Goodbye My Friends.... - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

t’s that time again…..
Month 8 is coming to a close and we’re about to have team changes again.
This is always super hard for me, I love deeply and care quickly. Which can be really good but also really hard in situations like these.
Team Relentless has been an AMAZING team. We have been together since May, we traveled to Thailand, Albania, (some of us to Montenegro) Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria as a team. We have had such a blast! And I’m so sad to have to say goodbye to this team of incredible people.
I did this for my last team but I’m going to do it again for Relentless….
Here are some letters I’ve written to my teammates as we part ways.

Dear Alyssa,
8 months. We have spent almost every single day together for 8 entire months. It’s crazy to me when I think back about our first few months as teammates and how awkward it was between us, but now look at us!
Alyssa, you have taught me so many things! You’ve taught me how to love people well, you’ve taught me what it looks like to have a hunger and thirst for the word of God. You’ve also taught me more about who I am as an idividual.
We share so many memories together, memories that I’m so thankful we both got to be part of. From our Auto ride in India with 9 people in just a 4 person vehicle, karaoke in Vietnam, making meals and working hard in the garden in Cambodia, dancing with the kiddos in Thailand, VBS in Albania, watching the bachelorette while eating cookies in Macedonia, all the way to seeing you interact with the kiddos this month in Bulgaria. It’s been a heck of a ride girl! I think this might be where we really do say goodbye as teammates, and if so, I’ll miss you! I’m so glad the Lord put us on Relentless together, I knew He would. He knew we needed to work on our friendship. And now when someone asks what your favorite meal is, I know what to say 😉 If we don’t part ways here, I look forward to the next 3 months with ya! Love you lots!!

Janibel,
What can I say? I love you SO much!! It hurts my heart at the idea that we may no longer be on a team together. You have been an influential and detrimental person in my race thus far. You are the bees-knees girl! I’m so glad we got to spend the past 4 months together and I’m also super stoked that you live pretty close to me and we can hang out when we get home.
Janibel, you have taught me how to love people more deeply, to invest in other people and their hearts, to ask the hard questions, to be more real and upfront with people and you broke down a lot of walls and barriers I had for the first part of my race. The past 4 months have been a blast! From that bird flying into our house, our walks to 7/11 while having deep conversations in Thailand, to eating crepes and playing with all our favorite Albanian kiddos in Albania, to walking around the city center, talking and joking and meeting friends in Macedonia, to our late night talks in Greece, to planning our next vacation this month in Bulgaria. I love you so much! Can’t wait for the years of friendship we have ahead of us!!

Quinn,
I never imagined we would be on a team together but I’m so happy we have been! You are such a blast to be around and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you and hanging out with you. You are someone I always feel I can be honest with. You have incredibly JOY in you. Joy that only comes from the Lord. You serve without expecting anything in return, not even a thank you. I’ve loved being on a team with you! You have taught me what it looks like to be a good leader, to love without expectations or restrictions, how to be more available to people. You are almost always up for absolutely anything even if it’s not something you would chose to do. Thank you for leading by example! We’ve shared so many awesome and funny moments together. Our first “one on one”(you know I hate that phrase haha) at Rustic in Thailand, mixing paint colors in Albania to get the perfect brown for Bambi, talking at the crepe place in Macedonia, and so much more! Thanks for being such a great friend, teammate and leader. Love you girl!

Kimmy,
Ah! I love you Kimmy. Our friendship has grown SO much in the past year. We talked a few times at training camp but I never would have imagined we would ever be as close as we are now. Finding out we were on the same team together was such a cool moment! Back in October at training camp I mentioned to leadership that I wanted to be on a team with you at some point and I’m so glad I had that opportunity! You are someone I have grown to love and trust so much in such a short amount of time. I remember the first time we actually hung out in Thailand just the two of us, we went on a run because the gym was closed and the rest is history. We may not run very often anymore but those Nutella Crepes were amazing.
You have taught me so much, things you probably don’t even realize! You’ve taught me to be more inclusive, to be more kindhearted, that teasing the people you care about in a friendly way can be a form of showing them love, to not be so quick to speak, how to love people well and so much more! You are someone I feel comfortable going to about absolutely anything! From working out together at the gym in Thailand, to crepe dates and the bachelorette in Albania, the crazy travel day in Montenegro, facing our water fears in Macedonia and now I get to be part of your first ever all girls team experience here in Bulgaria! Woo-hoo! I love you so much Kimmy and will sincerely miss you and being on a team with you so much! I’m jealous of whoever gets to be on your next team. Love you!

Bryce,
I can’t even tell you how thankful I am to have been on a team with you. You have been a huge part of my growth on the race. Thank you for
pushing our team and challenging us in the hard things, for asking hard questions and getting us thinking. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and encouraging us to know more about our Savior and His word. You’re pretty much always down to do anything. Your relationship with the Lord has encouraged me and challenged me in so many ways, so thank you for that as well! You’ve taught me how to pursue the Lord in every aspect, to treat people with kindness no matter what is going on with me internally(this is something I see in you all the time. Circumstances, bad moods or bad days do not determine how you treat the people around you.)
From watching your cha-cha slide moves in Thailand, working on the murals in Albania, that crazy travel day to Montengegro(thanks for keeping calm and keeping us sane haha), to keeping me out of the house in Macedonia for that surprise party. It’s been so cool to get to know you the past few months and I’m so glad I could be on a team with you! Also shout-out to you for enduring me being in your face with a video camera, thanks for being a good sport!

Matthew,
(Read this in my voice)… “You’re the worst!”
I am so incredibly thankful for you brother! Seriously. You are the big brother I never had but always wanted. I’m so glad the Lord put you on this squad and on my team this last round. Thanks for endlessly teasing me, for supporting me, encouraging me and being part of the BEST team ever(Relentless 2.0!) haha.
You’ve taught me what it looks like to have a healthy, Christ centered friendship with a guy. I know I’ve said this before and it might seem like something small but trust me, it’s not. You’ve taught me to not care what others think, it took until Thailand when our team started for me to really fully be myself on the race and I owe a lot of that to you! You’ve taught me to look for the
Lord in the small and simple things, to be more encouraging, to give myself credit when it’s due, to seek the Lord in literally everything I do.
Thank you for your fresh perspectives and the way you love and challenge everyone on our team. From teaching with you in Thailand, to painting murals and those really great selfies in Albania, to the best birthday ever AND the worst birthday ever in Macedonia. Thanks for being the coolest friend I could ask for. I’ll miss being on a team with you!
Relentless 2.0 forever ????

Team Relentless has come to an end. I’m going to miss these crazy people and all the amazing memories we share but I’m excited for my new team and what the Lord has in store for us as we head to Africa soon!
I love you Relentless and I’m so thankful for the past 4 months with you all. ??

Here are some of our pictures from the past few months. 🙂