There are so many things I am thankful for because of the Race. I am thankful for the growth I have had in my relationship with the Lord. I am thankful for the way I’ve grown my relationship with my family. I am thankful for how much I’ve seen the world and seen the people that need Jesus. I am thankful for the people I’ve shared the Lord with. One of the things I knew was going to be a big thing was community, but I had no idea how much this group of amazing humans would truly mean to me. So here is a post to all of my team mates, and how thankful I am for them.
TEAM UNCONDITIONAL
Skyler…
Your friendship was something I never expected. You are such a sweet friend, and someone I know I can go to for anything. You always let me vent to you, cry on your shoulder, yell about whatever I need to, tell you stories about people back home, and always ooh and ahh at pictures of my niece and nephew. You have a heart for other people and the world, and you inspire me daily to love others even more. I have never met anyone with as much of a heart for animals, and we all knew it was only a matter of time before you adopted your own fur baby. I have seen you grow so much, and you inspire me daily to grow as well. I am so thankful for the crazy relationship we have, and I can’t wait until we hang out.
Hannah Grace…
Our friendship has grown so much. Finding out I was on a team with you was a flurry of emotions, mostly not knowing how to handle your energy. After we got through that rough patch though, our friendship became so sweet. I know you are someone I can say ‘look at what my niece/nephew did!’ and you will be able to relate more than anyone else. I know you are someone I can come to, complain about all of my frustrations, and you’ll just hug me and say ‘I know it sucks and I am sorry.’ Above everything else, you encourage everyone to continue growing in the Lord. Whenever an issue comes up, you look for Jesus. You are constantly pursuing Him in everything you do, and I have learned so much from your walk with God.
Sara…
Wow, I have never met someone as servant hearted as you. You are the first person to drop whatever you are doing to help someone with something. No matter if it was your dish day or not, you were the first one to just start doing it. You have taught me so much about being selfless. You willingly share everything, you love so deeply, and you are the first one to volunteer to do what no one else wants to do. You are also incredibly humble, and get up early every morning to have your quiet time. However, you never make any big deal about it, but rather run off by yourself to just have a few moments alone with Jesus. I love you so much and I am so thankful for the quiet way you push everyone around you closer to the Lord.
Kirkland…
Hey K, I miss you. You have such a perseverance about you, and you never are willing to give up or give in before you have fought the fight as well as you can. You truly are following after the Lord with your whole heart, and following where He calls you no matter how hard that decision may be. You have such a beautiful passion to share people’s stories. You have a heart to capture the hard things people are going through and share them with others. It is inspiring your passion for storytelling. Keep pushing after the Lord with everything you have.
TEAM SYCAMORE
Skyler/Hannah Grace/Sara, see above.
Lindsay…
You are such a strong leader. Not strong like an in-you-face yelling at everyone what to do kind of leader, but someone that doesn’t have to be first or treated any different than anyone else. You lead by example. You pursue God so hard every single day, and even though we were only together for a few weeks, you ignited such a deep passion in me to seek the Lord daily. You encouraged bible studies, deeper prayer, and long conversations. I know that even know, if there is something I need to talk about, you are more than willing to put everything aside to sit and chat. You give such godly advice, and I am so thankful for the time we had together for me to learn from you.
Emily…
Oh my dear Emily. From day one you have had the biggest heart for other people. You are so encouraging, even when you are going through something hard yourself. I loved being dish buddies for our month together in Zambia, and you would always ask deep questions truly wanting to know the deep answer and never settling for the shallow ‘everything is fine.’ I am so thankful you were always my yoga buddy and still are so encouraging and you can see when I need it most. You have such a heart of love for everyone around you, and I love all of the funny jokes we have and the fun we had our few weeks together.
Stella…
Even though you missed every day of ministry for the month we were together, I learned so much from you. You never give up, you never let anything get you down. Even though you were in pain every day, you still would play and laugh with the boys. You are someone that keeps to your word. If you say we are going to go get coffee, I have zero doubt that it will happen. You are someone that has such a deep desire to grow and learn about the Lord, even if you don’t feel good. Even though you were home most every day, you pushed after the Lord so hard and used that time at home to read books and just sit with Him. I am so thankful for everything I learned from you. (ps Lo Lo is the cutest kid ever <3).
TEAM D.I.V.A.S.
Keia Dawn…
Keia, you hold so much wisdom. I have seen such a deep passion in you for chasing after the Lord. I have seen you grow close to Him no matter what that looks like. I’ve been so inspired by you to chase after Him in everything I do, in everything I say, and in every relationship I have. I know I can always come to you for advice, for a bible study or share whatever new thing the Lord showed me, and coffee dates. I am so glad that you are someone I can go sit in Sweet & Coffee with and not say anything for three hours. I am beyond thankful for your friendship, and I am so excited to see how it continues to grow.
Nick…
Hey fellow feeler. Your friendship truly means so much to me. I love that we can joke around and be complete idiots, and then have a deep conversation together. You are a gem of a friend, and I have learned so much from you in functioning in the world, understanding my brothers a little better, and in encouraging others. You are always the first one to ask if someone is okay, and you honestly want to hear the answer. You see when someone has a hard day, and you want to do anything you can to help them feel better. Thanks for teaching me how to love others well.
Luke…
When I found out we were on a team together, I was terrified of you. To be honest, I still am. You are a swell guy. I am so thankful for the time we got to spend together, and I saw such a deep desire to know the Lord better. I always looked forward to your thoughts during bible studies, and you would follow a tangent wherever it led to find the answer. You taught me a lot in how to deal with guys in general, and a lot about how to build my relationship with my brothers. You have such a deep heart to pursue the Lord, and I am beyond thankful that I am able to have such a special friendship with you.
Rodrigo…
My safe place since day one. Wow man, you have pushed me to grow so much. You aren’t afraid to point out the flaws in my thinking, you aren’t hesitant to share your thoughts or advice, and you have figured out a unique way to talk to everyone the way they need to hear it. I know when I say I want to talk, it’s gonna happen. I am so thankful that you would always come sit outside with me on our front porch in Malawi and let me rant to you about whatever I was dealing with at the time, and you would help me solve the problem. You taught me so much about myself, about dealing with other people, and better ways to process things. You figured me out, and that scares me a lot, but I am so beyond thankful for your friendship.
Courtney Rae…
Oh my love. You have so much love for everyone around you. You have been such a constant source of support and love for me, especially when I need it most. You care so deeply and so much for me, and it means so much. I know that no matter what happens, you are in my corner and always there to support and love me. You let me love you in the overbearing way I am sometimes, and you love me right back. You taught me how to love and be myself. You taught me how to truly accept myself and never apologize for who I am. You write me little notes, you give me hugs, and you text me sometimes just to say hi and you love me. You mean so much to me, and I am so glad we were able to build our friendship so much. You listen to everyone and you love your people so well, and I am so honored to be one of your people.
My team mates have been my life. They are the ones I share rooms with and spend all day, every day with. I have laughed with them, cried with them, fought with them, and loved them. I have learned so much from each of them, and I am so thankful for the unique and special relationship we have.
I’m not ready to say goodbye.
