On a sunny afternoon after a week of intense sessions and challenging team building exercises, my life was changed. I sat in a circle with five other women and our leadership team and we were posed the question: do you think this is a team you could be successful on? We looked around at each other and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. We. Were. Home.
That’s exactly what the last four months on the Race has felt like: home. Not in the physical sense, that’s absolutely ridiculous. But the community, the trust, and the vulnerability we fostered in each other made it to where no matter where we went, we were home as long as we were with each other. We spent many nights laughing, crying, worshiping, scaring each other, and building each other up. I’ve learned more in the last four months from these five women than I think I have in my entire 23 years of living. For that, I can’t thank God enough.
So here’s to you, ladies of Sonflora. Thank you for making me laugh until I cry. Thank you for scaring me with masks (that’s you, Jordan and Victoria) and wrangling giant moths. Thank you for chasing loud birds with trash cans. Thank you for chin art and make-up tutorials. Thank you for sewing lessons and life lessons. Thank you for helping me remove the idols in my life. Thank you for holding me while I cry because my heart was shattering in my hands. Thank you for celebrating with me. Thank you for mourning with me. Thank you for loving me and encouraging me and never failing to point me to the Cross.
I pray that I impacted y’all’s life at least a fraction of how much y’all impacted mine. Because of each of you, I am changed. I am a better woman and a better daughter of God for having lived life with y’all.
Going in to this next season of new teams and new continents, I pray God’s blessings over each of you. I pray that you foster home every where you go. I pray that your new community grows you and stretches you and challenges you more than Sonflora ever could. You’re all amazing women of God and your new teams are so blessed to have you. Now let’s go do this.
I love you so deep, ladies.
Katie Mere
