**This is part of a series of blogs I‘m working on with my squadmate Gretchen Waters (check out her blog site here !) Gretch is a writing intern for the marketing department, just like I’m a photography intern, so we thought this would be a fun way to collab and share our squad with our supporters. I’ve highlighted where each of us are writing and then the pictures are from me 🙂
We’ve already introduced you to my team, Stride, and our leadership team, but there are still four teams left on our squad. In the coming weeks we’re going to introduce you to each of them, and first up is the men of Gap D!
Also, instead of us writing about each of them, we asked the guys to each contribute something about one of the others because they’ve been on a team together the last 7 months and know each other way better than we do 🙂
TEAM KENOSIS
kenosis : the emptying of oneself to be filled with Christ
GRETCHEN: Originally, the boys were split into two teams, led by Mo Nelms and Grant Holdeman for the first 3 months. As our month at home drew closer the Lord was highlighting the men to join together to form Kenosis.
Now, the boys are all serving alongside each other on the same team.
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men…”
Philippians 2:4-7
Ben Bigcraft // Tigard, Oregon
strong. noble. true.
“My man Ben is a real bro for real. His down-to-earth personality and insane wisdom really shows his steadfastness in the Lord. He is a truth seeker if I have ever met one. Ben not only seeks truth in the Word, but goes deeper than face value and understands the authenticity and value of each statement. His heart for people in general is admirable and has been the best example to follow when learning to love people where they are at. His pursuit of intimacy with the Father has clearly overflowed into our team and has made these past months so great. Love you a lot Ben and I’m grateful I got this time with you.”
– Brent
Brent Long // West Chester, Pennsylvania
deep. pursuit. willing.
“There aren’t enough words to describe Brent, aside from the fact that you’ll rarely meet a guy who carries his identity as a son of God as well as he does. It’s a blessing to be able to call him my brother. He’s a man of wisdom, compassion, reliability, honesty, courage, and so much more – it’s been incredible to be witness to how he’s walked alongside the Lord, transformed, and grown. He’s the type of person that can walk in a room and the entire atmosphere will change if he wants it to. He’s a game changer and powerhouse in the Kingdom.”
– Carter T.
Carter Tran // Boulder, Colorado
passionate. detail-oriented. able.
“Carti is a man who loves culture. If you want the best music, the best food, and a good movie or show to watch, Carti is your guy. He’s also hungry for truth, and willing to seek the Lord and draw from his experiences to find answers. He is wise, and he listens well. He’s been an incredible brother and an example of someone who’s truly passionate about the Lord’s truth and what he loves.”
– Ben
Gabe // Harrisonburg, Virginia
faithful. worshipper. friend.
“Gabe is a man of pursuit. Pursuit of people. Pursuit of hope. Pursuit of faithfulness. Pursuit of the LORD. I love his fearlessness. I love the confidence that he boasts of in the Lord. I love the way that he’s not afraid to dig into the real dirt of life and find beauty in the brokenness. I love his laugh. It literally lights up a room with joy and reflects the joy of the Father. I think one of the most amazing things about Gabe is the way that he knows how to boldly use the authority of the Lord while also stepping down to anyone’s level in order to empathize. We love Gabe!”
– Wesley
Samson Densmore // Ankeny, Iowa
patient. servant-hearted. leader.
“Samson. WOW! I admit, if there’s one thing I regret regarding our team, it’s not hanging out with him more. He’s our team leader, but first and foremost he is our brother. When it comes to his heart for the Lord I truly have no words because it’s beyond obvious of the love he has for God. In secret he prays and talks with Jesus, and in public I am so blessed to be able to see the fruit of his identity becoming more rooted in Christ every single day. If I could say anything to Samson right now, it would probably be this: Thank you. For leading our team to the best of your ability, and for calling us higher. For loving us well, even when we didn’t always return it. For being our brother and always being there for us. Love you!”
– Gabe
Wesley Cannon // Greenville, South Carolina
wise. honorable. trustworthy.
“Wesley Cannon. Wow… What an honor. Wesley. Stands. Out. I’ve never met anyone like him. It’s brothers like this where you don’t know how words can do them justice. His spiritual strength is a huge inspiration. The way he walks out his faith brings encouragement to those around him, and lifts them closer to God. The way he holds the Word as ultimate truth in his personal life clearly shows in his actions. His integrity, wisdom, love, passion. He is a man who understands God’s love for him deep within his soul and it shows by how he loves others. He holds an unwavering confidence in His identity. He stewards his gifts from the Lord to bring it all back to God. He knows why he is on this earth and he seeks to pursue the fullness of God through it all. A friend. A lifelong brother. I am beyond thankful for the fact that God placed him in my life.”
– Samson
“There will never be enough time nor space on a blog to brag on Team Kenosis. I remember back in Georgia when we had decided to put the two guys teams together when we went international and they just flourished! Before we had two teams of great guys but they weren’t united. But now, through months of challenges, they are stronger than they could ever have been. These men are some of the best and I’ll stand by that statement all day! These men are courageous, fierce, loving, strong, determined but also some of the most devoted followers of Jesus I get to live my life with. They have taught me about trust and faith more than they will ever know. To know them is to see the heart of the Father and his vision for Godly men. Leading them has been one of the greatest honors in my life and I will never be able to thank them enough for the ways they have pulled me closer to the Father. Anyone who gets to live life with just one of them is lucky to have such a great man of faith and love in their midst.
Love you guys!”
Carter Groves // Squad Leader
ANJALI: And here’s me and the boys! I love them to pieces and I can’t imagine this squad without them. You’ve already heard it from them and Carter, but the way they live and love this squad so well only glorifies the Father even more. Kenosis, you already know how much I love you. You’re all the best brothers a girl could ask for, and I have learned so much from each and every one of you. I can’t imagine saying goodbye, so this is just a see you later :))
