It’s been six weeks since debrief in Hoi An, Vietnam. Six weeks of stepping into a new role as team leader. And six weeks of being with a wonderful new and final team. So, per usual, I want to introduce my loved ones at home to those I will be finishing the race with!
Meet the YabbaDabba Crew!
Jessica Mao: Jess is my little snuggle bug. We were on our first team together and now I have the pleasure of finishing the race with her too! She is always, and I mean always, and encouragement to me. She provides a space for me to feel seen, heard, and comforted and checks on me regularly. If you need a wise word, go to Jess because the Holy Spirit is using that girl! She is my angel of grace and the value she holds in my heart is immeasurable. The friendship Jess has given me is one straight from the Lord and one I plan on treasuring for years to come.
Heather Godwin: Novotel Queen! (inside joke). Heather is such a breath of fresh air. It seems almost every day I learn something new and exciting about her. Before we were teammates, she was someone on the squad that had a mystery about her and I wanted to pick at her brain, hear about her experiences. Her love for the Lord, people, and especially babies is infectious because she wears her heart on her sleeve. She carries power in her innate vulnerability and leaves me many times wanting to get to know her more. I have thoroughly enjoyed being on a team with her and seeing what’s behind all the mystery!
Mark Manchester: Marky Mark is an incredible man of God. The perseverance and grace this dude carries is unbelievable. You can’t have a conversation with him without his love for Christ coming out, which is truly awesome. I love the perspective he brings to our team and how he motivates us all to dream bigger and reach higher. He comes alive when music’s blaring or he’s got something to drum on, and I love seeing the joy it brings him. Being on a team with him has genuinely pushed me to want to fall even more in love with God.
Alex Kirby: Kirby is the team goofball. From his intense desire for wisdom to his Spirit-driven gift for worship, he is someone I love being around. Give this guy a guitar and you won’t be able to avoid God speaking to or moving through you. Kirby is filled with love, encouragement, and a huge sense of humor; I love having another member of “Gutter-ville” as a fellow teammate (another team inside joke). He is gifted beyond words and it’s so refreshing to be around someone who is using the gifts God has given him and seeing how it impacts those around him.
Niki Suber: By now, Niki should be a very familiar face to all of you because she has been my teammate from the literal first day of the race. We have spent just about every single night together for 10 months, and the love I have for her just continues to grow. She has been one of the only constants I’ve had throughout this experience and having her has been the biggest blessing. I can’t tell you what a comfort it is to have someone I can go do, throw out all my jumbled thoughts to her, and have her summarize it all back to me within a sentence–that’s a gift, y’all! Before the race, I prayed the Lord would give me a sister out of all this and He has answered my prayer tenfold. At training camp, we walked the entire 3 mile hike together, not knowing it would be a metaphor for our entire race experience. I adore this girl and would be a wreck without her!
We only have seven weeks left–crazy!–but there is plenty of work to still be done in all of us individually and as a team. Please keep us in your prayers and pray for me to love my team well and serve them graciously.
