(If you’re wondering how to pronounce her name, just look up a vine comp on YouTube and you’ll find it ;))
When I first met Lauren, it was also in Nashville before training camp, and she came in 100% herself with no apologies. The first thing I remember her saying was when we wanted to play a game, and she made a public service announcement about how she would not be playing Mafia because it’s a terrible game where the whole point is to lie to people, and that announcement showed a lot about her character and her values. She values being genuine, honest, and transparent, and she will not apologize for who she is or what she believes. She walks in so much confidence and is not ashamed of who she is at all.
I got to spend a couple months with Lauren before this month. Our teams were together in Nepal, but before that, team Valor was with her team in Ecuador. While living with her there, I learned that something I respect so much about her is how she will voice her thoughts and feelings, but she is also such a good listener. She is always willing to sit down and listen to your story, and ask questions to learn even more. She cares so deeply about people and genuinely wants to get to know them for everything they are.
In India, Lauren shaved her head, and she felt like the Lord had been asking her to do that for a few months before she did it. At first she expressed being afraid of what people would think or say, but after going through with that, the Lord has taught her that her value is more than her appearances, but her truest identity is in Him. From the beginning I felt like she was a very confident person, but her confidence as a child of God has grown even more this year.
Lauren has taught me that there is nothing I should be ashamed of in myself. Every piece of who we are is there for a reason, and we shouldn’t apologize for any piece of that. She has also taught me how to love people well by listening to them and asking questions, and making them feel seen and known.
I knew I had a lot to learn from Lauren and I wanted to be on a team with her for a while, and I’m so glad we got to spend this month with her. I have learned so much from her and I’m grateful for her listening ear and her boldness to be herself.
