Our team leader, Corrie, had the wonderful idea to post a blog (which I copy and pasted) about the members of our team, Team Marvel, so you at home can get to know the amazing women of God we spend our days with here on the World Race. I invite you to learn about my teammates and keep them in your prayers as we continue this journey!
“Community.” A buzz word in Christian culture — a word that’s being redeemed for me on my World Race.
Community living is one of the most defining aspects of The World Race. REAL, RAW CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. “Iron sharpens iron” community. Community that you step into saying: “I’m all in,” committing to a season of openness, vulnerability and honesty.
It’s hard. Oh, it’s hard. But it’s so rewarding.
When deciding to go on The World Race you sign up for a particular Route which assigns you to a specific Squad who you will travel around the world with. But the people you live with day-to-day and do ministry with is a smaller group of 6-8 people. These teams are prayerfully crafted by World Race leadership in partnership with the Holy Spirit.
We live with these teammates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 11 months. We do ministry together, we laugh, we cry, we adventure, we bicker, we grow. Our teams are the spaces where we experience this crazy thing called The World Race.
We begin each day in prayer and end each day with Team Time. We set aside intentional space for feedback, giving one another both encouragement and challenging each other with constructive feedback. We fight to say the hard things and to learn to love each other well. We are here for growth, for refinement.
We are 7 women from 7 backgrounds. We come from 7 different states. We have 7 very different stories and each of us bring different spiritual gifts to the table.
But we are 7 women uniquely and wonderfully made by the Father. We are 7 women gifted with different spiritual gifts and perspectives and experiences. We are 7 women who desire more than anything to walk in the Spirit and grow in our relationships with the Lord. We are 7 women who chose to sacrifice almost 1 year of our 20s to spread the love of Jesus to the ends of the earth. And that’s what unites us. There’s no more powerful force.
I know that the Lord has chosen each one of these 6 ladies to be in my life for this season for a very specific reason. Each has so much to admire, respect and learn from. The following is Team Marvel’s conclusions about one another after doing life together (some for 6 months after remaining together after team changes, others only since this team’s “birth” after Month 4).
Under each lady’s name you will find words about her from each of her 6 teammates.
Without further ado….MEET TEAM MARVEL!
-Corrie
ALYSSA
Alyssa is one of the sweetest and goofiest people I have met on this trip. She has a big heart and loves to love people. She is always making sure things are taken care of. Alyssa is never content to let you stay where you are if she knows there is something better for you. She is also the biggest Harry Potter fan I have ever met, and is able to answer all trivia questions like it’s information she was born with.
Alyssa’s heart has captured me from the beginning, and I have only continued to see its depth and pureness as I’ve come to know her as a teammate. She cares so much for those around her and will do everything she can to help you.
Alyssa has had my back (quite literally in some situations) since Training Camp. She’s a great listener, she’s supportive, encouraging and also has top notch movie preferences (this may be the real reason we are friends…jokes). Alyssa is a safe place and a wisdom-giver. She’s steadfast, trustworthy, a mean tortilla maker and can always be counted on to enjoy a good laugh with. You just gotta love her!
Alyssa is always one of the first people to go out of her way to lend a helping hand. She has the purest heart that I admire so much. Her smile and her joy is contagious. You can’t help but smile when she is around.
I have now been on a team with Alyssa for the whole race and I can honestly say we keep pushing each other when we need to. We can go from talking about whose Fandom is the best to what the Lord is challenging us in. I can’t wait to see how much more we can push each other in the next 5 months. This girl is like a sister to me!
Alyssa is goofy and serious. I love her goofy side and appreciate her serious side. She may be tiny and quiet, but she is a strong is spirit, wise and has great input.
ANDIE
Andie. The woman full of wisdom and guidance. This beautiful lady of the Lord has so much knowledge and understanding that she shares with us. It has been such a gift to be on a team with her for so long, and to enjoy all that she brings to our team. She also loves Texas just about right up there with her love for the Lord.
Andie is someone I have been blessed to come to know over the past few months. Our friendship started at Training Camp when she selflessly shared her tent and belongings with me on the coldest night of the week in Atlanta, and now I am so happy to be on a team with her. She speaks truth and wisdom over me individually and over our team as a whole that lifts us up and brings us closer to the Lord and His Will.
Andie is great. Honestly. She is steadfast and caring, speaking wisdom and life into all around her. She’s attuned to the Spirit and calls our team higher. She’s an extremely hard worker, a funny gal, an excellent cook (hollaaa, we dah Mexican food DREAM TEAM!) and our team simply wouldn’t be the same without her.
Where to even begin? Andie is one of the kindest souls I have ever encountered. Regardless of who you are, your reputation, others perception of you, she will be the first to step out and genuinely love you. She is the perfect example of God’s love for us. Not only is she loving, but she has so much wisdom. In the two short months that I have been on a team with her, I have learned so much from her already! Also, she makes some mean tortillas.
