I know, our name’s kinda dopey.
At training camp, we decided on the name “Comeback Kids”, to recognize our journey of running away from the Lord and coming back to serving Him as Children of God on the World Race… but recently, we decided collectively that “The Comeback Kids” wasn’t just quite where our hearts were at.
So (for reasons too stupid to mention), you can now call us “The Space Team”.
This month, I’m choosing to do something a little different for my Missionary Spotlight. We recently found out that this coming January, our squad will be undergoing some team changes, and my team will be split up into new teams. Being that this is our last month together as a Space Team, I want to let you all know a little bit more about my incredible, hilarious, wise, passionate, mission-minded, adventurous, stout-hearted, God-centered teammates.
Laura Brown
Laura embraces wisdom, passion, and boldness. She sees her challenges and steps out in faith to conquer them, even despite fear. She invests in learning, growing, and seeking ways to go deeper. She loves to worship and delights in encountering the Lord’s presence. She has a desire to understand His heart, and has a wild mind with a lot of questions. She has many talents, some that she doesn’t mention but don’t go unnoticed by the people around her. She knows the voice of God, and is not afraid to follow Him wherever He calls her. She has a creative spark in her, and a spunk that she isn’t afraid to bring out at times. She smiles with the radiance of God’s heart, and she loves to share the Gospel of Jesus with strangers and believers alike. Laura walks through life with a childlike wonder and an exuberance to understand more of who God is to her and to the world.
I’ve learned a lot from having Laura on my team. I’ve loved the opportunities I’ve had to go out and minister with her, because I can see the fire that she has for evangelism and for really going deeper. I’ve valued her heart for our team to press into the Lord, especially in the times where we might forget to do so as a team. I’ve seen so much growth in her as she’s continued to step out in boldness even when she’s nervous, and it’s been so amazing to see how the Lord has rewarded her faithfulness. She’s taught me a lot about what it means to follow Christ – dying to self and recognizing that God’s plan is always better than my own comforts. I see so much faith in her, and I know God has amazing things in store for this woman of God as she continues to walk out her calling as a missionary of the Gospel.
Keaton Curtis
Keaton, our fearless leader. Keaton is a natural born leader, with intuition and boldness inspired by God. He’s a lion, with fierce convictions and strong choices. He holds strong so that others may be cared for. He sees the goodness in others, and chooses to learn from every person he works with. He embraces humility and trust, and acknowledges the areas in which he struggles and wishes to grow. He serves others with overwhelming generosity, and does small things for people to help them feel cared about. He lives from a lifestyle of rest, and always comes into a place with a peace that influences the atmosphere. He loves building relationship through bonding activities and leisure, and is always willing to say yes to anybody’s offer to hang out. He laughs a lot, jokes a lot, and knows how to make people cared about and seen. He builds people up, lifting people above himself, and seeks opportunities to pour into others who need help. Keaton walks through life with graceful strength and an open heart that always invites people in.
In the real world, I don’t know if Keaton and I would ever have become friends. And yet, despite our stark differences in our interests and backgrounds, I’m so proud to call Keaton my teammate, my brother in Christ, and my good friend. I’ve loved all of the moments we’ve had to go deep, talk about what the Lord is doing, go out on adventures in town, drinking too much Coke, prank other teammates, watch TV shows, or just laugh about anything. Keaton has been a true friend, someone who I trust, and someone who I see so much strength and potential in as a follower of Christ. God has given Keaton such a gift in ministry and in leadership, and I know that He has some amazing plans for Him on the World Race and beyond.
