a thank you to each person on my squad

It’s the last day on the World Race Gap Year for me. If there’s one thing the Lord has shown me since I stepped foot in the Atlanta Airport on September 11th 2021, its that the Lord has promised this community to me for a really long time. It has been a blessing to see it all come to fruition. The Lord has been so faithful.

Gap H, I have learned from each and every one of the you, and I have loved it. All the fun moments and all the hard moments, they were all so worth it to show me how to love people well and also how to be loved. The Lord has taught me so much through you, and it has been an honor to serve alongside you the past 9 months. Goodness the Lord is good, and I’ve seen it up close because of each of you. So thank you. Truly. 

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Trav Albrecht

• Thank you for teaching me how to lead in love. 

Trav was my team leader for most of the race, and she always led in love. Whether that was through feedback or just a big hug, she loved hard and well. I never didn’t feel loved by her, and it is truly because of the love she receives from the Lord daily. 

 

Jaiden Collier

• Thank you for teaching me that it is okay to ask for prayer. 

I saw Jaiden be a warrior in prayer and also ask for prayer when she needed it, knowing fully that thats what will lead her more into truth and peace. She truly led me to more vulnerability with my team and the people around me. She taught me to trust the people around me, and know that they are there for me. 

 

Naomi Delbury

• Thank you for teaching me that everything can be fun if you make it fun. Truly. 

I spent 7 weeks doing manual labor for 8 hours a day alongside Naomi, and every day was fun with her. She carried the joy of the Lord so well, and truly pours it out into everyone around her. It leads people to her, which leads people to the Lord. She builds the Kingdom in a way that makes you jump and dance for the Lord. She reminds you that its okay to be like a kid again.

 

Alli Stoltzfus

• Thank you for teaching me about the fruit of discipline. 

I saw Alli get up each and every morning with the Lord, intentionally spending time with Him. I saw the fruit of her discipline firsthand everyday in the way she served and loved. I saw her spend time with the Father and become more like Him every single day. 

 

Sadie Gonzalez

• Thank you for teaching me about fruitful friendship. 

I learned a lot about the power of my words on the race, and Sadie was a big part of that. She truly uses her words for good and for the glory of the Lord, and it shows so evidently. Friendship with her consists of so much conversation. She always checks in with me and asks me to sit with her and just catch up. She pursues friendship so intentionally. 

 

Layna Tolton

• Thank you for teaching me about myself. 

Layna was my team leader for the first 3 months of the race, and was a huge part of all the things the Lord has taught me about myself. She affirmed me in my identity and worth in the Lord. She encouraged me with scripture and prayer. Having her as my leader was so sweet but having her as my friend was even sweeter. 

 

Bree Self

• Thank you for teaching me how to be a friend. 

I learned so much about friendship on the race, but the Lord taught me how to be a friend specifically through my sweet best friend Bree. I learned how to fight for friendship through her. I learned how to steward friendship through her. I learned how to focus on friendship through her. She truly is one of the best women I have ever met, and it’s an honor to not only be her friend, but learn how to be a friend from her. 

 

Haley Kretz

• Thank you for teaching me about vulnerability. 

Every time I sat down with Haley, just me and her, she was so eager to listen and lead in vulnerability. She asked questions in love and grace. She gave room for me to speak and her to listen. And I learned how to do the same back. I learned that listening is the root of what allows vulnerability to happen. Haley does it so well. 

 

Celia Wolz

• Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for making me cry.

Celia is one of the funniest people I know. Every time I’m with Celia she makes me laugh like no other. But also, every time Celia stands up in front of our squad with an encouragement for us, it makes me cry. She holds holds humor in one hand and wisdom in the other. I have learned so much through that in her. 

 

Katherine Chandler

• Thank you for your boldness. 

Katherine has taught me so much just through watching the way she walks and lives. She has hard conversations when needed, she steps into everything the Lord is calling her to do, she shares what the Lord is teaching, and she loves so boldly. Truly an honor to live alongside her and watch her boldness in every step she takes. 

 

Maddie Hawkins

• Thank you for teaching me about strength and being exactly where your feet are. 

Maddie had to go home because of medical reasons at the beginning of South Africa. Through the whole season of her sickness, I always saw her strength so evidently. She always was smiling and trusting that the Lord would lead her where she needed to be. She truly lived exactly where her feet were, and went day by day seeking the Lord. It was an honor to see. 

 

Lexi Vallejo

• Thank you for teaching me how to encourage. 

Lexi has one of the biggest hearts I know, and encourages so well. Every time I see her, she just builds me up and uses her words to love me. It is so sweet to be loved by her and always feel so encouraged by her. I see the way she impacts others with her love, and its just so sweet to watch and experience up close. 

 

Adelyn Dozier

• Thank you for desiring to know me. 

