For the past 4 months, I have been doing life with a crazy group of people — Team Beloved Warriors. There’s graceful Julia, our courageous team leader. Landon and Kyle, our men who are pursuing the Lord wholeheartedly, in such a vulnerable and teachable way. There’s Grace, my twin who thinks in numbers and loves in actions. And there’s Ali, our sweet peacekeeper who unfortunately left us at the beginning of November to have surgery in the States.
I love them. We’ve lived together for four months, in close quarters. We’ve cooked meals together, driven motorbikes together, cleaned pig pens together. We’ve traveled, fought, laughed, and cried together.
Without Team Beloved Warriors, the first four months of my race would have been completely different. I would be completely different.
On January 1st, our squad was together for a debrief of the past few months when the bomb was dropped: team changes. All of a sudden, our team was divided between 4 different teams. Julia was raised up as a squad leader (and I’m pumped for her!). The rest of us were placed on 3 different teams, with new teammates to do life with.
From the last 2 months living with 2 gals and 2 guys, it’s a stretch — my new team is made up of 7 (yes, 7) lovely ladies. But I’m beyond excited for my new team. We chose our name based on the image of a tapestry. A tapestry is intricate, unique, creative and unified, with vibrant colors woven together in detailed patterns. So without further ado, meet Team Woven:
Allison: my new team leader and one of my favorite people, Allison is hilarious, generous, and encouraging. Allison has a love for people that is beautiful, and that love shines in everything she does. And did I mention she makes me laugh at least 10 times a day?
Kat: when she puts her mind to something, she is diligent to see it to completion. Kat is brave and thoughtful in her words and actions, and she is inspirational in the way that she constantly challenges herself to grow and learn. Also she loves to read, which automatically places her in a category of “people I want to be friends with.”
Rachael: the few times I’ve gotten to hang out with her in the past 4 months, I’ve seen an amazing adventurous spirit and passion in Rachael that is beautiful. From salsa dancing to scuba diving, I love seeing how Rachael jumps into life and intends to fully live every day, and I’m so excited to live life with her.
Ashley: you can also call her Ca$hley, because she rocks at handling the role of team treasurer and squad finance coordinator. Ashley is responsible and intentional, with incredible humility and talents out the wazoo (Japanese flute, bagpipes, archery, three black belts…).
Kristen: her passion for the ocean is only the start of Kristen’s energy and desire to experience life to the fullest. She has a joy and determination that is unmatched, and as she seeks the Lord, she draws others in to do the same.
Ali: from my original team, she will hopefully come join us in Asia again soon. I cannot wait to see reliable, sincere, and warmhearted Ali grow more and more in these next months, and to spend more time with her (since we only had 2 months together!)
Clockwise from me: Ashley, Kat, Rachael, Allison, Kristen
These ladies are fabulous. Together we’re spontaneous and creative, sassy and daring. And to show you just how daring and wonderful we are, here’s a short little bit of us trying the world’s hottest chili pepper.
xoxo
