Meet Team Katafygio. The beautiful men and women of Christ I will be setting out on the World Race with on July 3rd, 2014. My heart is overflowing with respect and love for each and every one of these souls. They’re beautiful, they’re desperate for God and I am humbled to abandon this life and start a new one running towards God with them.
Meet Alexa.
The first girl I met from my squad. We carpooled down to training camp together, and as we turned onto the gravel road at training camp we looked at each other with eyes full of curiosity and wanderlust and I knew this is one of those friendships that would last a lifetime. She’s a Charlotte girl, so close to home and heart which means we can do lots of post-race adventures, birthdays, trips to the Whitewater Center, (yes, we’ve already started planning 2015 road trips and reunions.) There’s such much courage in such a tiny package and she encourages me time and time again.
http://alexakwiatkowski.theworldrace.org/
Meet Tim.
He’s wise beyond his years and he’s got a heart of gold shining out through his eyes. He’s totally Team Jesus. He’s going to touch lives all over this world and Tim is one of those people you just sort of feel humbled by when he stands next to you in the room. He’s another one of those North Carolina boys, and who knew we were always so close!
http://timhendrickson.theworldrace.org/
Here’s Sadie.
I am going to sit in my hammock and have fantastic conversations with this girl in places all across the world, I just know it. Another Carolina girl, and she has this beautiful, sweet, soft spirit about her; one in which she knows who she is and what she was made for and can bring peace to any situation.
http://sadiegoodwin.theworldrace.org/
Meet Kelly.
She has this beautiful “I-am-woman-hear-me-roar” thing about her that I can’t get enough of. She’s steadfast and strong in her faith, and she’s going to bring some serious wisdom to this group. She has this incredible ability to see above circumstances, the ride-or-die mentality that I THRIVE off of that when she believes in something, it will be achieved. This girl WILL change the world.
http://kellyfranke.theworldrace.org/
Meet Rachel.
I know right, what a beauty! She has an independent, free and radiant spirit and we just, click. There’s something about Rachel that makes you want to pick up and go with her wherever she wants. She has this obedience about her that I could learn something about, and she has thrived in the face of her challengers all her life. Lucky me to get to dive into her heart this next year!
http://racheleddy.theworldrace.org/
And this is Paul.
The fearless leader of Team Katafygio. I am so so stoked to watch him seek God’s face to lead us to the ends of the earth. He is awesome and he is able, but humble beyond belief. He believes in each of us whole-kindheartedly and is destined for this, it’s just so obvious. God formed a good, good heart in this guy and we all count our blessings he orchestrated this team so wonderfully with him as our leader.
http://pauldiffee.theworldrace.org/
There’s this raw, gut-wrenching feeling that resonates in you when you prepare to abandon your comforts and travel into the unknown. It’s not the discomforts of traveling that trouble your mind. It’s not the fears of getting lost in some unknown urban jungle or losing everything to your name on some last-minute flight to the deepest parts of Africa or the winding in and out of Burmese rubble in a war-stricken land that bother me. These things actually excite me. What presses on you is this feeling that life will keep turning without you. Friends will marry, families will start, children will be born without your eyes pressing in behind the nursery glass to be part of that special day. And it will. Life here in the United States will go on. And that’s okay. Because what God’s going to accomplish in and through is all that really matters. Because that’s all we’re really on this earth for anyway.
It’s happening, and it’s going to be radical. I’m ready to be continuously blown away by the sheer beauty of the unknown. I’m ready for the sun to set on my hunger. I’m ready to be with my team teaching, learning and soaking in the love God wants me to pour out on His people all with unkempt hair, tanned Havaiana feet and wandering the streets of Cambodia. This scares the pants off me, but that’s the whole beauty in it really, isn’t it? I have a feeling the Lauren boarding a plane July 3rd, 2014 from Atlanta GA won’t look quite like the Lauren that touches back down in a year. There are people who step into your life, spread a little magic and change everything forever. D Squad, otherwise known as Dauntless116, are those people, and my wonderful team, you are those people. My hope for us is that we cherish every moment; the monotony of a ministry, the chaos of every train, plane and boat ride, the love of Jesus drowning us daily. Let us go and make disciples. The world is going to be a beautiful place to explore with you. I’m ready.
