I remember the hopeful goodbye we said to our team leader as we left Malaysia, on our way to a 6 week Australian visit. He had been denied his Australian visa, and therefore he could not enter with us. Global was sending a "temporary" leader to help us start our work on the sheep farms, however after his visit, we were sure that our leader would rejoin the group and lead us further, as planned.
However, as with most things, God's plan was not our plans. Louw never received his visa, and before I knew it, Reinhardt's time with us had come to an end.
I woke up on Thursday morning with a soft whisper in my ear "it's time to step up". The Lord was prompting me to step into my role as leader, which resulted in my head being pushed further under my pillow. I didn't want to take up the responsibility, and knew that past failures were a constant reminder of reasons why I shouldn't take up the position.
Over the following few days, I was surrounded by God's voice, calling and affirming me in the role:
- My best friend from home left me a voice note, assuring me of the equipping that God had already done in me prior to this year.
- A prophetess came to me and said that when I walked through the door, she knew I was a leader. And that I carried a mantel of authority around my neck.
- Our host's daughter came to my bed that evening, telling me that she can see that I'm a leader and that The Lord will help me.
- I received messages from friends and parents who were praying for me regarding leadership.
- At a youth meeting, I heard friends say that they can see me as the leader.
The point is, I couldn't turn left or right without The Lords affirmation around me.
Looking back, I can not believe how privileged I was to lead this team. I loved organizing things, grouping individuals, communicating between the host and the team, making arrangements, praying, encouraging, etc.
The blessing of stepping up instead of stepping away was wonderful. It is about a month later and we are now in Bali. The team structure is back to usual, though I keep the special time in Australia close to my heart. It feels like a "cherry on the cake" type of experience. Praise God for his faithfulness!
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