I have been trying to write a blog about my team and the people I spend basically every moment of my life with lately but just couldn’t find the words I wanted to share. Right now we are currently celebrating Christmas thousands of miles from our homes and family and it has been difficult but it is incredible to see the love and support found in within our team. So here is the story of our team and how we came to be..
In August I went to a 10 day training camp for the World Race where I met the 23 other people I would be journeying around the world with. There were people who I met and we instantly clicked and there were people who I felt like building a relationship with would require a lot of work. Around day 6 or 7 of training camp our squad of 24 was divided into four teams and I think I can safely say we were all pretty nervous about who we would end up with.
We were handed papers with an animal written on them and told to close our eyes and find our new teammates by acting out our assigned animal. After a few moments full of bird calls and confusion we opened our eyes and in that moment our team (which we would later name Peace of Freedom) was born.
I would be lying if I said that I didn’t still feel nervous. Seeing the five other girls on my team was a bit terrifying and if I’m being honest most of them fell into the what I thought would be the “hard work required” relationship category. We had some time at the end of that week to attempt to get to know one another a bit deeper but how much can you really grasp in a few days?
So on August 18th we said goodbye and headed home. The next six weeks before launch we would check in occasionally but we’re mostly focused on preparing and spending time with our families. Fast-forward to October 6th and our whole squad is arriving to Atlanta and preparing to leave our homes, families, and the comforts of the U.S. for the next 11 months. It was about to get real.
On October 9th the 24 members of our squad (plus two incredible Alumni Squad Leaders. Shout out to Jenny and Hannah) boarded a plane to Medellin, Colombia. When we arrived the four separate teams said their goodbyes and headed off to their designated ministry. My team was in a small village called Filandia and we spent the month living in three bedrooms in a small hostel. I remember thinking how strange it was that I was living in a foreign country with a group of women who had been strangers two months before this and believe me there were moments were we definitely felt like strangers. That month we made the decision to be intentional with one another and we dove head first into learning everything about each other. We shared our lives, our hearts, our pains, every meal and one bathroom and pretty quickly these strangers became my family. So I would love to introduce you to the members of Peace of Freedom and my World Race family.
Allison-Allie-Al. 21. Chico, California.
Allie is pure joy. She is wild and supplies a large percent of our teams laughter and an even larger percent of meal time Q&As. She is the queen of nerts and our dance party DJ. Allie has such a strong presence in the room and you can’t miss or ignore the life that she brings to everyone around her. She is beauty and grace.
Mallory-Mal-MalGene. 31. Pace, Florida.
Mallory is so faithful. You can always count on her willingness to help, wise words and the statement “let me think about it and get back to you” after a deep question. Mal is our team artist and walking survival kit (she literally has everything.)
Hannah-Hannah Beth-HB. 22. Valdese, North Carolina.
“HannahBeth” is the name we have all been shouting since we landed in South America. She is our beloved translator who faithfully comes to our aid when we exceed our own knowledge of Spanish. HB thrives on coffee, cookies, and chocolate. HannahBeth is never afraid to speak truth into our lives. Whether we are facing a personal lie or when there is something off in our team she never hesitates to remind us of our true identity and bring us to the Father.
Hannah-Hannah Grace-Conway. 21. Vancouver, Washington.
Hannah Grace is an actual light. She makes you feel so loved just with her smile and kind eyes. Hannah can frequently be found with a croissant in hand and faithfully receipting every purchase made with our team budget. She is a literal gift from the Lord and the incredible treasurer for team PoF.
Sarah-Debbie. 24. Gainesville, Georgia.
Sarah is our story teller extraordinaire, she always has a story to fit every situation and loves sharing them. Sarah makes you feel at home no matter where you are; there is just something about her personality that is so welcoming and draws you in before you even realize it. Sarah is a such beautiful example of what it looks like to fearlessly pursue the Lord with all of your heart and child-like faith.
We are now at the end of month three and last week Allie and I were talking and she said “Isn’t it weird how at the beginning of the race it’s basically like you’re living with 6 strangers you met on Craigslist?” And we laughed at the reality of that statement and carried on but it really stuck with me. I started thinking about the people we were three months ago and the people we are now. The comfort we have found in one another and the love that is so present within our team. I am so blessed to get to do this wild life with team Peace of Freedom. To quote mine and HannahBeth’s favorite TV show, New Girl, “and sometimes you get a really good deal on Craigslist..I got a realllyy good deal on Craigslist.”