Daniel Ingalls
Daniel is a peacemaker, and a constant source of joy. He lights up every room he enters into. He oozes the love of God and the peace of the Holy Spirit, and always moves in grace. He sees goodness in every person he meets, and knows how to bring out the best in each person. He sees with the eyes of the Father, and seeks out those who might need help but are afraid to ask. He chooses people before they ever choose him. He walks in humility and is always ready to give of himself for another person. He is an amazing musician and singer, and his worship exudes passion for the Father. He loves to laugh and to make others laugh. He knows how to lead but also how to listen. He turns atmospheres around and radiates positivity even when being positive seems impossible. He gives others chances to shine. He is always ready to say “yes” to anything, even if it means giving up his time. He seeks wisdom and the face of the Father with faithful grounding, and walks out his life with discernment and truth. Daniel walks through life in a way that makes others want to know about Jesus inside him.
This guy. I didn’t know I would find my twin on the World Race, but I think I did. Daniel is one of those guys that everyone should be friends with, because he somehow knows how to make everyone feel seen. I’ve had so many great memories from this past month of making stupid faces, going on adventures, quoting Youtube videos and movies, doing weird voices, accidentally both taking the same harmonies, scaring teammates, and committing to jokes way beyond their lifetime. I see so much goodness in Daniel, and having him on my team has encouraged me daily to stay positive, love well, and choose others before myself. I’m so excited to see how God uses Daniel on the Race and beyond, because I see so much in him that God can use.
Julia O’Keefe
Julia walks with authority and confidence. She is a beacon of hope, a strong tower of wisdom, and a shield of love. She has eagle eyes to see things most people don’t see. She gives of herself constantly, often without bringing any attention to herself. She carries herself like a woman of great maturity, with many more years of wisdom in her than others her age. She loves in beauty and truth. She sees when something is wrong, and knows how to tactfully push others into greatness. She smiles with the radiance of Christ. She’s an amazing cook, and is incredibly generous in caring for others. She chooses discipline, and seeks to accomplish goals. She loves people with the tenderness of God, fully committing her presence to the one in front of her. She hears God’s voice, and is not afraid to speak it out. She has a mind filled with questions, and is proactive in seeking to understand them. She invites others into her struggles, and is humble enough to admit where she has fallen short. She is hungry to know God in all His truth, and that hunger makes others hungry as well. Julia is a warm and inviting presence for anyone who seeks to understand more about the Father.
We call Julia “mom” – not because she’s the oldest of the group, but because she carries herself with the strength of a mother. I look up to her greatly. I admire so much in her that she may not see. I love to see how she loves the people we minister with, because she does so with so much conviction and passion even despite being tired or sick. I have been challenged so much by her, because she is not afraid to step up and call out ways that my team and I can grow. She has such fierce convictions about what she believes, and that has inspired me to stand stronger in what I believe to be true. I have loved the opportunities I’ve had with her to sit and chat about God and what He’s doing, and how we can push each other into greater faithfulness in our walk with God. I see so much that God wants to do through Julia this next year and beyond, because she is committed to grow and to say “yes” to God into whatever new territory He calls her into.
Elizabeth Rowland
Elizabeth is a goober and she knows it. She embraces her quirks and delights in bringing people joy through humor and silliness. She is always down to spend time with people, and will never turn down an opportunity to make a memory. She lives out of overflow, and loves out of her generous heart that God pours into. She is a woman of wisdom and valor, even when she doesn’t know it. She is one of the strongest girls I know, because she always knows how to keep positive even through hardship. She is an incredible cook, and will always think of ways to bless other people even without them asking. She sees opportunities to minister to people that she doesn’t know, and speaks out of boldness the things that the Lord has taught her. She loves kids and delights in sharing the sweetness of the Gospel with them. She chooses others, and is never exclusive. She makes an entire room light up with her presence. Elizabeth is a giver; one who gives light, joy, peace, and love everywhere she goes.
