Time at Training Camp was winding down and both excitement and anxiety started to mount as we began the process of team formations.
All Racers are assigned to a squad (mine is W) of about 50 folks. Everyone on W squad has the same route, but we are broken down into smaller teams. Each team may go to different parts of the country and work with different ministries. Therefore, team selection is a very important process as these are the folks that I will actually be living and serving with 24/7.
After several long days with all of W squad, it was kind of sad to think that we would be broken up into smaller groups. After all, everyone was so awesome and we were extremely blessed with unity and a deep love for each other after such a short amount of time. But, when it came to the inevitable, I was pretty indifferent as I didn’t have any expectations or strong desires regarding who would be on my team, who my team leader would be, or if it was a co-ed versus all women’s team.
In spite of this, believe me when I say that in many ways team formations was one of the most challenging parts of training camp. For the sake of future Racers, I won’t go into details of what we did, but over the course of this two day process, we were placed in a position that required raw honesty about ourselves and our perceptions of others. I mean, being asked “who would you struggle with if they were on your team?” so soon after meeting folks and without much time to process was, in fact very uncomfortable.
Welp, I am more than grateful for the tough questions and the entire team formation process. It gave me more insight into what living in community should look like and again confirmed that this will be tough work with MUCH blessing. In the end, I am more than happy with the process and I’m SO excited to introduce you all to my team, Daughters of the Vineyard.
About Our Name.
After we received our team assignments, one of our first tasks was to choose our team name. Our only clear instruction was to choose something that descried our identity as a group. After much brainstorming, Sarah came up with a great idea for us to share the words we received the previous night during the service on listening prayer. Welp, it just so happened that our common theme was the idea that this next year would be a pruning process for all of us. This was confirmed when Sarah’s Bible fell and “randomly” opened to John 15 which begins with: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (1-3). So, there it was. Our identity as a group is Daughters of the Vineyard. I believe that the World Race is our vineyard and that our Father will use this year to deepen our identity as women of God by strengthening our gifts and getting rid of that which does not glorify Him. Most importantly, our team name is our way of saying that we wholeheartedly welcome and embrace this process. So, I am SO very proud to introduce you to the ladies that I will live and serve with this next year. Here are the Daughters of the Vineyard!
I encourage you to subsribe to their blogs to learn more about them AND to read other perspectives about our work this year.
Meet Carly.
I am SO excited to get to know Carly. Not only is she a talented photographer and videographer, she also has a very impressive gift of observation. During Training Camp I noticed that she is great at reading between the lines and simply noticing things that others may overlook. Not only that, but she has such a gracious and loving way of sharing her insight and wisdom. This is a gift that will be priceless to our team and those we work with. Carly is also authentic, passionate, and so much fun! She is from and currently lives in the Bay area of Cali and received her BFA in photography. Carly’s Blog: http://carlymarin.theworldrace.org/
Meet Kristina.
Kristina was the first person I met on my squad. She picked me up from the airport for Training Camp and I rode along with her as she finished errands. She also introduced me to Zaxby’s—specifically their banana pudding milkshakes. Nuff said. We hit it off right away! The first thing I noticed about Kristina was her smile and laughter. It is so full of life and it made me feel like I had known her forever. This woman took a huge leap of faith in obeying the call of God to pursue the World Race when she left a successful career as an IT consultant. I know that her faith, worshipping heart, and joyful personality will be a huge blessing to our team and those we meet. Kristina is also our team treasurer. Kristina’s Blog: kristinasmith.theworldrace.org.
Meet Lynn.
Lynn was born in The Netherlands, but is coming to us from Canada. She studied agriculture in college and received a degree in Dairy Management. How cool is that?! Lynn and I happened to be in several groups together during the team formation process, so I wasn’t surprised when we ended up together and I am SO excited! I look forward to getting to know Lynn more as we have overcome similar struggles AND we both surrendered our lives to Jesus around 3 years ago. Also, Lynn is so compassionate, a great listener, an excellent model of vulnerability, and really silly! Lynn’s Blog: http://lynndiepenbroek.theworldrace.org/
Meet Sarah.
Sarah hails from North Carolina and will undoubtedly teach me some things about hearing our Father’s voice. Speaking of voice, she studied music and is a very talented vocalist. Before I even had a conversation with Sarah, I was aware of her authenticity and kindness towards others. I am so excited to work alongside such a courageous, fun, wise, and obedient servant of Christ. She currently works as a bridal consultant and was so sweet to answer all of my questions stemming from my slight obsession with “Say Yes to the Dress” 🙂 Sarah’s Blog: http://sarahsanders.theworldrace.org/
Meet Vivian.
In the short amount of time we shared at Training Camp, it is clear that Vivian is going to be a source of encouragement for our team. While being gentle and genuine, Vivian has a way of affirming others that will be instrumental for our relationships with each other and those we meet. She is most excited about loving on the children we’ll encounter during the next year and due to her ability to make everyone feel appreciated and valued, I can’t wait to see how she leaves a lasting impact on their lives. Vivian currently lives in rural Alaska and works as an elementary school teacher. She is also a volunteer firefighter and EMT in my community. Yeah, she’s cool like that:) Vivian’s Blog: http://viviannorenberg.theworldrace.org/
Daughters of the Vineyard
Which of your gifts does God want to strengthen? What in your life/character do you need to abandon to become more like the person God created you to be?
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MAKE A DONATION: I still need $6,227 to cover the cost for this trip. If you are able to support me financially, click “MAKE A DONATION” on the left to make a tax-deductible donation. Or, cut out the small online processing fee by mailing a check to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Checks should be made out to “Adventures in Missions”.
***Put “PERKINSSHATERIKA” in the memo line of the check!!!!!***
