team an added sense of urgency. We want to make this final year count.

We have been reading a book as a team that challenges us to think that perhaps what we do or accomplish might be directly linked to how well we work as a team. Are we just a group of individuals working side by side or are we a team working together? Are we willing to sacrifice our own personal ideas or goals for the sake of the team? Are we ready to to let the team dictate our priorities for the next year?

We have three toddlers on the team. Parents will know that there is a point in child development when you see your little one with other kids their age and you say, “Look, they’re playing together!” But then you look closer and you realize that they aren’t actually interacting. They are playing side-by-side, but they are ignoring each other. This isn’t the same as playing together. Side-by-side play doesn’t require sharing, cooperation, or conflict-management. They are independent entities doing similar things in close proximity. Our team kids are actually playing together now, but it isn’t always pretty. They will push, they will argue, they will disagree. One will suggest an activity and sometimes the others will refuse. Sometimes they play together very well, but they are still learning what playing nicely together looks like— sometimes it means sacrificing your ideas and desires for someone else’s.

Now, our team hasn’t been exactly side-by-side playing. From the beginning we have been interacting and encouraging one another. But there are ways where we have allowed each person do their own thing. Right now we are praying about what “success” looks like at the end of this year. Or to say it in another way, what would we need to do in this next year to feel like we had been faithful with the tasks and opportunities laid before us? These are hard discussions as we don’t always agree right away, but these are exciting discussions too.

Birthday girl & her brothers on present hunt

And we are also excited because as much as this process is about us and our team— it isn’t. It is about the islanders we will be able to impact. It is about the future work that God is preparing each team member for during this time of training. It is about Him getting the glory, not us. It is about the way He uses us to model working together. Only He can bring many parts coming together as one.

There are island brothers and sisters that are going it alone. They may interact with another islander occasionally, but they are not working together. There isn’t the teamwork, the mutual strengthening, encouraging and challenging. In past years, healthy island fellowship has seemed elusive, but even on this point, we are encouraged. We see a group of islanders forming- caring for one another, looking out for one another, encouraging one another. There are still lots of lone wolfs around the island, but this is a much prayed-for beginning.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our daughter has turned 7 years old! We are incredibly blessed by our beautiful, intelligent and kind young lady. We had fun celebrating with her. All the prayer team members made it home safely— though a tummy bug hit several people both on our team on the island and them heading home. Thankfully everyone is feeling better now. Tom and others are on the big island for the annual English teacher’s conference. It was a headache getting over there but Tom was there in time to give his address. 

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for all of us around the island- that we would come alongside each other, working together in self-sacrifice and love. Pray for our team as we lay out our priorities and re-evaluate our goals in the aftermath of these discussions. Pray that this island group would flourish. Pray for Tom and others as they hope to return to Clove Island after this weekend conference— pray that arranging the return travel won’t be as eventful as the first trip. Tom is supposed to come back by boat and the boats have been very unreliable- we’re hoping the seas will calm so there will be a boat Monday or Tuesday.