Andie is a gentle spirit. She has a gentle approach to life and people especially kids. She is wise and caring, and really likes to know your thoughts and where you are at in life. She’s super creative and uses this gift for the Lord and speaking life over others. She has an awesome personality and sense of humor.
What to say about Andie? Andie is like a sister to me. We have been on the race together from the start and during that time I have laughed and cried with her. She is one of the first I go to when I need to talk something out because I trust her to meet me where I’m at in order to make it through. She is also one of the funniest people I have met in my life. I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to continue to work in her in the next five months.
CORRIE
Corrie has been irreplaceable to me and our teams over the past six months. First as a teammate and then as a team leader, she is a rock rooted in the Lord and always the person I look to for advice, encouragement, and tough love. She offers more wisdom than I can comprehend on walking in the Spirit, and she also knows exactly what to do to make us laugh. My race would be completely different without Corrie by my side, and I truly believe the Lord put her in my life for so many reasons.
Corrie has great vision and expectation for where the Lord will lead her. She is able to ground us as a team and provide direction and focus for us when we get sidetracked. Important things to know about Corrie: Do not get in the way of this woman and her chips and salsa. Salsa and Star Wars may be her highest devotion after the Lord. Yes, we saw the new Star Wars movie with this lady, and yes she was decked out in full Star Wars gear and Jedi Braid.
Oh man…. Corrie, Corrie, Corrie. She walks with so much wisdom and discernment, she is slow to speak, but quick to listen, and it is very apparent how much she loves the Lord. Being on a team with her for the past 6 months has been so much fun. She’s always down to adventure with me and find cool things to do. She is the life of the party, always being goofy and making us laugh. Her love for mexican food is wonderful… We always have salsa and guacamole (which is such a treat when all you normally eat is rice.)
Corrie is probably the most tenacious person I have ever met. She is passionate about what she believes and is not afraid to tell you like it is. It has been so refreshing being with someone who can be so bold in what she believes, and I’m thankful to call her my Teammate and Team Leader! She can also make a mean bowl of Salsa! Which as a Texan, I can appreciate so much! Her Salsa plus my tortillas equals one bomb meal.
Corrie is very serious, but when she lets out her goofy side it’s great. She has great leadership qualities, and is becoming stronger in them everyday. She is very strategic and focused, and likes to always have some sort of vision going forward.
My relationship with Corrie started at training camp, and while I haven’t always been on a team with her, I have always trusted her to guide me when dealing with big and little things. She brings so much wisdom to an in depth conversation, but is also someone that I can have an absolute blast with. Her leadership for this team is so well balanced and I couldn’t ask for a better friend to continue on this journey with. This beautiful woman of God is someone I hope to have my life for many years to come.
DANIELLE
Danielle is inspiring. She is driven and disciplined, and doesn’t allow the things of this world to slow her down. She is always willing to share her heart with us. She has made quite a difference in my own life on the race, in everything from listening to her talk about her passion for preschool education to trying to keep up with her in our (almost) daily workouts.
Danielle has one of the most teachable spirits I’ve ever seen. It’s been incredible to journey alongside her these last 6 months and witness firsthand the growth, refinement and freedom she’s experienced as she learns to walk with the Spirit. This girl has become one of my closest friends and a significant part of my own World Race experience. She’s a seeking listener who lives intentionally and with discipline. But most of all she has a heart to truly know the Lord and grow in Him.
Danielle is so sweet. She is always there to listen and make you feel heard. Regardless of how you’re feeling, she validates it and makes you feel important. She is always encouraging and the “Positive Patty” of the group. She makes her health a priority and invites her team into that with her, which is encouraging and gives me that extra little boost that I need. To top it off, she’s always tripping or stubbing her toe, and it sounds really mean of me, but it brings so much laughter to my life, I don’t know what I’d do without her!
Danielle is encouraging and motivating. She’s consistent in who she is, and is eager to learn and grow in the LORD. She has a teachable spirit. She loves kids and has vision for future generations which is probably one of the coolest things I appreciate about her.
Danielle! When I met her at training camp I thought for sure we would be on a team together and when we finally got on a team together at the end of month 4 I was so excited! Since being on a team with Danielle I have gotten to see how much she KNOWS that the Lord is telling her to bring up a godly family. She has challenged me in ways she probably doesn’t even know on the subject of marriage. I can’t wait to see how much more I can learn from her as the race progresses.
Danielle is an absolute joy to be around. She is so open to what the Lord wants to teach her and she is full of motivation for those around her. Her love and vision for children is so wonderful to watch. She is going to make a great teacher one day, with her patience and calm while in the classroom. While I have only been on a team with her for two months now, I have always been drawn to her and her relationship with those around her. I can’t wait to spend the next five months continuing to get to know her.
