Throughout these past couple of weeks, I have had the pleasure of introducing you to the fabulous ladies of Team R1:16. To understand our team, you first have to understand our name; naming something establishes mission and purpose, so we wanted to choose a name that we felt cast a vision for the time we have together. We chose our name for 3 main reasons.
Ruth 1:16 reads “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” We love this verse because it shows sisterhood as a deeply rooted, strong bond that we as women possess with each other when we have Christ as our foundation. Ruth and Naomi actively chose and prioritized each other, and sacrificed to show each other the love of Christ Jesus. We aim to do the same.
Romans 1:16 reads “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” We want this team to be a group of women who are not ashamed of the Gospel, but who BOLDLY and with great JOY and LOVE tell the world about the things that Christ Jesus has done in our own lives and the things He longs to do in the hearts of everyone who believes in His saving grace.
The word “Radiance” was spoken over our team but a dear friend that we met in India and ran into the first day we spent time together as a new team. We strive to be a team of ladies through whom the love of Jesus RADIATES and whose fruit clearly displays our Gardener.
With that in mind… MEET KEELEY!
Keeley Knie (25)
5 of her favorite things: My family, traveling, music, Christmas, my cabin
Hometown: Sterling, Illinois
Birth order: First of 2
Favorite Color: Olive green
Favorite Snack Food: Popcorn
Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream: Vanilla
Biggest Pet Peeve: Kanye West. And listening to people talk about their bodily functions, as well as when people waste their potential and the gifts that the Lord has given them. AND (she says very emphatically) when technology doesn’t work.
Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth
Strangest thing eaten on the Race thus far: A (freaking) tarantula (Cambodia)
What do you miss the most about home? “Probably my family, just being able to sit down and hang out with them. Driving in my car, my gosh do I miss that. And being able to go to my favorite restaurants with my friends and going to our cabin with my family in the summer. Plus just being able to sit on the couch and watch Netflix and eat popcorn with a big comfy blanket.”
What have you been reading lately? The Bible (“I’m not good at reading more than one thing at one time,” Keeley explained. “I have to start and finish a book before I can start another one.”)
What’s something that’s happened on the Race that made you laugh? “Oh boy. Man, there’s been a lot. In India, when a gecko fell off of the ceiling and Michelle booked it out of the room, oh my gosh that was hilarious.”
How has your faith changed while on the Race thus far? “It’s just changed my view on who God is. Now I have this deeper view and understanding of the Trinity, because back home I feel like I never included the Holy Spirit in my walk with the Lord. Also I’ve grown so much in authority and knowing the freedom that I do have in Jesus Christ because He died on the cross. I’ve grown in awareness and perspective of what Jesus did and how that reflects and gives a model for what my life should look like. There’s been so much spiritual growth that I know I’m absolutely not the same person that got on that airplane in Atlanta.”
What characteristic of the Lord do you feel like you’ve been encountering and learning about the most? “I feel like patience. Just the patience He miraculously gives me to be with and communicate with people, and in the way that I handle certain things… and relaying on God for strength and patience to try to love people where they’re at, because God does that so much better than I ever could, even if a situation is stressful and hard to deal with.”
What’s one word you would use to describe your Race? Freedom
What’s something people can be praying for you? “Prayer for deeper intimacy with the Lord, and for staying present where I am and not looking towards the future or looking towards what’s to come, but being present right where I am now.”
