Today i wanted to take some time and introduce you to my amazing team! Especially since I will be spending a year with them and since they are the most incredible people in the world!
First I would like to start off with the only Male on my team, Andrew. This is not Andrew’s first time doing the world race. He is currently finishing up his first race by walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. During his first race he felt like God was calling him to take another year off and go on World Race America. I am extremely lucky to have someone like him on my team. He is extremely helpful and caring. He shows his love for God in everything he does. His love for music is just as big as mine and I love it. My favorite thing though is he is willing to step up when no one else will. In the case at training camp it was regarding spiders in my tent. As most people who know me know there are 5 things I don’t do. I don’t do spiders, snakes, scorpions, or roaches. So that one morning when I got back to my tent to find 2 spiders in my tent i panicked. Andrew came to my rescue and killed them for me. See the video below for what happened.
Next would be my amazing squad/team leader Gisele. Gisele is such an inspiration to me. She gives her all to Jesus. I saw it the most during worship at training camp. She was the one you could hear from anywhere in the room. The one on the ground with her arms up crying. While some might find this annoying I found it uplifting. I looked at her giving her all and looked at myself, barely moving. That first night during worship I felt extremely uncomfortable not sure if I was meant to be in that room. I looked at Gisele and new that by the end of training camp I wanted to be more like Gisele who was giving everything she had during worship. While I know I didn’t get to Gisele’s level of worship I know that I opened up and did worship in my own way. Gisele is also the person who convinced me that I can take on the role of treasurer. When she first told me she had made me treasurer I doubted her. She brought up the first conversation we had had. It was immediately after that first worship session. She had come up to me and told me God told her to come over to me and tell me I needed to take initiative. She didn’t know in which way. She realized he meant for me to take initiative not only in my team but in my life. In the sense that I needed to stop doubting myself before I had even tried something. Gisele is such a huge supporter and uplifter in my life. She has forever impacted my life and I have only spent 10 days with her.
Next I would like to talk about the girl whom I started a friendship with before training camp, Delaney. Delaney and I started talking about a month before training camp. We quickly realized how similar we are. I also saw the warrior inside of her. Her will to keep pushing no matter how horrible her life seemed at the time. Delaney spent a year of her life not being able to go to school, not being able to work, not even able to really get out of her bed. You see for a year Delaney had multiple seizures a day. The doctors could not figure out what was causing it nor how to stop it. Finally she found a doctor who was able to put her on a medicine that seemed to have stopped the seizures. That is when she signed up to go on the World Race. Unfortunately at training camp she had another seizure and had to leave. Luckily God is not done with her. She will still be going on the race with us and as of yesterday she has gotten the all clear by her doctor and has gone a month without a seizure. Delaney inspires me every day to keep pushing no matter what life throws at you.
Next I would like to talk about the youngest of my teammates Amanda. Amanda was the last person to sign up for the race. She signed up only days before training camp. My team had the pleasure to get to celebrate her 21st birthday with her. We got her a balloon bought her cupcakes sang happy birthday to her and made sure her birthday was a special day. Amanda is probably the quietest among my team but when she is talking everyone else is silent. She becomes friends with everyone she meets. Every where we went there was someone saying hi to her. She has such an amazing spirit and such a big heart. Amanda went through her own trials at training camp. She ended up having an asthma attack during the fitness hike and was unable to finish. When I went to visit her after the hike she still somehow had a smile on her face. During lunch when the snack bar was open she would always ask us if we wanted anything and if we did she would by us what we wanted. I wish there were more people in the world like Amanda.
Next I want to talk about the other World race alumni, Morgan. I don’t know how she doing it but God told her that he wants her to take three years and do mission trips. After her 11 month World race mission trip she went and squad led a semester’s trip for three months which she is currently leading. After the 11 World Race America trip she plans to go on another short term mission trip. She is such a great example of when God calls you to do something how can you say no. I am not sure why but leading up to training camp I was most excited to meet Morgan. Maybe it was the fact that we were the first two to sign up or maybe it was just God telling me to get to know her. From the first time I met her I saw the leader in her. She pushes others to bring their best selves out. Without Morgan I would have said no to being treasurer. She is the one who inspired me to get out of my shell and try knew things. To stop doubting myself before I even try. She gave me the best feedback anyone could possibly ever give me. Thank you Morgan.
Last but certainly not least is Susan. Even though Susan and I had only ever talked through texts I could tell how quirky she was before training camp. Funny story but before training camp someone with the email R2d2 from above subscribed to my blog. I could not figure out who it was. I figured it was someone I didn’t know who decided to subscribe. At training camp our squad leader asked us to text her our email. Since it was a group text I saw Susan’s response. I saw her email and realized she is R2D2 from above. I just about lost it when I realized it was her. At training camp there is one day where they send you out into Gainesville and tell you to do ATL. Also known as ask the lord. While I didn’t feel like God was telling me anything Susan felt like God was telling her to go with me. Susan, Andrew and myself headed out into town to see what God had in store for us. We came across this bar that immediately gave us the wrong vibe. Susan thought we should skirt it and avoid it all together but I felt God was calling me to go closer. I suggested we go inside. Andrew and Morgan suggested we don’t but that we pray while touching the outside of the building. Susan had also noticed that it was ladies night so we prayed for all the women who entered the bar. We prayed for a while and I honestly felt very uncomfortable. Later we looked up the bars website and saw in bold there motto. Sex, drugs, and alcohol. Had it not been for me we would not have prayed but it was Susan who noticed the sign. Susan was named the beauty for ashes coordinator. Aka womens ministry coordinator. I don’t think there is anyone better for the job. She wants to help women and protect them from the evil the world has to offer. That is why God has put her on this team.
I hope that gives you more insight into my team. They are all incredible people whom I look forward to getting to know more as the year goes on. They have all impacted my life in some way and they will forever have a place in my heart.
