Hey everybody, meet my leadership team!
Going from left to right in the back row is Austin, Regan, Samantha, and me. Then the second row is Kenz, Mily, and Leanna. Lastly, in the front, is Kyndal who is our squad mentor. I wanted to place a snippet of each of their stories here so you could get to know them better!
Austin:
I am from Raleigh, North Carolina. I believe that to be a Christian one must live to God and deny the desires of the flesh. I believe that as Christians, we are to suffer as Christ suffered, so that we may be glorified with Him. I enjoy graphic design, photography, running, playing guitar, and piano. I chose to spend my next year on the World Race because I’ve felt a calling to go to India for several years, and after praying about how I would get there, I heard about it.
Regan:
From the day I could walk and talk I’ve been in love with our broken world and its people. I have a heart that constantly wants to reach out to those that are hurting, no matter where they come from in life.
God cemented His presence in my life during the summer after my 5th grade year– As I was praying (i.e. pleading) with God to reveal where He would take me in my future, a still, small voice whispered one word… “missionary.”
…Yeah, my little ol’ twelve year old self wasn’t exactly expecting that!
Nevertheless, I embraced it. Since that day, my dream to follow God’s calling to serve Him my whole life out on the field has grown and changed in ways I couldn’t possibly imagine!
My first missions trip happened a couple years later, when I was in eighth grade. I journeyed with my youth group up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a week of serving at Urban Hope, a center that focuses on teaching and showing Jesus to the kids and teens of Philly. The moment I stepped out of the van, I was hooked.
Even in the midst of all the filth, drugs, abuse and poverty, Jesus was present in EVERYTHING– He was in the vibrant sunsets over the city skyline, He was in the crooked grin of a dirty but happy little five year old, He was laughing as all of us ran into the street to play in a fire hydrant spurting cool water, He was in the hearts of the leaders as they sang children’s worship songs with all the kids, and so many more.
After the Philly trip, I went to Leslie County, Kentucky, the most drug ridden county in America to teach Vacation Bible School to the county’s kids. Most exciting of all, last year my mom and I went on my first out-of-country, two week missions trip to Thailand and Cambodia with a team from my church. Our church supports an Asia’s Hope orphanage in each country, where we went to play and love on the kids (though most of us would say that the kids love on us!).
I LOVE Jesus (obviously). I also love reading, drawing/artsy crafty stuff, playing piano, studying the Bible, and deep conversations. I could die happy eating nothing but pasta and pretty much anything chocolate!
I live in northern Indiana with my dad, mom, and three younger brothers… yeah, it can get pretty crazy in our house.
I’m a history nerd, especially when it comes to diving into the Bible.
I’ve been co-leading my public high school’s Christian club, Raiders for Christ, for 2-3 years now. It’s been both stressful and a blessing to have God give us this chance! (If you go to Northridge High School: RFC is every Wednesday in the choir room, 8-8:45 am. Come check us out! Instagram @raiders_for_christ_ (; )
Samantha:
Hey Friends! 🙂 Yeah, the Lord has shown His unrelenting pursuit and love for me over the past 19 years and it has been insane. Obviously, I didn’t always see the love or the pursuit and in fact, most of the time, I thought that the world was just really harsh and without love. As soon as I gave my life to the Lord, He began to renew my mind and mend the broken places in my life.
He reminds me constantly of where He is and was in the brokenness. The race for me was a solidifying of my foundation in Him and my identity in Him. It was something that began to shift and open my eyes to a new layer of both brokenness and healing. The more grief and brokenness I experienced, the more He showed up and gave me compassion.
Wow, the Lord is good. He has such a purpose and we just have to show up. He does the hard work and takes on the burdens and I just show up. So yeah, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or challenged by growth, just remember the Lord is just sitting with you, smiling at you, and saying He is just proud you are showing up and trying. Day by day, we begin to see more of Him and day by day we live our lives with Him.
Kenz:
To me it was never my race, it was always the Lord’s race through me and I am so blessed to have been apart of it. The things we saw together and did together changed the way I will look at the Lord for the rest of my life. It gave me the opportunity to see the world through His eyes. To love like He does, to serve like He does, to be more like Him and it was such a rad experience. Being only 24 years old and having experienced the things I have and the people I have met have made me realize how much we miss if we aren’t looking, God is everywhere, go out and look for yourself!
Emily:
The World Race was an opportunity and environment for me to radically change the way I live my life, the way I love people, and the way I interact with God. It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life, and the most rewarding.
God is so weird and He doesn’t make sense sometimes, but I’ve gotten to lean into His goodness, His faithfulness, His trustworthiness. I’ve now had to raise $21,000. I’ve travelled to over 11 countries, navigating new foods and cultures and customs. I’ve shared everything from a bed to my deepest heart cries with other people who are trying to figure out this life thing too. All by the grace of God.
The World Race has been an answered prayer for me. I never saw myself going into a typical job after I graduated college. I knew that my 20s were the perfect time to do something CRAZY and adventurous. I also knew that I wanted to help people. It’s so important to me to be doing work that people are benefiting from. The World Race is a perfect place to do both of those things, and it has been absolutely insane to see God’s plan for me unfold. It’s bigger and better than I could’ve ever imagined.
Hopefully you know a little more about me! If you have any questions or want to talk don’t hesitate to click on the “Contact” button on the tab to the left.
Leanna:
hello there! 🙂
soooo here is a lil bit about myself! I am currently 19 years old and I live in Minnesota. I have lived in the same town and the same house my whole life. I have one older brother named Phillip and he is super rad! Phillip and I are seven years apart and we are super close. I have 1 dog named Kalli and she is the cutest golden retriever. I also have 2 cats named Pansy and Goldie. I love to play volleyball and a bunch of other sports. I love to be active and play games with my friends and family. I love to paint and draw in my free time. I also love to write. I love to journal and write calligraphy. I enjoy thrift shopping and drinking coffee. I love to play the ukuele and sing songs. oh my heart how did i forget…I LOVE JESUS. a lot. my favorite Bible verse is romans 8:28. (read it. it’s super good.) I am always down for an adventure!
Love you all so much, thanks for all your prayers and support!