Oh Elizabeth, our little toot. I can’t tell you how funny this girl is. I had no idea that this spunky girl from Antlers, Oklahoma would feel so much like a sister to me after these past three months. Our team loves her so well because she loves us so well. I so appreciate her silliness, and the way that she allows herself to be loved through our teasing and occasional scaring. Even despite her snort-faking, fake-gagging, accidents, and incessant stories about Antlers and camp, my team couldn’t be more grateful for Elizabeth. We love her so much, it’s unreal. Her self-confidence and love for others has encouraged me so much these past few months, and it’s made me want to grow in loving who I am and how uniquely God has made me. I see such a big heart in this girl, and I love who God made her to be. I know that in the next year and beyond, God will use her in her many gifts to bring the Gospel all around the world.
Jordan Wilson
Jordan is a little fireball. She is spunky, spirited, and full of passion and sweetness. She gives of herself to those that she loves. She sees goodness in other people, and recognizes the heart of the Lord for others in her ministry. She has a lot to say and a lot to give, even when she’s not speaking. She chooses others, and is a faithful friend to those with questions or burdens. She has a great wisdom in her about the Lord and His nature, and encourages others to grow in intimacy with Him. She loves children with so much passion, and cares for them with her whole heart. She faithfully serves others even when nobody else sees it. She understands the goodness in trusting in God’s opinion of who He says she is. She sees beauty in small things, and loves to honor that beauty in people. She smiles with an elegant radiance. She is a woman of God who walks in faithfulness to God even through the hardest of seasons. Jordan is a sweet song, one that God has sung into existence, and one that goes deep into people’s hearts and changes them in love.
I’ve loved getting to grow in relationship with Jordan this past three months. Through some really tough trials coming out of the gate, I’ve been able to see how she has kept her ground and continued to keep fighting for what God has called her into. I’ve seen how she has chosen to believe in the goodness in others and in God even when things seem hard. She chooses to love others with so much conviction, because she wants them to feel cared about. I’ve loved getting to talk to Jordan and hear her heart for missions and the ways in which she desires to grow. She has taught me a lot about what it means to be persistent, and to keep my eyes on the Lord. I’ve seen so much beauty in Jordan that I hope she sees, because the Lord is going to do beautiful and wonderful things through her in this next year and beyond.
I can go on and on about how great the World Race has been thus far, and how it’s wildly exceeded my expectations. Sure, I’ve had some amazing adventures thus far, and have gotten to experience many incredible once-in-a-lifetime kind of things. But really, these people here, these six Kingdom Warriors who I got so lucky to be on a team with, are the sole reason this World Race has been so gloriously blissful. I can’t imagine having another team like these guys, who loves so well, serves so well, and chooses joy so well.
This team has taught me more than they know. They’ve taught me about relationship and the importance of community. They’ve taught me about how to love people even when it’s hard. They’ve taught me how to serve others with intentionality. They’ve taught me to find joy, and to celebrate it. They’ve taught me how to be optimistic even when it’s hard to be. They’ve taught me how to be forgiving of others. They’ve taught me to be persistent in understanding others. They’ve taught me how to fight for others. They’ve taught me how to make memories. They’ve taught me how to call out goodness in others. They’ve taught me about generosity, and how to give with an open heart. They’ve taught me how to just say “yes” – to people, to God, and to the world.
While the World Race continues, and I’m saddened by the loss of this team unity as we part ways, I rejoice in the three wonderful months God has given us to be together. These people have had a huge impact on my life, and have changed the way I look at the rest of this World Race. I know that each of my teammates will be used mightily in ministry, and will have a huge impact on the spiritual growth of their new teams. I wish we could be together for the rest of this year, but I know that God wants to grow us in new and exciting ways through new teams and new challenges. Regardless, I couldn’t be happier to have had every single moment with each of these crazy Jesus freaks.
Much love to my teammates who read this. At the end of this year, may we reconvene at the Redbox in Antlers, with all of Elizabeth’s cousins, to pick up where we left off. Let us have an amazing year, and lead our new teams with the love and grace that we had together. Let us see God move in crazier ways than we can even imagine.
Let us give it everything we’ve got this year, and remember to work together…
“AS A SPACE TEAM!! (*laughter*)”
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
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