Meet Whale Team 6
So, you know about my squad. That’s the 30-ish young adults I spent all of training camp with. We will be traveling from country to country together on the field. In country, we are split into teams of 4-6 people. These teams were created during training camp by our leadership and have become little families within the squad. The team is who I get to do day in, day out ministry with during my time here in Guatemala.
It’s important to understand that, when we were given our team assignments at training camp, leadership did so by making our squad engage in a rather odd exercise. Our squad was blindfolded and stumbling about together in a pavilion. Each of us were given a command: to make a specific noise. The goal was to find other members of the squad making the same noise as you. Those people would become your teammates.
My goal? To blindly find others making whale noises (think Finding Nemo)
My problem? I had to do so amid a hoard of other people making drastically different sounds. People were opera singing the National anthem, rapping John 3:16, scream-o-ing the itsy bitsy spider, and screeching like monkeys in a barrel. Finding my fellow whale friends seemed impossible.
Until it wasn’t. Through the chaos, I heard a faint whale sound from afar which caused me to make my own whale sounds even louder. Eventually, my whole little team of whales united and we removed our blindfolds to discover which of our squad mates we would be spending the next several months with.
Later, we were asked by leadership to develop a set of core values for our team. We decided the following 6 values would be the pillars of our team:
- Honor (to one another, our hosts, our ministry partners, and the King of Kings);
- Initiative (to courageously share the gospel and meet the needs of our team and others);
- Commitment (to encourage and grow ourselves, each other and the communities we serve);
- Accountability (to uphold our set standard of communication and stewardship);
- Integrity (to model the character of Christ);
- Grit (to persevere with strength and resolve).
We discussed how we felt like members of the Lord’s army being trained and sent out for battle. Kind of like special forces, charged with the unique task of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth. For these reasons, our core values reflect those of the U.S. Navy. Keeping in mind our whale-noise introduction and our laser focus on the spiritual battles ahead, one can see how we came to agree on a team name.
So, without further adieu, I’d like you to meet
Whale Team 6
Tris
Role: Team Lead
Origin: Indiana, USA
Likes on the field: petting Guatemalan street dogs & eating Guatemalan street food
Fave worship song: So Will I (100 Billion X) by Hillsong United
Liv
Role: Treasurer
Origin: New Mexico, USA
Likes: working out & eating peanut butter out of the jar & playing with kids
Fun facts: she can sleep through anything & she knows karate
Banks
Role: unofficial junior health inspector
Origin: either North or South Carolina, it’s still unclear
Likes: drinking Guatemalan Fanta & talking to strangers about Jesus
Common phrases: I’m upstairs; Daaaaaang dude; Bubby; the flip???
Kirsten
Role: Beauty for Ashes coordinator
Origin: Maryland, USA
Likes: crying (the good kind) & playing soccer
Fave Worship song: Communion by Mav City ft. Steffany Gretzinger
Kevin
Role: Worship Coordinator
Origin: L.A. California, USA (from the hood)
Likes: smiling & laughing & praying for people
Fun fact: he rarely knows what is going on
Jillisa
Role: Logistics Coordinator
Origin: Texas, USA
Likes: drinking Guatemalan coffee & talking to strangers
Dislikes: parasites
Currently bumping: I’ll Go by Isla Vista Worship
Mucho Gusto! We’ve gotta go now, but it was so nice to meet you. Thank you for all the support and prayer. We’ll keep in touch, let’s chat soon! Blessings xoxo
Hahahhaha this made me laugh and nice way to introduce your team.
Is it true that I rarely know whats going on?? Lol
Dislikes: Parasites ??????
Whale Team 6 already has a place in my heart.
What an amazing group. Go Whale Team 6!
This blog is upstairs!!!
Love getting acquainted with your team in this creative and fun way! Whale Team 6 FALL IN!!!
Cmon mi hermana- I love this blog.
As I sit here in Richardson Texas drinking a cup of Ethiopian coffee, it was nice to be reminded that you’re also from Texas and love Guatemalan coffee-niccceee.
I think you’ve got the coolest acrostic of team core values- HICAIG.
Way to honor your teammates so well with the spot on a little bios of them.
Yeah I was there when whale team six finally found one another. Has Kevin improved his Whale sound yet 🙂
What a great share thanks Jillisa
This brought me lots of joy today as I drink my Guatemalan coffee. I love you guys!
Haha! I loved this. I think my favorite value you guys came up with is “grit.” You don’t hear that one often but man, you surely need it and from what I can gather, you guys are really living it. Your team is awesome and I do see you as a bunch of warriors. Enjoy it! Great read, sis.
The way you Honor, your integrity and your grit. All are all undeniable and unstoppable as you portray an unstoppable Love of Jesus. So proud of you Baby Girl. Beyond words.
Oh Hey. BTW. How did my Dog “ Foxy” make it to Guatemala? The pic with the puppy looks EXACTLY like Foxy! Wow!
I’m part of the reason your leader has her name and all her astounding attributes??. You can ask her about the other half. Your blog helpful & fun. Now you will all be in my prayers by name????
I lol’d so many times! Thanks for the intros!
Kevin, the fact that you have to ask that answers the question.
They quickly made their way to the top of my list
Mine too
Good, we need Curtnie in our corner. Everyone needs a curtnie in their corner.
& its drippin in the latest fashion.
roger, roger. Whale Team 6 over and out.
Thank you for all the love and support, Matt! Whale Team 6 has the best coaches ever.
Glad you enjoyed the blog and that it paired well with the world’s best coffee. Thanks Maggie!
Gotta have grit to make it out here in these streets! Also, I believe it was you who said something about team names being prophetic… now we are living it! Thanks for the support.
Thank you, Mama. Love you
I guess because mutts in Guatemala aren’t much different than mutts in the US! haha, but Idk
Half of my name comes from a Lisa, too! So we have that in common. I am glad you enjoyed the blog, we appreciate and need your prayer. Thank you!
Thank you for reading and I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I LOVE WHALE TEAM 6!!! These intros were incredible. In your corner and praying for you!! Praying for continued unity and intimacy on your team. So proud of how God is working in and through you guys already!! It’s sick!!!
Loved meeting your team!