Almost one year ago, I went to training camp for The World Race. They said, “This is your new family.” In my mind, I said “You’re crazy!” I thought I would never be close with the people who I met that week. Over half of the people on my squad are eight to ten years younger than me. Many of the people are so different from me. I have a career; they just graduated college. I just gave up my apartment, job, and sold most of my stuff. They just left their parents’ houses. These were the things I was thinking as I sat in training camp. I continued to think them after training camp and as we went to launch. Then we started this Race and I really thought, “There is no way I will be like family with this team I am on.” I had such a defiant attitude my first month of the race. I wanted nothing to do with the people on my team or squad. I focused on so many negative things in everyone. I only saw the negative things. I didn’t see the positive. I couldn’t see how they were trying to work with me even though my attitude about everything was horrible and I would argue with my team leader about everything she wanted us to do. Then God did something in me at the beginning of month two. He changed my heart, but my mind still had a lot of changing to do. So, month two and three were growing months. I was growing to see people with God’s eyes. I was growing in the way I sacrificed for others. I was growing in opening up more so with my squadmates than my small team (which is where this should be happening.)
I preface all of this with those first few thoughts because today I stood in a prison in Uganda beaming with pride for my team. Not the pride of myself that I have been known to struggle with, but so proud of the people I do my life with for this year. I just want to publicly praise them individually on here, because they are amazing. I have included hashtags for their enjoyment.
My Fam
Megan Durfee– This girl has grown so much in the Lord this year. She started off the race really rough like me. She didn’t like to open up. When asked hard questions, she didn’t want to answer them. Where we differ though she hated conflict and I seemed to love it. She has challenged me these last two months with a way of life she has chosen and that is to “choose joy.” She has chosen joy. When she doesn’t like the ministry we are doing, she chooses joy and does it. When she doesn’t like something we have to eat, she chooses joy and either eats it or gets one of us to eat it for her. She has shown me what it truly means to “choose joy” daily and has also been so good at looking out for all of us on our team. #Durfeesgotweave
Rebekah Perkins– I’m not gonna lie when we first started this race, I was not very confident of us ever being friends. She would always ask these random questions about things that no one had an answer to and I would easily get annoyed by her. (I was still arguing with God about being on this race so I could find something about everyone I didn’t like.) Now, I look at her as an amazing beautiful woman that has shown me so many things. She serves so well. I don’t know how someone can have a servant heart like she does. We are so complete opposite in that she is able to change a pair of pants into a skirt, make a hair bow out of pretty much anything, one time she even made covers for her flip flops to be closed toed shoes, and she gets up early to make everyone on the team pancakes. When I try to be a better servant, I look to this girl. #dotheperkalerk
Brittany Holmes– I have always gotten along well with Brittany because we are both no nonsense type people. We don’t like the fluff and we always appreciate each other sharing straight up how they feel about something. So even when I was in my “I hate the world race” phase Brittany would appreciate that I didn’t sugar coat things. However, I still feel that I don’t know Brittany that well. She is a quiet soul with a lot of wisdom. This makes me want to continue to get to know her better. I believe she has so much to offer this world, we just sometimes have to work to find out what it is. #Ilovecake
Kara Yohan– I have called this girl my little sister since month two of the race. She is ten years younger than me and reminds me of myself when I was her age. She is working on things in her life and taking this year so seriously. She wants to grow and has dedicated this year to do so. If there is anyone on this team that I truly feel like is family it’s Kara. We don’t always get along. We often differ in opinion. Sometimes I hurt her. Sometimes she irritates me. I have never actually had a sister but if I had to imagine what it would be like to have one, I think my relationship with Kara has exemplified that. I have seen her love children like no one else I know. We have sat in people’s houses and they hand me their baby and I see the jealousy in her eyes because she loves babies. She is so good at loving people. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met and I can’t wait to see all that God uses her for in this life. #splitsonbunkbeds
Kristy Paruk– Kristy had the privilege of being added to our team after I had worked out a lot of my issues with God. She has been on this team for four months now and it has been so easy for me to love her. She is a very relational person anyway, but I have really connected with her on important things like coffee and tattoos. Sometimes she acts a little crazy (in a good way) and sometimes we don’t agree on things. She points out more things for me to work on than all the rest of the team combined, but they are usually things that I need to work on. So, I’m thankful that she points them out and pushes me to be better. She has a very powerful testimony and always points people to Jesus. I’m thankful Kristy was added to the family. #musazy
Jessie Schwartz– I think I have told her a million times, but the joy quotient rose tremendously on our team when Jessie was added in month five. She is a joy giver to all she meets. I honestly don’t know if I have ever met anyone like her. She can make you laugh without saying a word and laugh even harder when she does speak. I love to laugh and I love having her near me to make me laugh. She’s often called me her mom jokingly, but I kind of identify with this title. She has an amazing talent of beatboxing and it can be used to relate with people. Often we ask her to do it and she gets nervous and doesn’t want to do it. Today, while we were at the prison, she got up to speak for a short minute and she beatboxed for the prisoners who absolutely loved it. I smiled my biggest mom smile I could and thanked God for the growth I have seen in her. I could go on and on with specific examples, but I would embarrass her. She is that member of the family that has to be there or you don’t enjoy the reunion! #coldpop
So eight months later and my family is starting to take shape. I am proud of them. I love being around them and just enjoy days when we get to spend time together. A pastor was visiting this week and he said, “I have never seen a group of people with a like mind so much it seems that you are family.” I began thinking then back to training camp and how I thought I would never agree with that statement he made. Now, I sit here and can say, “We are family.”
Despite many efforts to upload a photo, I was unable so see everyone on the left bar.
