My last blog was written about me, by my team mates.
This blog is about my team mates, written by me.
3 months into the Race and I am now realizing that I have yet to introduce you to my team. These are the 8 people I am living with and doing life with everyday. They make me laugh the hardest, challenge me to see the Lord in new ways, and are always there to make fun of the way I say certain words. The Lord has blessed me with this team and I become more and more thankful each day.
Kate- Getting to know Kate over the last few months has been such a huge blessing. I remember meeting her in the Atlanta airport for the first time and knowing we’d be friends instantly. (I have a video of her that I sent to my mom with the caption “look mom I have a friend”). The past 3 days spent with Kate in Botswana have been filled with more laughs than I could have ever thought possible. I can confidently say that Kate is one of the most wise people I know. Her crazy knowledge of the Bible reflects her love for the Lord. Kate is gentle with her words, but is straightforward and honest with the advice I always need. I am so excited to see where the next 7 months will leadus and to see Kate continue to grow.
Alina- Eats cereal on the kitchen floor. Killer dance moves. Does laundry with me at night in the bathroom as a Haitian girl named Simba yells at us. Tells children in a village that she has cows. Alina loves kids more than anyone I know, and it is evident anytime we are in the community. While on the race I have learned that Alina loves hard, and she loves well. Seeing her open up with our team and pushing herself each day during ministry has been so cool to watch. Alina makes me feel seen each day and I am oh so thankful for her.
Zach Yoder- Zach is a cake frosting expert, and practically Joanna Gaines when it comes to painting a house bright pink. He convinced me to go bungee jumping in South Africa and for that I’ll be forever grateful. I am trying to teach him to go to bed later than 9pm… but we’re still working on that one. Some would say he’s a cavendish banana expert. It’s been such a blessing to have Zach on my team, his heart for people, especially kids, constantly blows my mind. He serves our team so well, and is always doing the work behinds the scene in order to see our team grow and succeed. The way Zach respects and honors each person that the Lord has put before him is always an encouragement. He’s on fire for the Lord and I cannot wait to see him continue to grow over the next 7 months.
Noah- I remember Noah telling us at training camp that he was super introverted and wishes he could always be alone reading a book. I have learned over the last few months that although he maybe introverted, but he loves and cares for people in a way I’ve never seen before. I was sick for a few days in Haiti and was more thankful than ever for Noah constantly giving me meds and reminding me that if I don’t drink water he’ll “have to give me an IV”. It’s been real awesome to see Noah’s growth with the Lord between today and the day we all met back in July. He’s on fire for the Lord, and it makes me really excited to see how God will use him on our team.
Zack Thayer- On occasion Zack laughs at our dumb jokes, those are the good days. I find joy in hearing him playing guitar all through out the house here in Botswana, he’s crazy talented and It’s been such a blessing to have Zack as a squad leader. Filled with such wisdom, and constantly speaks with grace and kindness. Also, Zack has the craziest dance moves you’ll ever see while he plays Boom Chica Boom in the village.
Dakota- If I have learned anything about Dakota over the last 2 months it would be that he likes to pull pranks, and is a tad bit scared of spiders. He’s passionate about coke, and the last piece of cake in the refrigerator. It’s been really cool to see Dakota open up with our team more and more each day and see his love for the Lord. He’s been super blessed with the ability to play the drums, make people laugh, and bond with kids through sports ministry. I hope when we get back from the race we’ll have the chance to play a round of Walmart hide-n-seek. Dakota scored a 8.63 on his best piece of oven baked cinnamon toast.
Matt- Matt has picked up a few nicknames over the last month, one of them being sweetheart. He’s not the biggest fan yet, but I think he’ll learn to like it. After meeting Matt at training camp I was blown away by his wisdom and his passion for the Lord. It’s been crazy cool to see him grow over these 2 months and become more eager and excited to learn.
Here is a haiku that I wrote for Matt:
Matt hates all the cats
Sometimes we call him sweetheart
One day president
Josie- Sometimes when I think of Josie I just laugh. We bonded one day over cleaning our bathroom for 3 hours. She reads children’s bible stories to me on the kitchen floor at 11 pm. She has a flexible neck… or at least will one day. She sits in the back of trucks with me and laughs uncontrollably. What a hooligan. Josie has random stories about her life and I constantly tell her that she’s the most interesting person I know. We went to watch the stars one night in Botswana and talked about what we were excited for and what we were struggling with. As I listened to Josie speak she was humble in everything she said, but was filled with confidence. She speaks with kindness and grace. The Lord has such crazy plans for Josie’s life and I cannot wait to see how she uses her gifts and talents.
