It was only a few weeks ago that I arrived at home. It is refreshing to be back, yet I have had to say goodbye yet again to some of my dearest friends who are now family. One comes on the world race to travel around the world to share the love of Christ by preaching the gospel to, praying for, and serving people in the local communities. As a leader I have gotten to do so, yet my main focus was to lead a team of 5 girls and disciple each of them. One of my favorite things in the whole world is to share the words of Jesus, especially in house visits where people are literally welcoming you in, but what I love even more is to teach people what it looks like to be a minister of Christ’s word, give them any wisdom the Lord has given me, and walk hand in hand with them through life, past hurts, decisions of the future, and present matters. I lived with these girls, ate with them, went to ministry with them every day, and Jesus fully sustained me.
I have stories of what the Lord has done for the natives of each country that I will continue to share, but my greatest testimony right now is how each of the girls on my team were changed. Not every moment was easy, rather there were some scary moments. Before the gap year began Jesus gave me the verse 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me”.
The Agape Guppies had a member of the team decide to leave the race and go home. When someone leaves the race, the team they were a part of more often than not gets even closer. Although difficult to see her go, the Agape Guppies had a shift where they each decided to be all in. All in in relationships on the team, all in with ministry, all in with what Jesus wanted to change or refine in them. As I lived life with them it became more and more fun to do ministry with them. The very first time we did house visits was so awkward because barely anyone had anything to say, but but the final time everyone had something to say, whether that be encouragement from the Lord or a verse of the Bible. They gained a deeper understanding of who God is and became hungry to be with Him always. Furthermore, they gained a zeal to bring people into freedom they had each individually found in Jesus.
One day in Guatemala the teams were intermixed to go do evangelism. Most of my team spread out amongst different groups. Each Agape Guppie came back with stories not only of how people on the streets were impacted by love but how they saw a need in their groups for prayer and therefore got to teach other racers how prayer can and should be intertwined with evangelism. The Lord had previously told me that I was leading a bunch of leaders, and this just confirmed it.
Jesus spoke a lot of good, encouraging, and sometimes difficult-to-hear things over the Agape Guppies. One of my personal favorites was before we even left the States for Cambodia. God gave me a vision of each member of the Agape Guppies coming to a thanksgiving feast. As we were arriving, each person had a dish to present and share with the table. God was showing me that everyone in the group has something to offer, so they must learn to offer what they have but also learn to feast on what others were bringing. Can you imagine a pot luck where everyone enjoys their own food and that’s it? I saw this vision come to real life as each person started really letting Jesus change their lives and learn what they had to offer through Him. They began to bring their spiritual gifts to the table and receive more, and they shared in each other’s joy, supporting one other in both the good and hard moments.
But it doesn’t end there. The Lord gave me another vision on one of our final times of worship. This time it was one of Jesus at the table with His disciples. In the vision I saw Jesus get up from the table and say, “it’s time”. This was a vision of not only what happened with Jesus, but this was a vision impressing that it is time for everyone in the team to go their own way with the Lord without my leadership. Jesus brought us together and accomplished through us what He wanted to, but at some point we have to get up to share with others who have not arrived at the table. This grieved me in the part of saying goodby, yet the vision was so timely in bringing peace to what the Lord wants to continue to do through each of us.
For a time these girls were following me as I followed Jesus, but they learned to follow Jesus themselves. There is no greater joy than to be used in the making of disciples. My disciples became my best friends and now we all get to be disciples of Jesus. I am proud of them. Jesus is worth everything and the whole world needs to know. I have faith that the Agape Guppies will seek to be lights wherever they go.
It is a joy to be home and reflect on all that the Lord has done. Lives have truly been changed for the glory of God.
With all my love,
Sadie Showalter
