Melissa- Oh sweet Melissa, she is the kindest soul anyone could ever meet. She will ask you how your day is going about 5 times because she genuinely wants to know. Everything she says is perfectly articulated to make sure that it is uplifting and encouraging. If you’re ever lucky enough to meet her, you will notice her burning desire to be independent, yet completely dependent on the Lord.
Cami – SUPER WOMAN!!! This lady is amazing, I am constantly amazed at the love Cami has for others. There cannot possibly be a soul on this earth that does not love her. She has the sweetest touch and yearns for deep relationships. She is fluent in Spanish (which is so helpful here in Ecuador, you don’t even know) which gives her a better opportunity to have meaningful relationships with the locals here. Her words are soft and careful, but extremely powerful. Her joy has been such a light to not only our team, but our entire squad.
Gracie – Gracie is the perfect example of a true leader, she has an amazing work ethic and strives to serve others to the best of her ability. She handles all of our money with excellence and grace. She makes sure we all get fed extremely well on the weekends, on time to everything, and that we are walking in line with the Lord. She is last to speak and cares deeply. Her love for her family is inspiring (Heather and Molly, team Esther loves you!) She has a true missionary’s heart.
Sophie – SOUP!!!!!! Sophie is a ball of fire! She is quick to make everyone laugh and will always tell it how it is. My cheekbones ache after each conversation with her because I am laughing so hard. She hates the mornings but manages to be on time to 7:25 devotions with a joyful spirit. Her candor is inspiring. And she freely gives out her forgiveness which is truly a characteristic of Jesus. Her heart for the Lord is unmatched and she desperately wants to learn more and more about our one true God.
Lexi – Queen of questions. Lexi asks the deepest, most random, hilarious questions! Her passion for learning is amazing. Her spunk and pizzazz adds so much depth to our team. Her interactions with the locals, and the kids at our ministry is nothing short of heart melting. Listening to her try to learn Spanish is the best, and our equal love for movies makes us have a special bond I can’t quite put into words. She strives to be a better version of herself every day.
Abby – AKA the cool aunt of the group. She is hands down the best story teller of all time (even though a 10 min story becomes an hour and a half, it’s the best) She is loud and bold, and when she speaks it is deep and important. She has a willingness to learn and grow more into the woman that God has created her to be like no other. She is edgy and always has the best outfits, she loves to sing and is the only person I have ever met that has successfully taken an oath of silence for a day. I love this girl so much and I am so excited to see how God works in her throughout the next 9 months.
Kori – The most vulnerable and trust worthy friend. I am so honored to have had Kori be on my last team and moved to this team with me. She is intelligent, and every day wakes up not only wanting, but putting into action to follow directly on the path that God has set for her. Her actions and words can be backed up by scripture and her testimony has impacted my life for the better. I am inspired by the way she isn’t just willing to want a better life for herself, but that she strives for it and works for it every single day. She is also one of the two logistics leaders of our squad, so she makes sure we catch the planes and busses we need, plans all of our debriefs and more. She is an extremely responsible human being and I love her so dearly.
Ella – Ella has a true servant’s heart. She has never complained about anything during ministry, which can be hard sometimes. Her heart is for the Lord and the people that she can serve through him. Her desire to break away from the things that the enemy has over her and walk fully in the grace of God is inspiring. I am excited to see how our friendship grows over the course of the Race.
Alyssa – Best team leader. EVER. She is humble and filled with so much grace. Alyssa is the best listener I have ever met, and she cares so deeply. She is extremely intentional with every single one of us and seeks us out to make sure we feel loved and heard at all times. Even though she is only a year older than most of us, she is so spiritually wise and fully equip to be disciplining us. I am so thankful to have her as a team leader.
