I think it’s time I introduce the girls I share a room with and work alongside each day. We named our team “Parameno”, which means to abide and draw near. We wanted our focus for this year to be following Jesus as close as possible, and to truly abide in Him. Each of them has such a unique personality that brings a freshness to the team. I wouldn’t ask for any other girls to live, laugh, cry, and randomly wrestle with than them. The Lord really knew what He was doing when He put us all together. Proverbs 27 says “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” These girls want me to grow in the Lord, walk alongside them sharing the good news, and become the best godly version of myself I can be. These are true friends; they challenge, encourage, and seek understanding in all that they do. What a joy!
Abi Dolhite: True Joy and Identity
She is the definition of joyfully living life, hand in hand with God. She is a true servant of the Lord, and she is the happiest person while doing it. She continues to make me laugh and smile even on the gloomiest of days. Abi knows who she is. Her testimony is one that gives goosebumps. She knows the voice of the Lord and she obeys it wholeheartedly. Despite her own plans, she listened to God and came on the race. Talk about abandonment and obedience! She shows me daily what it’s like to love yourself and to have the most fun in every situation. Abi is boldness. From shaving her head to dancing down busy streets, she is comfortable in her own skin. She has the voice of an angel when she sings, and she has a heart for worship. She’s a coffee ADDICT, her favorite being pumpkin spice lattes. She’s down for fast grocery store runs to make desserts. She has super cute earrings that I like to borrow. She likes to wear leggings under her PJ shorts, and it’s definitely a sight to see. Those are some of my favorite things about her, but most importantly, Abi is a great friend.
Anna Horst: Truth and Willingness
If I were to describe her in just a few words, I would say that she’s a small town girl with honesty and a servant’s heart. Anna always says yes, always serves the rest of our team, and always brings a smile to my face. She’s Little Miss Crafty and loves to paint and alter clothes. She’s got the best fashion, and the best hair probably on our whole squad. Anna is truth. She speaks life into everyone around her, and she knows God’s vision well. Her go-with-the-flow, unafraid attitude has led to amazing stories and testimonies of God working in Romania. She is willing. Willing to start conversations with anyone, willing to help in the kitchen, and always willing to laugh and act like a fool. Anna is one of the most energetic people you could find, and what a gift that is. She is truly living out what it means to be a vessel for God to work through. Anna is from Kilgore, Texas, a city 45 minutes away from me. She is missing a tooth. Her hair is crazy when she first wakes up. Speaking of sleep, she snores really loud. She wears blue mascara, which I really want to try now. And my favorite thing: Anna is an amazing example and role model.
Emalani Higdon: Vulnerability and Intimacy
Let me just start by saying I’ve learned so much from this girl. Everyday I see things in a new light because of her wisdom. I can’t fathom how much truth this girl speaks, it blows my mind. Emalani opened the door for deeper vulnerability inside our team. She opened up about her testimony, and she created a space for everyone else to feel free from judgement and comfortable. She is the queen of true vulnerability. She uses her story to propel herself further into God and doesn’t let it define herself now. Emalani is strong. She seeks truth during discussion times, and she includes everyone. She is intimate. Whether it be with us, our leaders, or with God, she is amazing at growing relationships. She has the kindest soul and the cutest freckles, I mean who wouldn’t want to talk to her?! She is so understanding, and she is wise. She truly seeks God in His word, and she inspires me to do the same more often. Emalani just has a presence that you always want to be around because she makes you feel seen. She has the cutest dog ever named Roxy. She hangs her feet off her top bunk at night and rubs them together like a grasshopper. She loves to stretch and is probably top 10 for the most flexible people I know. She loves coffee too! She is extremely close with her older sister. She cooks the BEST cheese quesadillas. Emalani is the full package for what a woman of God should be like. I just adore her so much.
