Meet my wildflowers!!! (usually people do these blogs while they’re on the field… but i guess i never got to it, whoops)
So before the race we had training camp like you may or may not remember. And for the first time we were introduced to our teams that we would be doing ministry with EVERYDAY on the race. So coming home from training camp naturally my family/ friends were curious to who these people were going to be and what they were like. And the easiest way to explain this to them, would be to show them this picture and tell them everything I remembered/ knew about them at this point….
Arielle- “she’s from Kansas I think.. and um plays basketball which is cool so we’ll prolly get along” (cause you know biggg sporty girl over here)
Blaize- to be honest I don’t really remember Blaize’s but ill give it my best shot… maybe it was something like: “she’s goofy but I still don’t know her that well yet”
Sam- honestly I don’t remember how I described Sam either because we didn’t talk much at training camp… but it might have just been like “she’s nice prolly cause she’s from Texas…”
Braeden- B-dogs was straight forward haha, “she’s super wise and smart”
Emma- “Emma’s funny and I think we’ll get along” that was based off the like 2 times Emma and i talked during training camp
In conclusion lol… they were all just super basic/mundane first impressions… but oh how things change when you, chop onions together, give each other (surface level) feedback every week, hammer nails together, clean out storage closets together, get home 3 hours before everyone else from ministry together, scream worship together, sit on a concrete slab in Cambodia all day, everyday, together…. must I say more??? So, if you were to ask me about any of these ladies now, I would have a bittttt of a different response… maybe something along the lines of:
Arielle- Arielle is someone that is easy to talk to and hard to argue with (unless your Sam AhHa i’m convinced those girls are literal sisters, they could usually find something little to bicker about). She’s the person I go to if I need a work out buddy or wanna play volleyball. She’s incredibly athletic and driven (even if we had a couple cheat months on the race) which has earned her a basketball scholarship for the fall semester. She appreciates pizza the way I do and is fair when we split our large-ah Hawaiian pizza together. She’s the best aunt to Tilly ever and the way she talks about her makes a -growing- woman teary eyed. Her laugh makes you laugh when something isn’t even that funny (The garbage cans at the Santa Maria, or our secret language we made up that everyone else hated haha). She’s someone who hates conflict (the 9 in her) but will definitely speak her mind if she feels strongly about something. She’s a women of wise words and has an abundance of biblical knowledge stored up in that noggin of hers (lol peep the gap A superlatives). She’s someone who has experienced the world and all it has to offer but yet chooses to fiercely run to the father instead. Home girl is deeply rooted in truth and is someone I look up to (literally.). If you catch Arielle having an off day (which is rare) get her a Snickers bar (or two) and she’ll be a happi(er) camper!!
You are a forever sister and I love you oh so very much Arielle. You are off to make many disciples this year at school and I am so proud of you already!
Blaize- Blasé is FULL of life my friends. She will say the goofiest things that no one is ever expecting. Her dance moves are always entertaining and she will most definitely put a smile on your face. She takes pride in the things she does and isn’t afraid to show them off. Blaize is unique and beautiful, i’ve never truly met someone like her before. She was a hard worker on the field and I know she is in Virginia too (outback queen!!). When Blaize lost her bible in Ecuador, I thought all hell was going to break loose because she was so upset. If she finds something about herself that she doesn’t like, Blaize will work to seek truth and figure out how to look more like Jesus. She doesn’t hesitate to obey the voice of the Lord (my girl got fricken baptized in the OCEAN in South Africa, how fricken cool is that!!). She’s an excellent listener and if you tell her something she’ll remember it. She likes to have attention now and then (like everyone lol) but she also needs her alone time. You can most likely find this girl by herself making a master piece with some watercolors. She’s creative and if she wants to do something, she’ll find a way to do it (like when you hung your hammock and mosquito net up in the bodes lol I’m still v impressed).
Im so grateful that I have a sister like you Blaize, you are someone worth fighting for. Love ya, goofy goober!!