Adelyn has been such a sweet friend the past 9 months, and every time we sit down one-on-one, she always tells me that she wants to know me better. That alone makes me see her heart for people so evidently, and makes me want to know her more and more every day. She pursues friendship and conversation with people so well, and I aspire to be a friend like her. 

 

Peyton Weiser

• Thank you for knowing exactly what I need and sitting with me exactly where I am. 

Laughing with Peyton is one of my favorite things, but also sitting on the couch and talking about our weeks and how we’re doing is also one of my favorite things. She pursues me exactly where I am, and always knows exactly what I need. A laugh, a hug, someone to sit next to, someone to listen, she always knows. Living with her is a blessing, and knowing her as a friend is an honor. 

 

Grace Bloker

• Thank you for pushing me closer to Jesus every day. 

2 months with Grace at El Refugio made me see more of her friendship and heart every day. She has such a heart for the people around her and for Jesus. She wants to know Him so closely, and I saw her pursue Him intentionally every single day. She encouraged me with truth and led me to truth. She led me to better friendship with the Lord because of her friendship with me. She loves so well and knows how to individually love people how they feel loved most. Its so sweet to experience friendship with her, and see her friendship with others too. 

 

Abigail Criqui

• Thank you for teaching me about gentleness. 

Every time I see abigail, I see gentleness. I see intentionality with people and grace with sharing the Word. I see her sweetness through her love for her team and how she leads them. She just looks so much like Jesus, and I’ve learned so much from just seeing her live so intentionally. 

 

Jules May

• Thank you for teaching me to share what the Lord is teaching me. 

Jules was so open with the squad about what the Lord was teaching her or leading her to. It led me to more vulnerability. It led the squad to more vulnerability. It was so encouraging to experience in my own life and also see it in others. 

 

Kristy Casey

• Thank you for teaching me what a servant heart looks like.

Kristy was always the one to say yes to serving. Whatever it looked like, she was always ready, knowing that everything she does is for the Lord. It was an honor to see, and encouraged me to say yes more often. To people, to opportunities, to things I wanted to do, to things I didn’t want to do; saying yes because of my yes to the Lord. 

 

Liz Sawvel

• Thank you for teaching me how to listen to and speak into peoples stories. 

Goodness I have learned so much about this through Liz. Liz and I had our first sit down conversation at a coffee shop in Guatemala. She immediately started asking me questions about myself. What am I passionate about? How’s my family and what are my favorite things about them? What is the Lord teaching me? These were just some of the questions that Liz asked. She made a space for me to speak about things that I love, that are hard, that I’m learning; and she just wanted to listen. And then after that space of listening, she then went into a space of encouragement and speaking truth over me. I have learned so much from Liz. I have learned so much about Jesus through Liz. 

 

Meadow Davis

• Thank you for walking with me. 

Meadow has been one of my closest friends on the Race, and I truly believe its because of the way she walks with the Lord, which leads her to the way she walks with others. I’ve seen this up close through the way she has walked with me through so much learning and growth. The Lord has been really gracious to give us each other while learning a lot of the same lessons and walking away from a lot of the same things. She walked through so much on the Race, but still chose to choose into the people around her.

 

Sydney Seavers

• Thank you for fighting for this community.

Being in community can be really hard, but Sydney always fought for it. She always stood up in front of the squad and encouraged us to really sit in gratitude of the gift of community that the Lord has given us. It always changed my perspective, and always felt like the Lord was speaking right through her. 

 

Jaide Walker

• Thank you for fighting for our team. 

Jaide was my team leader for the last 2 months of the Race, and she truly fought so hard for the team she was given. She led us in a way that brought more vulnerability and trust every single day.

 

Melinda Erickson

• Thank you for your confidence.

I remember the first time Melinda spoke in front of our squad. Remembering that Melinda compared to the leader she is now is actually insane. The confidence and voice the Lord has given her is so encouraging, and so evidently the growth the Lord has done in her life. 

 

Raylee Surguy

• Thank you for your inclusivity.

Every time I see Raylee, she’s talking with a new person. She chooses to intentionally pursue different people on the squad daily and is truly a friend to everyone. People feel so seen by her! I know because I do!

 

Katie Beth McIntire

• Thank you for your strength. 

Katie Beth is one of the strongest people I know. She has gone through so much, but still carries so much joy. She keeps her focus on the Lord, knowing that everything good comes from Him. She creates a safe place for people to share their stories and be heard. 

 

KJ Powell

• Thank you for speaking life into everyone you speak to.

So much of what I’ve learned on the Race has been from the words KJ has spoken over me personally or just to the squad in general. Everything she speaks is so focused and rooted in the Lord, and she makes me desire to know the Lord more. 

 

Morgan Lytle

• Thank you for your joy.

