Throwing a group of seven people together that doesn’t know each other, have different backgrounds, and expecting them to live in community and travel the world together sounds pretty crazy, right?
If someone would have told me a year ago that this would be my life right now I probably would have laughed in their face. I mean who would take that deal?
Only… it’s by far the coolest thing I’ve ever done.
Week one and it’s a little uncomfortable yet somehow I feel like I’ve known some of these people for years.
We’ve already experienced so much together. Like how tricky European locks are, and how much everyone sweats when having to run what would have been a 25 minute walk from the ballet to the bus station just to miss the bus anyways. We’ve been on planes and trains and trolleys together and shared each others things and our stories about our first time using squatty potties. (also bowel movements are a common topic while on the race.)
God is really incredible and He knows what we need way before we see it.
I am living with an amazing group of people that have hearts for the Lord. They want what God wants for them so much that they left the familiar to explore the unknown and tell others about what He’s been doing in their life.
Something that was spoken over my team at training camp was the word depth. So we chose to name our team vathos (depth sounds cooler in greek) and it’s something I’ve been praying for us. That we would be a team that grows deeper in intimacy with each other, in ourselves, and with the Lord.
So, I am so stoked to introduce you to my team/family for the next year!
Amanda
Amanda is our team leader and she is definitely perfect for the role. She is the definition of a servant leader. She thinks of the team as a whole in all of her decisions and she always brings it to the Lord. She is humble and kind and always points me back to Jesus. She is artsy, has a beautiful voice, and her laugh is very contagious. She speaks with conviction and she walks so intimately with the Lord that I can see Jesus in her. Her love for others in so genuine and so authentic and I know there are so many things I can learn from her.
Tyler
Tyler is our logistics coordinator and is super skilled at his job. He helps us get from point A to point B. He is such a cool person to talk to because one minute he could be having a serious conversation about the Lord and the next be playing peekaboo with the little girls at church. He is super goofy and fun and is very intentional with forming relationships wherever he goes.
Laney
Laney literally always has a smile on her face. She is super bubbly and makes friends wherever she goes. She cares so much about others and is always the first to ask how you’re doing/feeling. She also takes care of our team finances like a champ. She is a prayer warrior. When any situation arises her first instinct is to go to the Lord in prayer and that is something I really admire.
Genevieve
Genevieve is so cool because she is so deep. She strives for a deeper intimacy with the Lord and with others. She asks a lot of questions and is so intentional in trying to learn peoples stories and their history and their culture and by doing so shes letting people know that she cares and that they are heard. She is so empowering and helps others know their voices are important and are worth hearing. She is also a killer dancer and I will forever be jealous of her mad dance skills.
Hunter
Hunter is super funny. He makes me think of Crush the turtle from Finding Nemo and I’m pretty sure by the time the race is over I’m either going to hate the phrase, “That’s so sick!” or it’s going to be embedded in brain and I’ll just repeat it like a broken record. Something I really admire about Hunter is his enthusiasm for the Lord. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing, he is always ready to share the gospel with others. He’s crazy bold and that’s definitely something I strive for.
Jeff
Jeff has so much integrity it’s insane. He is always so honest and so respectful of others and his laugh makes me smile literally every time. He would be the coolest shaggy in a scooby-doo movie, and I mean that. I would totally watch that movie. He is strong and so unmovable and has shown so much faith in God. If I had to give one word for him it would be foundation. He’s also super observant and if we have a problem with directions, Jeffs got us.
Makayla
And then theres me. There’s a lot that I’m searching for. All I know is I want whatever God wants for me. I’m learning so much about God’s grace and his incredible and I’m starting to see God in so many little things. Everyday He blows me away and I am so honored to be here.
I guess living with strangers isn’t the worst 😉
