I’m staring down month five of the World Race. This moment seemed so incredibly far away when the race began but in a blink of an eye we’ve made it here. One last month in Asia.
As you know, I’ve spent this journey so far as a member of Team Hesed, but as we head into next month that is all about to change. As our alumni squad leaders, Kaci, Carmella, and Joshua prepare to leave the field, three of our squadmates are about to rise up and fill their places. That means that teams are also changing.
On Saturday my team will be traveling from Battambang, Cambodia (where we’ve been doing ministry) to Siem Reap, Cambodia for debrief. This is when we will officially be switched around.
Honestly, I have a lot of feelings about this.
Part of me is ready for a change and is excited to see what it is that God is up to in a new team, but a big part of me is also grieving the loss of Team Hesed and all of the growth that we have experienced together thus far. I felt like an appropriate way to close this chapter of my race would be to end the same way I began… by telling you all about each of the incredible women I’ve been living with!
Kayla Norwood (Captain)
Captain has been our fearless leader these past four months. She has shown me what it looks like to lead as Christ leads by being patient, compassionate, deeply caring, and quick to listen. She has a gift of leading by empowering others around her to step up and take initiative, but she also knows when it is necessary to step in herself. Cap has also been an inspiration within her personal walk with the Lord. She is constantly pursuing Him with all that she has and has even invited her family to join in. If I ever needed a calm, reassuring voice then I knew Cap was the person to go to and I’m so glad that I got to do life with her.
Kayla Strickler
Kayla was one that I wasn’t sure about in the beginning (her and I have talked about this). I couldn’t get a good grip on her personality and I wasn’t sure if we would mesh well but luckily I was terribly wrong. Kayla has been such a rock for me in this journey so far. She is someone who always seeks to understand where you are coming from and makes you feel heard. In moments where I was frustrated or struggling I knew that I could go to Kayla to verbally process (word vomit) and she would patiently listen without judging. This is Christ within her. She is so passionate about serving each person that we come in contact in and she made me want to be better.
Paige Deur (Paiges)
Paiges is such a steadfast individual. She is loyal and she fights for the people that she loves. She is someone that you want to have on your side when it all comes down. Paige is gifted in her ability to really love people where they are at and to see them with the eyes of the Lord. She has challenged me over and over again to give people the benefit of the doubt. Being able to witness and encourage Paige’s growth in boldly using her voice has been such a beautiful testament to what happens when you live fully in community.
Gabbie Ueberroth (Gabs)
Oh Gabbie, this girl is amazing. Gabs has pushed herself to grow more than any other person on our team. We have all worked hard, but it seemed like every team time Gabbie was letting us in on an improvement that her and the Lord were working on together. Gabs created such a culture of honesty and vulnerability within our team that was truly invaluable. It has been such a blessing to be able to witness the fruit of her hard work and to have been able to support her as we go. Gabbie has been there for me through good and bad times with a goofy joke and a bright grin. I love the way that she carries the discipline of Christ within her
Grace Koerner
Grace and I butted heads a lot at first, but now I can’t imagine what life looks like without her an arms length away! Turns out that we are more similar than we were willing to give each other credit for. Grace is strong willed, independent, and fiercely loyal. Grace was never afraid to challenge me and encourage me and I LOVE that about her. She has inspired me to be more comfortable with who I am and what I believe in because she herself is so solid in her identity. She knows where she comes from and what is of highest importance. I love her heart for others, particularly our ministry hosts. She is constantly seeking ways to love them and it is a huge part of our team’s success.
Kamiren Passavanti (KamKam)
Kam tells it how it is. She is someone who is highly logical and analytical and sometimes I think it’s the only reason that our team makes it. It has been such a blessing to have someone on my team that loves dogs almost as much as I do, and who is always coming in clutch with puppy pictures and videos. Kam has been such a strong picture of what it looks like to commit to something and follow through. Each month when we abandon things she sets a goal and by the end of the month always seems to reach it. It has spurred me on in my own abandonment process as I continue to see the fruit of her labor. I love the balance that KamKam brings to our team and I have so appreciated her level-headedness.
Although I don’t know what this next team looks like yet, I am incredibly excited to get started with them but I will always cherish my time on Team Hesed. This has been a season of immense growth, struggle, and victory and I couldn’t have done it without each of the women that comprised Hesed. We set out to “loyally love” one another and those that we served (as is the meaning of our team name) and I think we did pretty darn well. This team had so many hiccups and we had to fight for each other constantly in order to come to a place of love and unity but we never gave up on each other. Every single person gave their all to this team and I’m moving forward with the confidence that these relationships don’t die with team changes, they just continue to evolve and grow.
I love you, Team Hesed. Thanks for giving me your all <3