Kate Anderson: Compassion and Gentleness
Kate Noelle Anderson. A true gift from above. The person who has become “my person”. She is one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. She is a true comforter, and she loves to do it. One of her gifts is the ability to meet you where you are. She listens so well, and she has such a peace about her when she does it. Kate has a heart for her squad much like God does for the church. She approaches situations with openness and she loves to pull you in. Kate is funny and doesn’t try to be most of the time. She is witty and she makes me snort laugh, which is kinda hard to do! Kate is gentle. When I’m nervous or upset about something, she’ll just come and sit by me. She comforts all who know her. I can’t explain it well enough, so just take what I’m saying about her calmness and multiply it by ten! Kate shows me grace like God does. She is radical in her faith and how it’s shaped her into who she is today. Kate has a really good hair straightener. Her favorite drink is diet coke, but it isn’t sold here in Romania so she drinks sprite. She and I made the best edible cookie dough the other night; I think baking might be a secret gift of hers. She’s from North Dakota, and she says “bag” with a funny accent. At training camp, we shared a tent for the last 5 or 6 nights even when we didn’t have to. Also, Kate loves the store brand fake-Nutella they sell here. Kate brings me immense joy, especially in the little moments we share.
Kori Moon: Discernment and Hospitality
THE BEST TEAM LEADER EVER!!! I hope you read that as me yelling. What a woman! What an artist! What a role model! Mark my words, one of the coolest and quirkiest people you’ll ever meet. Every decision and thought that she has runs first through God. She is so strong in her faith it’s incredible. She gives amazing advice and she has amazing stories to tell from her race last year. She is always available to ask questions, from the smallest things like “who’s in the bathroom?” to big questions with scripture. Kori is a light. Her cute little nose, her laugh, and her crazy good makeup skills are just some of her amazing attributes. I find myself always wanting to be around her because she has such a fun spirit. She is so kind and makes you feel like everything you have to say is important. She has taught me a lot. We are the same enneagram, so she understands all of my emotional struggles and combats them with truth and scripture. What a woman. Kori is hospitable. She chose to take the floor mattress so we could all have bunk beds! She shares her clothes and her coffee with us, which are some of her most prized possessions. She always creates safe times of sharing and vulnerability for us because she wants us to feel comfortable. She goes out of her way to help us and it truly amazes me. Here I am tearing up as I write Kori’s paragraph because she goes far beyond what I have to say. She means so much to me, and God placed her as my team leader to help me grow. I love her to bits, in all of her seriousness and craziness. She means so much to me, and we’ve only been together for two months now! I’m grateful for all of the time I’ve spent with her, and for the friendship that will continue. Kori describes herself as a grandma. She too is a coffee ADDICT on my team. In fact, I knew I would like her at training camp when she slipped me her coffee to finish off on multiple occasions. She loves essential oils, and her favorite one is Valor. Her favorite movie is “The Sound of Music”. Kori has unmanageable bangs in the morning so it’s always cute when she first wakes up. Kori is the living, breathing, and walking feeling of coziness and warmth. Shoutout to God for creating her, what a cool one she is.
Morgan Miller: Peace and Growth
Oh Mo (her nickname). This girl is sneaky, but not in a bad way. She has so much personality, but such a quiet shell that first needs broken! She is a fireball of humor and sass. When I first met Mo, I thought she didn’t like me, but she’s actually an internal processor who prefers quiet and stillness. She is so loving. Once she warmed up to our team, I realized how much peace she has to teach us about. She approaches life through the lense of thoughtfulness and meditation. She has a calming presence, and a peace that surpasses all understanding, which is a gift that is definitely from God. Don’t let her fool you, she will make you laugh really, really, really hard. She makes me feel loved whenever she is vulnerable, because she trusts our team enough to speak how she feels and what she thinks. God really packed a punch with her. Mo has also been the perfect example of growth through her increasing vulnerability. She has showed me that God uses us all where we are to grow us more and more. Mo is way more comfortable with our team, and I am so happy! We love Mo so much, but she doesn’t like physical touch so we give her mental hugs. Mo is an essential oil boss, she brought so many bottles with her! Morgan is vegetarian, which I will never understand. She is really good at popping backs. She is AMAZING at making and editing videos. She loves to sleep. Mo is the sassiest, most peaceful, most God honoring person. Thanks for being you Mo!!
