Being part of a Team

When we arrived in Nicaragua we joined a small MCC team.  Throughout our first year that team dropped down to our family plus 3 (all through planned departures).  We expected to add some members earlier in the year but those didn’t happen as quickly as we expected.  However, once August hit we were joined by a family of 5 and 4 one-year workers. We doubled!

Being part of a team, especially this team, has been one of our highlights.  We feel affirmed and supported.  We enjoy hanging out during work and outside of work.  We appreciate the various personalities and the mix between national staff and service workers from a few different countries. 

Some of my highlights of team life has come at the moments when I feel the absence of my family most.  Last year we decided to host a Christmas party on Christmas day, expecting maybe those far from home might show up.  Instead almost every person, including family members of national staff came.  It was a really lovely time and filled the day with that family gathering feeling we were missing so much.

Just a couple of weeks ago we celebrated a hodgepodge potluck Thanksgiving, we had also done this last year and really enjoyed it.  This year my energy was pretty low.  I was glad to have everyone there, even more thankful that everyone picked up the pieces to make it happen as I sat back and watched things unfold. 

Towards the end one member came out with a gift bag and I expected maybe it was an activity for the kids or maybe celebrating one of the recent birthdays.  Much to my surprise it was a surprise baby shower for us.  I almost burst into tears (happy emotional pregnant lady tears).  We weren’t expecting it at all and really didn’t need anything but it was really touching to me that this group would celebrate this little one, much like family and friends had for our other two children.  Again, a time when the absence of family felt so overwhelming.

My birthday is soon after Thanksgiving.  One member, Andrew, usually makes cakes.  I really really like his cakes!  He was getting married and off on the work days around my birthday so I didn’t want to ask or expect a cake.  He had plenty going on.  Then Monday, the day after my birthday, he showed up (on his vacation time) to bring a cake to share with the team.  Apparently he and another worker along with Derrick had discussed this earlier.  What a treat!

We‘re so thankful for our team, but more than that we need them.  They carry us through the hard times and celebrate with us in the midst of life’s milestones. I’m so thankful for THIS team and the way they are supporting us now as we prepare for a new one in the midst of feeling vulnerable without the nearby family support we had in the past.

-Rebekah