KORTNEY
Kortney’s beautiful heart shines through every part of her, and it has been an honor to be on her team for the entire race so far. She falls in love with people we meet so effortlessly, and people are drawn to her. She loves with her whole heart, and it is truly inspiring to watch. More than anything though, she loves the Lord above all else, and I have seen her grow so much so far this year.
It is a joy to watch Kortney when she is in her element. Watching her pray with families on the street and always wanting to share the good news with them is inspiring. Kortney has such a heart for the children and the hurting people of this world. She is also very funny and always has to funniest side comments that crack us all up.
Kort is my GIRL! I’ve loved being on a team with her these last 6 months. Everywhere we go in this world, people are drawn to her. It’s been incredible to watch her love the people we meet in each country — she’s truly life-giving. She’s passionate, adventurous, unique and honest. I love how she just tells it how it is. The Lord is gonna do big things with this lady!
Kortney is pretty chill and super creative. She’s great with kids, and really invests her heart and time into them.
When I think about Kortney I see a beautiful pure heart that wants to love people unconditionally. I feel so blessed to have been able to do ministry with her. She has such a deep love for children around the world who have never been loved. I also love to see when Kortney worships because she just pours her whole heart out before the Lord.
Kortney has one of the biggest hearts of any person I have ever met. She loves to laugh and when she does it’s contagious. Her love for children is unmatched, her heart just pours out to them. I can’t wait to spend the next five months getting to see more and more of that love pour out of her.
LAUREN
It has been wonderful getting to know Lauren over the past two months. She offers encouragement at all times, always there to lift us up. She calls us higher to the Lord through prayer, and she is a true asset to this team.
Lauren truly exhibits what it looks like to walk with the Lord in all she does. She is always seeking His wisdom and trying to follow Him in all she does. She has been such an encouragement to me and is a constant reminder to always seek the Lord first, and to just be real and honest with those around me.
Lauren has a passionate heart and a gentle spirit. She is disciplined, intentional and thoughtful. Her creativity and artsy skills are ridiculously great, and I love watching her use them in ministry. She’s a giver, an encourager and a lover of all things buggy.
I don’t think I have ever met anybody as passionate about the Lord as Lauren is. In her free time, she chooses to dig into her word and spend time with God which is so cool to watch. It encourages me to grow my relationship with Him and choose Him above all else. Lauren also has an enormous heart for others. Whether it be giving up her seat, her meal, her money, etc, she is always putting others first even if that means she is uncomfortable. She has so much grace, which is not something that everybody can offer.
Lauren is the most generous person I have ever met. She is not just generous with her money but also with her time and knowledge. I have been able to sit and have some deep awesome conversations about what the Lord has done in our lives and how he continues to just blow our minds. She is goofy and so loving and I’m thankful for the time the Lord has set up between us.
I have so enjoyed getting to know Lauren throughout this journey. Her love for the Lord pours out to all of those around her. She seeks the Lord in everything she does and is always there to draw us closer to a relationship that close to the Lord. She is another one that loves to laugh and you can she how much joy she gets in just loving people well.
SARAH
Sarah has one of the sweetest hearts I know. A true caregiver, she looks out for all of us in every way she can, whether that be spiritually, emotionally, or medically. She strives for the Lord every day and I can feel her passion for ministry. She has also been a great running partner over the past month!
Sarah is like a momma, always looking out for her team, and making sure we are all taken care of and feeling well both physically and emotionally. She loves spending time with her teammates and genuinely cares about getting to know them better. She has a quiet, gentle spirit that brings comfort to the team.
Sarah is relaxed, fun, loving and usually down for a little adventure. She’s wise and has a lot to offer. She is a caretaker to the core always using her gift of nursing to help others.
This girl has a nurturing heart, a gentle spirit and an authentic desire to know the Lord more. She’s focused, attuned to the details and always looking out for her teammates. Sarah’s authenticity and care for others is invaluable to our team.
Sarah Yount! I LOVE this woman of God! She actually cares about people. She shows it not only in her words but through her actions as well. It’s been such a blessing to see the knowledge and love that she brings to the table. She is also willing to be challenged. Maybe at first it’s a little scary for her, but when you push the subject with her she is so willing to learn.
Sarah seeks the Lord like no one I have ever met before. I have been so lucky to watch her transformation over the last six months while on the race. Her loving and caring heart have continued to grow as she moves closer to the Lord. She has also taken such good care of me and others on our teams when we fall ill or well just fall, her care for others shine through when she is in her nursing element. I look forward to the next five months of continued growth with this wonderful woman of God.
From corriewalker.theworldrace.org
