Meet Team Stride: my roommates, ministry partners, and best friends.
These are the girls I’ve been doing life alongside ever since I arrived in Georgia five months ago. They’re my team. Teams do everything together, from ministry to daily team times to living together.
We met on a zoom call over the summer. That’s when we came up with our team name: Stride.
A stride is a long, decisive step. We chose this name because we all decided that we wanted to take big, intentional steps wherever the Lord was leading us.
Ever since that zoom call, we’ve spent so much time choosing into each other and getting to know each other. We’ve had countless bible studies, dance parties, cry sessions, and movie nights. We’ve praised each other’s strengths and committed to encouraging each other’s growth. And we’re constantly figuring out new ways to love each other well.
After all of this, we realized that even though we’re all very different, each member is so essential. We work well when we’re all together and fall apart if anyone’s missing. We’re like the body of the church, we all have different purposes, but none is less important.
So it’s about time I introduce them to you!! (from left to right)
ANDI
Andi is such a great friend to anyone around her! She has such a servant’s heart and loves to love others by going out of her way to do things like washing the team’s dishes. Andi is also amazing at doing things with her hands, like making bracelets or braiding hair! Seriously, she’s the go-to for half the squad when they want their hair done. She also has a huge heart for kid’s ministry and foster care and I can’t wait to see how God uses her through that. And if you ever want to have an hour-long conversation about Florida or southern food, Andi’s your girl.
ANJALI
Anjali brings so much joy to our team (and her last name is literally joy). You can always count on her to make a bad day a little better, and a team time is never complete without her laugh. She’s always the one to speak up first during devos and debriefs, and if she’s not there, we all just sit in silence wondering who’s gonna start us off. Anjali’s also an amazing storyteller and spends a lot of her time behind the camera. It’s so cool to see her use her gifts for God’s glory!
ALICIA
Alicia was our alumni team leader!! which means (sadly) that she was only with our team for the first three months of our race. Alicia taught us so much while she was with our team!! She’s such a great example of Jesus’ love. She makes everyone around her feel seen, heard, and known. I was so lucky to have her as an alumni team leader. Right now, God’s doing big things through her as a missionary in Guatemala. She first went to guat on her race and fell in love with it. You should see the way she lights up when she talks about it! Alicia is also almost as passionate about Justin Beiber as she is for Guatemala.
MORGAN
Morgan is the life of the party! Trust me, her absence is FELT on our team. She is a woman of joy and light. But no matter how much fun Morgan brings, she brings just as much wisdom to the table. She’s the first to hold us accountable and challenge us to grow in our relationship with Jesus. She’s the best at encouraging you as you walk with the Lord and the best at being there for her friends. Morgan’s heart for women and pregnancy centers makes me smile, and I know God going to use her through that. Morgan is also almost as passionate about JB as Alicia!
EMMA
My fellow barista and coffee addict! Emma and I find ourselves at a coffee shop every chance we get. Our team wouldn’t be the same without Emma’s wisdom and strength. Her relationship with the Lord is inspiring to everyone around her, especially me. No matter what life throws her way, Emma upholds an attitude of surrender and worship. Emma has an AMAZING voice and has a passion for worship. She’s a worship leader on our squad and it’s so cool to get to watch her doing what God created her to do. I can’t wait to see how God continues to use her gifts for His glory!
And that’s me! So there you have it! That’s Team Stride. I’m so blessed to know these girls and I’m so excited to do life with them in Costa Rica and wherever God takes us next!