Sam- her whitty sense of humor is something that always catches me off guard. All she has to say is a one liner, and she’ll have the whole team cackling. Her ability to make light of heavy conversations without diminishing the value/ importance is a really cool skill to have. (I vividly remember when you gave your testimony at McDonalds) Sam is a whole lot sassier than I could have ever imagined but I love how she isn’t afraid to voice her opinion (this is something I biggg struggle with). During feedback I never had a constructive thing to tell her because I saw so much Jesus in her in different ways that I don’t encompass myself. She is really with the shiiiii and is always well put together (her outfits, guys lemme jus say… how can someone look so good on the WR, I still don’t know…). She is bold and unique and doesn’t pay a lot of attention to other peoples opinions. She is rooted in what to Lord says about her and is unwavering when the world try to get in the way of that. She’s so gosh darn strong and doesn’t let her emotions control her. She doesn’t like unintentional conversations and is always real around other people. During team time she might have only a couple things to say… but those are words I value so deeply, and to me, sometimes those words can be the most meaningful things I hear the whole night. If you need to find Sam she’s prolly in the kitchen whipping up some popcorn on the stove.
I love you Sammy Hughes and I’m so so glad that I have a sister like you.
Braeden- Braeden is someone people are curious about. She is all sorts of sweetness and makes people wonder why. Im convinced she wouldn’t kill a fly… but maybe a spider cause those things are nasty. She has such a servants heart and is always willing to put other peoples needs before her own. (like that one time you wanted to go see Star Wars, but we had team time hhaha) She is wise beyond her years and is full of scripture. She’ll never pass up an opportunity to celebrate with you when you’re happy… and on the flip side… her heart breaks when yours does. She’s always looking for a way to comfort you when you’re hurting. She’s a bigggg physical touch girl but she only does it because she cares 😉 She’s responsible and a leader at heart (#BESTTEAMLEADEREVAAAA) and her ideas are ALWAYS something I truly value. (Ever since training camp when we fed off each other during that team building exercise lol) She’s humble with her authority yet courageous and decisive when she needs to be. Braedens been my go to from training camp , to launch, to the actual race lol ——and I mean honestly… that pretty much sums up Braeden butttt she also has this other side we refer to as B-DOG!! B-dog is adventurous, and goofy. She loves to laugh and does it a lot hahah. If I’m working out or playing sports, B-dog is right next to me. She was the first of the Wildflowers to jump off that cliff on adventure day and swing on that zipline thingy. Not to mention, she hiked Table Mountain like it was nobody’s businesssss. She’s a friend I know will seek me out till the day we see each other at the gates (thanks Skylar List for that one).
I love you Braeden. Thank you for always having my back sista.
Emma- oh baby where do I start. Emma jo is a one of a kind girl. She’s a performer and a theater girl and she is not afraid to flex that. You will catch Emma singing jus about every darn thing she says, but it makes things a whole lot funnier, thats for sure. She’s someone who never fails to make me laugh and if I’m having a bad day she’s the person I want to go to first. She radiates a whole buncha joy and she’s someone people just want to constantly be around. There isn’t a second that goes by where she’s not talking about her mom (or rascal lol, she loves those two so deeply!!). She can be quite dramatic at times but it puts life into perspective and make you appreciate even the littlest of things life has in store. Emmer is truly a ball of fun, but she also is super in touch with her feelings. She knows what makes her happy and what makes her sad. She also knows if she needs to rest or if she needs to turn the party light on and dance a lil (if you know you know). She always approaches situations with caution so that herself or nobody else gets hurt. She’s a thinker yet you wouldn’t know it cause her words flow so naturally. The way she loves the father is admirable and she’s gonna be such a light at Samford this fall. I love this girl to the moon and back x1000. She’s awesome. If you don’t have one already, go get yourself a sister like Emma jo.
Love yah Ems, thanks for being my partner in crime dude *kiss kiss*
(I know y’all are reading this… and I just want you guys to know, that even if I don’t say it as much as I should, I love and I miss doing life with all of you <3)
