“These are my people
This is where I come from
We’re givin’ this life everything we’ve got and then some
It ain’t always pretty
But it’s real
That’s the way we were made
Wouldn’t have it any other way
These are my people”
Team Liora (Hebrew for God’s gift of light) from left to right: Alexa, me, Hannah, Debbie, Ashley, and Sam
ALEXA ANOVER
Alexa is our resident baby on the team. She’s 20 (she will turn 21 just prior to launch) and is absolutely gorgeous both inside and out. She is extremely talented artistically and I am super pumped to have someone who is as gifted as she is in photography on our team. There will be lots of pictures and videos y’all! She lives in Florida and I even had the opportunity to go visit her over Memorial Day Weekend. She has experience traveling to Third World countries and has a unique perspective on the world as much of her family currently lives in the Philippines. She is adventurous, loves trying new foods, enjoys working out, and has an overall laid back personality that is a fantastic addition to Team Liora. Her favorite book is “Goodnight Moon” and on her days off she prefers to work on perfecting her craft in Prancercise (do yourself a favor and Google this if you are unfamiliar).
HANNAH LIN
One word: Brilliant. Hannah speaks five languages, two of which are Russian and Mandarin Chinese. Are you KIDDING me? She’s our resident Canadian on Team Liora so her passport isn’t going to match ours and she will probably use weird words like “Eh” and “Washroom” but I will have her saying “Y’all” in no time. Oh wait, she already used that word! Hannah is quiet and low key most of the time so when she does actually speak up it’s worth listening to…unlike people like me who never stop talking. I think I’ll learn a lot from her! At 21 years old she carries herself and speaks with the maturity of someone much older. I’m hoping that should we get ourselves into any situations her ability to learn a language in three minutes will come in handy. Hannah’s lifelong goal is to construct her very own viking ship out of Brazilian cherry wood and sail it across all five oceans. At the end of her journey she plans to fly it to Never Never Land (yes, it will have wings) and share the Gospel with the Lost Boys and Captain Hook.
DEBBIE JACOBS
“Little Debbie”, as I’m sure she will affectionately be called from now on thanks to quite a ridiculous moment during our Squad Wars Dance Off, is probably one of the kindest and most gentle spirits I have ever encountered. Her mere presence is so calming and one that I am incredibly thankful for. The morning we sat down with our eventual teams I remember telling her that I felt like I could just fall in her arms and rest. Sometimes my energy is too much and she brings me back down. She is a teacher (because duh, what else WOULD she be?) and she is helping me hold up the upper end of the age bracket at the ripe old age of 28 (Holla!). This woman will definitely end up being one of my BFF…I can feel it 🙂 Debbie’s favorite food is water and in her spare time she enjoys listening to “Baby” by Justin Bieber on repeat.
SAMANTHA “SAM” DECARLO
Ohhhhh Sam. Love this girl. She’s 22 and bears a slight New York accent (yet another team mate I’ll have saying “y’all”). She is someone who can plug into any situation and can truly mesh with whomever she is asked to serve. There is a refreshing innocence about Sam that makes you want to revert back to climbing trees and playing on rope swings…and that is an absolute compliment. She’s one of the few true extroverts on Team Liora so I am sure there will be times when the two of us have to lean on each other and just leave everyone else alone lest we be beaten. I am truly ecstatic to get to know her a little better but I do have one fun fact to share. It just so happens that Sam is a gold medalist in Curling, a “sport” she picked up in the cold tundra of upstate NY. She is so skilled, in fact, that there is a good chance she is going to have to take a sabbatical at some point during the race and come home to train our next U.S. Olympic Team. ‘Merica!
ASHLEY ANCONA
Our fearless Team Leader, Ashley, is like no other. A 22 year old, two-time student body president, this girl is no stranger to leading groups with varying personalities. She’s my best running buddy and has a way of challenging people through her conversations and questions. She also has this very vulnerable side that I only saw briefly but cannot wait to experience more with her. She has the BEST party dance that I am pretty sure she will be teaching to Team Liora. Ashley tends to attract crowds of foreign men so the rest of us are going to remain vigilant and really keep an eye out for our leader. She told me team leading is just the first step in her eventual rise as the first female president of the United States of America (sorry Hillary, don’t waste your time). Lastly and most importantly AIM told us that Ashley is our personal servant as long as she’s our leader…hey Ash, I need some laundry washed and folded…k, thanks.