The joy that Morgan has is truly the joy of the Lord. Joy that according to the world, she should not have. Joy is so evidently only from the Lord. I am so thankful to know someone with joy like hers. It encouraged me so much and impacted me like no other. 

 

Maja Rodzevski

• Thank you for conversation. 

Maja’s the kinda girl that could have a conversation with anyone, and I admire it so much. She truly seeks after people and their hearts, and it shows through the way she pursues conversation with them. It is so encouraging to see and experience. 

 

Ella McMahon

• Thank you for teaching me about hugs.

If anyone gave me the most hugs on the Race, it had to be Ella. She truly just taught me to love more every single day through the hugs I would get from her. She loves so so so well, and I continually learn more about love through her. 

 

Mary Grace Allen

• Thank you for teaching me about the Lord. 

This seems broad, but I recently learned so much about the Lord through Mary Grace. The Lord all throughout the Race had been teaching us the same exact things, but separately. We sat down the other day and just talked about the Race and all we’ve learned, and now I have a friend that knows exactly what I feel when I talk about the things I’ve walked through, because she’s walked through them too. The Lord’s kindness is just so evident through Mary Grace.

 

Tanner Perry

• Thank you for teaching me about seasons.

Tanner and I were really close at the beginning of the Race, and I got the honor to be there for her during a really hard time for her. We started getting much closer in South Africa, and it was a huge blessing to have her be there for me during a really hard time. The Lord is so faithful to give us people in specific seasons exactly when we need them. I learned that through Tanner.

 

Zach Flowers

• Thank you for teaching me about intentionality.

Everything Zach does is intentional. Truly. Asking questions, giving things that remind him of people, and always encouraging with truth, Zach is so intentional. It’s an honor to know him.

 

Will Edmondson

• Thank you for teaching me how to listen. 

Will is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He wants to invite people in, he wants to know people’s hearts, and more than anything, he just wants to listen to people’s stories. He has taught me to sit down and make a space for people to sit too. To make a space to listen and to listen well. 

 

Josiah Reutener

• Thank you for loving people so well.

Josiah really knows how to love and love well. I’ve seen this through the way he loves me, but more specifically the way I’ve been able to watch the way he loves others. He just loves in a way that is so evidently directly from the Father’s heart, and it is such an encouragement to witness. 

 

Caleb Terry

• Thank you for your words.

Caleb’s words hold so much power. Learning from his blogs and the encouragement he shares so often at our Wednesday night worship has been such a glimpse into his heart for the Lord and to share it with this community. It has impacted me, and I know it has impacted the whole squad too.

 

Jack Boone Galloway

• Thank you for holding humility.

Jack Boone is one of the most humble people I know. He just knows that it’s all for and because of the Lord, and praises Him through his life. I open my eyes once in a while during worship just to look around the room and gain gratitude for the people I get to live alongside. I always see Jack Boone standing with His arms up in a posture of surrender. It is so encouraging to see, and he truly represents Jesus so well.

 

Luke Petersen 

• Thank you for leading in song.

I truly believe Luke praises the Lord in everything he does. Luke is always singing or humming a song, and it makes me realize every time the surrender and obedience Luke gives to the Lord daily. He leads so well by praising the Lord in everything.

 

Ben States

• Thank you for valuing the people around you.

Ben has always valued this community and the people the Lord has given him. Even when it got hard, He still chose to choose into this community and love them so well, knowing that this is exactly where the Lord placed him. 

 

Phil Forbes

• Thank you for the love you give away.

Phil loves so well, and I’ve seen it through the way he loves me and my friends. He truly just loves to connect with people the way they feel loved. Its been an honor to watch.

 

Clayton Camp

• Thank you for your obedience to the Lord by loving the people around you. 

Clayton has made such an impact on me. He was the one that shaved his head with me, and I just saw so much of the Lord in Him through that. He did not have to say yes to loving me by doing that, but through saying yes, I’ve had an encourager and friend through this whole experience that truly knows what its like. It is such a blessing and honor.

 

Anna Bearss

• Thank you for your friendship. 

I love being in a season where leaders aren’t just leaders; they’re friends too. I’ve seen that so much through Anna. She desires to know me as a friend, and through that, she leads me in a way that leads me back to the Lord. She loves so well, leads in conversation that is so rooted in truth. Its an honor to be her friend.

 

Hannah Kraus

• Thank you for your leadership.

Hannah is such a good leader. Like she was born to do it. And its all because of her strength and confidence she finds in the Lord. It has been such an amazing season being led by her.

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Goodness I love you guys. Each of you. 

Please know that you all have me in your corner. If you ever need a friend, please reach out. I cannot wait to stay in contact with you and see all that’s ahead for you. There is truly so much. This is just the beginning, and its been an honor to experience all with you guys. 

 

Until next time,

Love always,

Ava 🙂