BUENOS DIAS AMIGOS!!!!
This blog was SUPPOSE to come to you like 5 days ago but lack of time + lack of strong wifi connection = I put a lot of time into getting this bad boy uploaded so please read it!!!!
MAN, I just can’t get over how big God has blessed us this month!!
Here’s a little recap for ya:
We have been living in the mountains of Panama with a family who is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! They fill our bellies with the most delicious meals, and our hearts with the most abundant joy! Monday through Friday we spend 7-8 hours building homes for the indigenous workers that work the family’s coffee farm!
Today’s blog post entails a little sneak peek into the lives of the people I’m journeying along side of here in Panama and for at least the next few months! I look at our team as a big feast, and each person being a particular item because no meal is complete without unity! So without further ado…….here’s my team!!
Alyx: The Fine China
Alyx is an extroverted, enthusiastic, fun loving, woman of God who hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is our team leader and my bunk buddy for the month. We have bonded so hard this month through conversation, movies, bamboo harvesting/cleaning, guitar lessons, and so much laughter. She is such a reflection of God’s image and I love getting to know her a little more each day. She is the fine china because she’s always there for us, supporting us, and taking care of us individually and as a team to help us all grow stronger.
Mike: The Sweet, Iced Tea
Mike hails from London, England. He is the sweet iced tea to our team because of his chill, laid back, easy going personality (he literally rolled down a huge, muddy hill for $5!). His positive attitude, “yes” spirit, and sweet presence makes him an essential component of our team. He is one of our logistics coordinators, whose job is to coordinate and execute our transportation needs. He is someone I have learned so much from in this first month and I’m so honored to grow in Christ with him!
Anthony: The “Prime” Rib
Anthony hails from Seattle, Washington and is one of our other logistics coordinators. He also sees over our journey markers which are reflections of our week to week lives on the Race. His extensive knowledge of the Spanish language has been a huge help breaking language barriers for our team. He is our prime rib because he has such a robust personality and always brings different flavors to conversations and activities. He is straightforward, honest, and practical which brings such a great and necessary essence to our team.
Rachael: The Loaded Baked Potato
Rachael hails from Hayward, Wisconsin and is one of our squad leaders who journeys along side of us for the next 5 months. Squad leaders are people who have already completed their World Race. She fights for us, laughs with us, and instills her previous World Race wisdom on us. She is our loaded baked potato, because she is harty with knowledge, joy, humor, and fun. She has so much goodness on the inside and I can’t wait to experience all the essence that make Rachael so wonderful!
Clayton: The Asparagus
Clayton initially comes off as the quiet, reserved guy, but there is so much under that layer of introvertedness. He hails from Harlan, Indiana and is our team’s treasurer which is such a HUGE responsibility because he is in charge of the finances of our team. He is the perfect person for the job, because he is so level-headed, rational, and thoughtful. I chose him to be the asparagus, because he is so strong in his faith and his identity in Christ and influences others to grow stronger as well. He is a hard worker who has so much goodness on the inside to empower others.
Karrie: The Hot Fudge Sundae
Karrie is an encourager of all, a sporadic daredevil, and has a huge heart for every living thing (except for beetles and spiders). She hails from Springfield, Missouri and she is the Beauty for Ashes coordinator of our entire squad! Her job entails encouraging our squad to minister to women and help them find their voice and share their stories so they can begin to heal and make room for the Holy Spirit. I’ve enjoyed working alongside of her and growing with her this month. She is the hot fudge sundae, because she is so sweet and compassionate. She is the cherry on top of our team, because no meal is complete without dessert!
Living life with them this month has been incredible! I’m so grateful for teammates who fight for me daily! We head to Jaco, Costa Rica Monday the 3rd to meet up with the rest of our squad to do ministry together for the month of September!
Best,
Carsyn
