Four months.
Four countries.
Six teammates.
Six lessons learned that have changed my life forever.
From Marietta, Georgia, Emmy brings beautiful testimonies of God’s faithfulness in her own life through the answered prayers and even supplications that have yet to yield tangible fruits. Her life has been marked by her love for her earthly parents. She has never seen her father physically walk, but to hear her describe his walk with Jesus will bring tears to your eyes. It would be simple for her to assume that his physical limitations are “just part of life,” but she has prayed for all of her 23 years that he would stand up from his wheelchair by a miracle of God. She has taught me to be bold in prayer even when an answer (by healing or otherwise) would defy all human reasoning. My father, too, has been physically limited all of my life. His vision began to wane in his twenties until he is now left with minimal ability to see. What blindness has taken from him physically, the Lord has given back to him in a reverence and vision to see the Kingdom come. Since he has been blind for all of my life, I never thought to ask God to heal him; it was just a way of life. Emmy has taught me to pray for big, impossible things. So Dad, I’m praying for your eyes to be restored tenfold for the glory of God! Thank you, Emmy, for who you are and for serving our team so selflessly!
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.”
{1John 5:14-15}
From San Diego, California, Kim brings a spirit of adventure and a deep yearning to know the heart of God. She talks of cliffs and caves and oceans and mountains that always leave me in awe. She experiences God in very real and tangible ways, and I can often find her wherever the wind is blowing or where a guitar is available. Her mind is a beautiful swirl of supercharged thoughts and emotions that—when focused on the Father—is a powerhouse in the Kingdom of God. She has experienced Jesus for herself, and it is evident even when she first introduces herself. And even though she experienced Him years ago, she has never once been stagnant in her quest to go deeper. Every day she digs into the Truths of the bible and she spends hours every day just pondering her identity in the One who holds her heart. She has taught me how to be available and interruptible for the sake of the Gospel. Everywhere we go there are tourists, travelers, and expatriates that somehow always gravitate toward Kim. Whether its her friendly demeanor or a divine aroma that draws them into conversation, Kim seems to be perpetually forming friendships centered around her love for people and her calling to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. Our team would absolutely not be the same without you, Kim. Thanks for teaching me how to love people like Leon and to see them through the lens of the Good News!
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always lead us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”
{2 Corinthians 2:14}
From Smiths Station, Alabama, Kyle brings an invitation into an intellectual realm of Christianity seldom explored by the American church. He brings a hunger for the deeper things of God. He longs to learn about who God is, and how the Holy Spirit operates in the Church today. Kyle has a heart to share with others his deep reverence for the Father and make the name of Jesus known in every corner of the world. He spends time every day digging into the Word, and as a result, praises to the King of Kings are always on his lips. He carries a powerful testimony of the Lord’s call on his life to give up pieces of himself that seemed to define who he was, but the Father was faithful to redeem him and sing identity over Kyle as a son of the Most High King. He supernaturally gave him a heart to serve others and to spend his life learning and loving for the glory of Jesus. Kyle has taught me the importance of not just learning about truth but more about who Truth is. Thank you, Kyle, for teaching me that just as the Father pursues us, He is beyond worthy to be pursued as well. Thanks for living your life in an example of relentless pursuit of Him and allowing me to glean from your time spent on your knees before the Father.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
{Galatians 2:20}
From Lexington, Kentucky, Carmen brings a sincere and passionate heart to see Heaven come to Earth. She is a mountain girl through-and-through, and if you spend some time with her she will surely share some of her favorite experiences of hiking in the Gorge and her dream to see every national park in the U.S. Whether she is gazing at the majesty of the Himalayas or she is on her knees looking into the eyes of an orphaned child, you can see her developing an ever-expanding wonder of the glory of God and a deepening reverence for the King of Kings. She is an excellent example of a leader by simply humbling herself and exalting the Name of Jesus. Her heart in every conversation is to uncover Truth and she is always willing to get down into people’s messes. She fights for those she loves, and she works alongside the Father to chase down the lost sheep and bring them into the fold. She has taught me that every moment spent fighting alongside a brother or sister is a moment spent pursuing the heart of the Father. She has gotten down into my mess with me as I cried out to the Father. In times when I felt like a burden to my team and a detriment to the Kingdom, she firmly and lovingly redirects my attention to the cross—where she has learned to find her identity and faithfully invites others to do the same. Thank you, Carmen, for taking time to sit with the Father and let Him pour into you so that you can be poured out for others.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
{Romans 8:38-39}
From Spokane, Washington, Bekah comes like a cool summer breeze as she invites the Father to breathe life into any conversation. She has been given eyes to see beauty anywhere and everywhere. Whether she’s listening to Latch for the seventeenth time within the last 24 hours or she’s crouched in front of a rogue water buffalo with Portrait Mode engaged as she tries to find the perfect angle, she carries the Gospel with every move she makes. She is softly spoken and her smile can soften even the most hardened of hearts, but make no mistake—she is a powerful daughter of the King who is determined to tear down the enemy’s strongholds. Where others may rush into battle with swords and spears, Bekah wages war with truth and love. She reflects the Father’s love unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She is always available to listen to others and she asks questions that guide conversations deeper to the heart of whatever issue is being discussed. She has taught me that humility and meekness are among some of the most powerful weapons in waging spiritual warfare and are also the keys to deeper intimacy with God. She has also taught me to glorify the Father in all things beautiful, and that Jesus can be seen in even the most ordinary of circumstances. Thank you, Bekah, for seeing me for who I am and for being so willing to love others relentlessly.
“One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in His temple.”
{Psalm 27:4}
From DeLand, Florida, Katie brings a chorus of laughter everywhere she goes. She is clothed with joy and she changes the atmosphere in whatever space she steps into. She deeply feels the joy of others and she is always available to deeply carry the pain of others as well. She has the gift of empathizing with others and creating a feeling of safety by simply being her friend. She reflects the Father’s love by stepping beyond her comfort zone to make others feel loved. Katie knows the importance of an encouraging word, a warm hug, an hour of silent quality time, a simple act of kindness, and a hand-crafted gift in showing love and living out the Gospel. One of the first impressions I had of Katie was based on a photo I saw of her before Training Camp. She was grinning from ear to ear holding a sign that read, “Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders.” What I have witnessed over the last four months is a powerful woman of God who has stepped beyond her borders into rough waters. She stepped into a tiny home in month one and brought fire from Heaven in a Gospel presentation that left me speechless. She is always looking for ways to grow in intimacy with the Father and she loves to bring us along for the ride. Thank you, Katie, for not only knowing joy, but being joy as well.
“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory”
{1 Peter 1:8}
From our first memories together
to the last,
I will cherish all the lessons I have learned from this season of Overflow.
I love you guys more than you know.
#justacup
