Meet the greatest team in World Race history:
TEAM ROOTED
(just recently changed from Avodah because Rooted just fits us better…)
These are my best friends. My sisters. My people. I’ll be livin and workin and playin with them for the next 6 and a half months (holy cow it has already been 2 and a half months). I couldn’t have been matched with a better group of girls. The Lord’s hand was so clearly in the formation of this team and I am so grateful for it. Here they are!
Maggie:
Maggie is our alumni team leader. She did the race two years ago, and now she is on the field with us for the first three months showin’ us the ropes and stuff like that. She leads us with grace and wisdom. She fights for us. She’s real with us, is weird with us, and laughs with us. Random dance parties? Yeah, she’s all in. Wanna to go to the beach on your off day? She’s already there. I am constantly learning what it looks like to have a relationship with the Lord from her. I kid you not, she will start talking about the Lord and her face will light up with joy. What a sweet gift from God Maggie is to this team.
Hannah:
Hannah is comfort. She knows exactly when I need a hug or a laugh. She loves people like it’s her job. Speaks truth when its needed. She is wise beyond her years. She’s a prayer warrior. An A+ advice giver. An old soul. She’s a natural leader. She’s reliable and loyal. Give her a job, and it’s done. She’s my bunk buddy- she sleeps like a bear. She also messes with me in my sleep. She’s mad silly sometimes. Her laugh is priceless. She died my hair hot pink (it’s finally fading btw). She is also terrified of ketchup which I thought was so dumb, but if you think about it we all have irrational fears… anyways! What a girl she is.
Shelby:
Shelby is silly and loving. She’s not afraid to be exactly who the Lord has made her to be. Shelbs is unapologetically her weird, silly self. She has the gift of worship imbedded in her heart. She loves her Smarties (this is to not be mistaken as American smarties… they’re actually like M&Ms but better). She is compassionate and empathetic, and absolutely no one can take that away from her. She’s basically a heart with legs. Don’t get her started on her dog Bentley, I think she thinks he’s a human sometimes. She will steal your dog or baby at any chance she gets, but don’t worry she would take the absolute best care of them.
Karson:
Karson is peace. She is so full of life and joy and light. In discussions she mostly keeps to herself, but when she speaks, it’s the Lord speaking wisdom and truth and love through her. She sees only the good in people and situations. I think her spirit animal is a deer, but she would disagree. You can find her doing squats at the most random times, for example, in the kitchen before dinner or at ministry before our kids get there. She’s my workout buddy and we try and hold each other accountable for not going and getting McFlurries after dinner. She makes you feel like you’re not alone. She makes you proclaim beauty and truth over yourself. What a blessing she is. She’s the most talented 19-year-old photographer out there and she will film my wedding someday (God willing I get married).
Sarah:
Sarah is a natural leader. She’s unforgivingly bold and loud. She loves to be fully known. Sarah is very intelligent, but she won’t admit it. Catch her singing and dancing anywhere and anytime. Sarah teaches me what it looks like to be on fire for the Lord. She strives to know more through scripture. She is always bettering herself and her relationships. She faces her problems head on with no turning back. She loves well. She makes me go outside and scream when I’m angry and she gives me hugs when she sees that I’m sad. God has given her the gift to see people well. She hates the question: “where are you from.” She looks bomb in a beanie. Don’t get her started on Bethel Church- she thinks it’s a cult or something. Catch her being a BA international women’s rights activist someday.
Grace:
Grace’s name fits her quite perfectly. She is gracious and beautiful. She is gentle and strong. She is reserved but fully known and fully loved. God has given her the gift of creativity. She designs tattoos for our squad-mates. Her art is all over our room. She is quick to listen and slow to speak. Grace radiates Christ in the way she lives. She’s selfless and noble, but she has a goofy side like you wouldn’t believe! It doesn’t matter who says what, it’s always funnier when she says it. She looks to God is all situations. In all honestly, we could all learn a little something from Grace. You can catch her getting vanilla cones at our local McDonalds for 6 rand… almost every night.
So that’s us. Team Rooted. We have a fake passcode on our door to enter and no one will EVER know it, so don’t ask. Gosh, we are all so different in all the best ways. We’re dysfunctional, loud, always talking past lights out, laughing 24/7 and constantly choosing each other day after day. I thank the Lord for these girls every night. Every one of them shows me what the body of Christ should look like. This blog post doesn’t do them justice at all, but I hope you got to see a little glimpse of who my family is in this season of my life.
