Dear family, friends, and strangers reading Catie’s blog,
This blog was not written by Catie, but by the members of Catie’s team. We, Team Centurion, have been with Catie from day one of the World Race. We have seen God move in Catie’s life, and we have seen God use Catie to build his Kingdom in Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria. It has been an honor to watch Catie serving the Lord, and we wanted to take this opportunity to share some of what we have seen with you.
Crystal, our squad leader: Wow, Catie! If you ever need some extra Joy in your life, spend some time with Catie. She brings so much joy to the table, and it overflows into the lives of others. I have spent the past couple of weeks with Catie and team Centurion, and I’ve watched as she has loved children like the Father loves us. I have watched her pour into her teammates and serve them so well. She has this amazing heart of a giver. She is more than willing to give and share with anyone. Jesus’ love flows out of her so well.
Faith: I have seen Catie grow so much in her relationship with the Lord these past 3 months. Catie brings so much authentic joy to everyone around her. She finds her strength and her joy in Christ and shares that joy with every person she meets. She is so dedicated to serving our ministry hosts and our team in every way that she can. I have seen Catie grow in her ability to be vulnerable and to share her story to encourage others. Catie seeks to have the Father’s heart for others and is willing to give up her comfort to serve Him more. Catie is such a blessing to our team and to everyone she comes in contact with. Thank you to everyone who has supported her financially and spiritually.
Jon: Team Centurion would not be the same without Catie as a member. She brings such energy and brightness on a regular basis. Through that, she lifts up the rest of the team into that joyfulness. Her musical abilities with the ukulele have been on display time and time again, whether that be in team worship or during the time we spend at kids’ ministry. Her passion for loving people manifests itself in every situation. I have seen such rapid growth in Catie since The Race started, and I am witnessing her walk in a newfound awareness of the love that The Father has for her.
Molly: Catie has grown so much in the last three months. I have seen her grow into an authentic joy that comes from the Lord, and I have seen a new authenticity about her in which she is willing to be completely vulnerable and open. I have been so impressed by her dedication to memorize scripture to keep the Lord’s word always on her mind, and I have been moved by how she has gone to battle for our team through prayer. She has such a beautiful heart that seeks to show love to everyone, and I have loved hearing about some of the ideas the Lord has planted in her mind for her life calling. She has been such an encouragement to me and the people we meet through ministry, and I feel incredibly blessed to be her friend and teammate!
Morgan: I remember meeting Catie at training camp and thinking “wow, that girl has a lot of energy.” For three months, I have witnessed Catie use the energy the Lord so clearly gave her to further His kingdom. Catie is always ready for more–more ministry, more growth, more anything, really, and she does it with a heart that sings of positive energy. I have seen this woman dive deeper into what the Lord is asking of her. I look at Catie and I can see that she really wants it. She wants the fullness of Jesus. She has grown so much in just three months on the Race. She sets difficult personal boundaries for herself (I.e. no internet or communication with her family for a month, an early bedtime) to free her from distractions in order to pursue growth. She has chipped away at internal walls that have kept her from fullness in her relationships–with Jesus, with others, and with herself. The best part about Catie’s growth, is that she is always looking to pursue more. I have immensely enjoyed getting to know the Catie that God created, and love this sister (and her energy) dearly.
Patricia: Catie is a person that brings a passion for life into everything that she does. Whether it is playing with a large group of Roma children, or playing ukulele in a room full of sweet elderly faces, or having coffee with young adults who have never heard about Jesus, she always brings energy. If I could describe Catie in a phrase, that phrase would be “life-bringer”. Catie does not shy away from the tough or dirty ministry, but instead chooses to bring life into the decay. She holds such an influence over others, and she uses that influence to bring the Father’s joy and love into every situation. Catie is a warrior for the Lord, and our team, our squad, and everyone that she meets, encounters Jesus when they meet her.
Zach: Catie’s joy from the Lord has such a strong presence. When she walks into a room or partakes in a conversation, her joy permeates throughout that situation and shares itself with everyone involved. Over the last three months I have seen Catie open up and trust in the Lord’s plan for her and it has been one of the most beautiful things on the race thus far. Catie believes in herself, she believes in her purpose, she believes in her abilities, and she takes every stride with such confidence. Walking alongside such a strong and devoted woman of God has been such a blessing and she has shown me that simply trusting in His plan for oneself alone will bring such a shift in your life.
Thank you to each person who has supported Catie on this journey through prayer, encouragement, and donations. Our team would be lacking without Catie’s presence. Catie still has $511 to raise before the final financial deadline, November 30. We ask that you would pray and consider donating to help her reach her final financial deadline.
Thank you so much for praying for and supporting our team, through sending Catie!
With gratitude,
Team Centurion
