Change has come. (Well, actually it came right after India, and then again after Nepal, but I’m not always the best at keeping you people updated – sorry!). Part of the fun of the world race is that you never know what’s going to happen, you learn to let go of expectations, and you realize that the only thing that remains constant is the Lord. But with change brings new opportunities for growth and good things. And Team Chi Rho is definitely a good thing! Now I could tell you amazing things about each of my teammates – they are all wonderful women of God. But, I decided to interview each of them to get the real dirt on them for all you readers out there. So let me introduce to you my new gang…
Kate Hughes
Wildcat fans will be pleased to hear that my new team leader played four years of soccer at University of Kentucky. Less known, however, is that at one time she had dreams of going to mascot school. She also informed me “I…have…six fingers on my left hand.” Apparently, Kate sometimes lies. One true story, however, is that she went to middle school and high school with Ke$ha (pre-dollar sign). She admits to once watching 9 straight hours of Lost on Hulu. Last week I woke up to her clapping and singing about slippers and Nakuru in her sleep – she tries to blame it on the malaria meds, but I’m not convinced that she isn’t just crazy.
Julie Horst
Julie is kind of like my identical twin, because no one can ever get our names right, especially Kate. Plus, we like to do things together: we always get paired up to do door to door ministry, we sat side by side for six hours getting our hair completely braided, and we both share an obsession with Beauty Queen, a soap opera set in the Philippines that comes on every evening here in Kenya (though most nights we miss it so together we discuss what we think might have happened). She has a scar on her head from the team’s bus crash in Nepal (before I joined Chi Rho), but it does NOT look like Harry Potter’s scar, so don’t even go there with her. She refuses to steal puppies for me, even when I ask politely. She also is obsessed with finding the video of a past world racer riding an ostrich, so if anyone knows where that is she’d greatly appreciate your assistance.
Katie Way
She likes long walks on the beach, likes feeling the sand between her toes, the salty air blowing through her hair, and the smell of fish. In all seriousness, she loves the wilderness and aspires to one day hunt down and kill a moose. But she wants to make sure you all know that she’s not one of those weird Oregon hippie types. She loves World of Warcraft – wait, she insists that I modify that statement to the past tense – she used to love World of Warcraft. If she were a super hero, she’d wear an apron instead of a cape and her super power would be that she could make whatever food that she thought of appear in front of her at the wave of her magic whisk. (She loves food and is quite the cook.)
Sarah Ruplinger
You may remember Sarah from Team Rise Up. Yes, we are reunited once again. She’s from Wisconsin and loves the Badgers (everybody Bucky), and wants all of you to know that they are going to the Rose Bowl. So far she has fallen at least once in every country on the race – DNA tests are still out as to whether or not she is related to Humpty Dumpty. Jesus is her best friend, and she has the dance motions to prove it. She also admits that she has in fact been to a Nickelback concert, but it’s a lot cooler sounding when she adds in that she got into a fight at it. (Let it be known that Sarah is a sweet soul that could never hurt a fly, which may be what makes this Nickelback fight even more epic).
Kelly Gauthier
You may remember Kelly from Team Rise Up (déjà vu?). She may be from Kansas, but she’s done Broadway shows in New York and sold herbal soaps and hemp jewelry in California. Her favorite shows she has been a part of include Into The Woods, Hairspray, and Rent. She hates Justin Bieber (yes, she is human and has flaws in her opinions like the rest of us), but loves Glee and admits that she used to dress like Rachel Berry in high school – still waiting on her mom to e-mail a picture of that one. She loves musicals, but admits that the lonely goat scene in The Sound of Music freaks her out. She’s also currently a featured racer on The World Race home page, so she’s kind of a big deal.
So there ya go, that’s team Chi Rho. I happen to think names are quite important, so I’ll fill ya in on the team name. No, we didn’t just try and pick to letters that made us sound like a sorority (though it’s a fun plus). Chi and Rho are the first two letters (capital) in the Greek word Christ. Together, they form one of the earliest Christograms used by Christians. When a wreath is added around the Chi Rho, it represents the victory of the Resurrection of Christ over death. So for us on team Chi Rho, it represents the victory that we now have in Jesus. It is even said that Constantine's army once made the Chi Rho symbol on their helmets before war, and of course were victorious. So Chi Rho is on our hearts, and we know we will claim victory for God and His Kingdom!
I am so blessed to be a part of this team. Together, we are fun, strong, life-giving, powerful women of God that are going to do some serious work for the Kingdom. So thanks in advance for your prayers for me and these fabulous ladies! Chi Rho love your way!
If you are still looking for a way to bless me and my team, I have two teammates that are in danger of going home if they don’t meet the deadline to be fully funded for the Race. These are two amazing ladies that have been seriously changing lives out on the field, so I KNOW that God is going to provide for them in the next two weeks. However, God moves through each of us. Both of these women are more than deserving of your support. So please consider giving them (and me!) a special Christmas present this year by becoming a financial supporter. Every little bit helps! Check out their blogs by clicking here: Katie Way and Sarah Ruplinger.
