Hi!! I wanted to introduce you to the incredible people I get to do life with for the next four months. While I am in a group of around 35 people on the race, we don’t always stay together. For these first six weeks on the field, we have been separated by teams to live in different places around Costa Rica and do different ministries. If we were all living together, there is no guarantee that we would all spend our days doing the same ministries. The six girls on my team are the people I will ALWAYS do life with, wether that be where we live or what ministry we do. We have a team leader who has done the world race before to guide us for the first three months. After she leaves, one of us six will become the raised up team leader for the last three. But anyways, let’s start!! From left to right…
This is Daisy. From Virginia but you’d guess from California. She is such a great person to laugh with and mess around with. She is prone to sunburns yet loves the sunshine. She loves pineapple and watermelon, and does the coolest wall handstand you’ll ever see. She makes the team whole.
This is Keerstin. From Ohio, she has the best accent ever. She always desires to be spending time with the Lord. She’s that girl that can really dance but keeps it on the down-low. We can never stop giggling around each other. Spending time with Keerstin always leaves you full of joy and love from the Lord. She is so easy to love.
This is Hadley. She is such a goofball! From Texas, I always tell her she’s like an exclamation point. She loves people so well and intentionally to their love languages. Her relationship with the Lord differs from mine in the best way, and we get to learn about Him from each other. We argue like sisters, but love each other like sisters too.
This is Sara. From Missouri, an ex-softball player. She is so awesome. She has dedicated her life to the Lord for many years now, and has walked through much that can be learned from. She is sweet and loves to have conversations. She is such a great member of the team who brings so much to the table.
This is Reagan. She is our wonderful team leader. She is artsy as heck in just about every category. She is intentional with us and in spending time with the Lord. She is always ready to throw up a peace sign or take a self timer. Apparently the ways God is growing me right now reminds her of herself on her race.
This is Bree. From Colorado like me (we have mutual friends and live near each other apparently), she loves anything outdoors. She is wise, calm, and beautiful. A great person to talk to when I need advice. A joy to be around and a breath of fresh air.
God was seriously intentional about putting this group of girls together. We are all so different yet mesh as one group contributing to the body of Christ so well. I can see the light of Christ shining in each of them. The Lord has already spoken to me through them and taught me much, so I can’t wait to see what the rest of our time overseas looks like.
While we get along very well, inevitably there will be conflict. Living in constant community is hard, even when everyone desires to look more like Christ day by day. I invite you to join me in praying over our team, that we would be able to overcome any conflict that may come our way for the sake of the body of Christ. That our different perspectives and giftings would draw us closer in unity to each other and to Christ. That we would live out the name Refuge: able to be a refuge for each other, point others to our ultimate Refuge, and seek refuge foremost in our Lord and Savior. That we would grow in our willingness to choose into each other as a family when things get hard.
With that being said, I have news! We have left the church in Turrialba and are headed to our next ministry. My team will spend the month of March on the peninsula Punta Arenas. After this month, we will be moving to Panama as a squad for the last three months of our race! As I get more information on what ministry looks like at this new location and reflect on the ministry we just left, I will update you all. The Lord taught me so much in Turrialba and is still walking me through a lot of the same things, and I can’t wait to share once I’m able to put it all into words. Stay tuned and see you in a month!
