So this past week at Training Camp we finally found out who we will be living life with on the Race…
These 6 individuals have already become close to my heart, I truly Love each and every one of them and am SO excited to be on this team. Together, we came up with the name “Akal Esh” which is Hebrew for “Consuming Fire”. This is a prophetic name, as we believe it will continually encourage us to set fires in the hearts of the people we met around the world so that the Lords name can be heard and seen everywhere we go. Here is an introduction of my fantastic team mates.
Left to Right: Darren, Lyndie, Me, Kirsten, Josh, Olivia and Corey
Olivia Bourgeois (O-Dawg)
O-Dawg is one of a kind. She just graduated from LSU with a degree in Athletic Training and is pretty much super woman. She is incredibly sweet and I can already tell that she is one of those people that sticks up for her friends. She also writes raps which is extremely fortunate because I love to rap haha. She has an awesome personality with some cajun french in her which just makes her super cool in my book! In addition, O-Dawg is one of our two Unsung Hero Coordinators on E Squad
Corey Miller
Corey is someone that I already admire. His discipline and commitment to the Lord is insane..this guy radiates the love of Christ. He recently graduated with a degrees in Marketing and Management from Oklahoma State University and will definitely be a huge asset to our team as we strive to maintain a daily quiet time and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. I encourage you all to read this incredible blog he wrote a while back if you get a chance… http://coreymiller.theworldrace.org/?filename=future-team Corey is partnering with O-Dawg as our other Unsung Hero Coordinator!
Lyndie Bateman
Wow. How do I begin to describe Lyndie? Lets start with the fact that she lights up a room when she walks in. her heart for people is so tangible and so generous that you literally can’t hang out with her longer than 5minutes without wanting to “pay it forward” in some way. Lyndie is a school teacher and has been given the gift of patience, kindness and flexibility (shoutout to feedback sessions haha). I have been video chatting with her and her husband, Darren, for about 8 months now and feel so thankful to have gotten to know them both in a way that I know will result in a lifetime of friendship.
Darren Bateman
Darren. I’ve said this to him like a bazillion times but I’ll say it again. He is a natural leader. He really is. I believe that God has blessed him the the spiritual gift of wisdom because he is so in tune with what I can only accredit to things God would know and bless him with understanding. What’s even more incredible is the faact that he has really challenged me to step outside of my natural role as the class clown and into a role of leadership for the team (i’m still the class clown…just one with a more sophisticated title lol). I really look forward to seeing how he and Lyndie flourish together as a couple on the race and I can’t wait to serve them in any way I can over this next season of life.
Kirsten Reilly
Kirsten is someone I will definitely be spending a ton of time with this year. Not only because she is an incredible person but also because she is our team treasurer and has taken on the incredible responsibility of serving our team through taking receipts and keeping track of our spending (which is pretty limited as nomadic missionaries haha). Kirsten has a God given talent which is expressed through creative graphic designs, visuals and art. She designed our awesome squad shirts and her blog is by far the most visually unique one Ive ever seen. Kirsten is kind-hearted and has been such an encouragement to me already!
Josh Duran
Josh is one of those people that makes you want to hang around them just so you can hear what comes out of their mouth next haha. You know those kind of people? He is really Hilarious. He has a heart for the Lord and walks with an incredible confidence. He is a personal trainer and definitely helped our team this past week as we were challenged to come up with daily exercises and creative ways of getting physically prepared for the year ahead. For some reason I feel like Ive known him forever and when I got home and showed my mom the picture of our team she literally said “He looks like he is your biological brother” haha.
To read more about my training camp experience visit my blog World Race Training Camp…Is this real life? and if you would like to partner with me financially please visit the side of my blog where it says “support me” or send me a direct message! Thank you so much for reading and following with me in this journey!
