My squad and next season (this is a long one)

Hello everyone I hope you are doing well. This week has been my first week at home after the race, and I have had time to reflect on my time with my squad, and prepare for the next season. This fall I will be attending CGA, which stands for center for global action. It will run from August 6 until December 19 and it is basically a missionary school, that I will have to fundraiser for. During that time I will have to get a job and move to Gainesville GA for this program. As I was spending time this morning thinking about what will happen in this season, I thought of how I’m actually very excited to meet all of the people I will meet in this season. Then it hit me i never shared or bragged on my squad from this season and that’s when the idea of this blog came to me. So with this blog I will brag on the amazing people I had the honor to live in community with this season. So I’ll go through my squad and brag on each one of them. 

• Philip Wilson- Philip was my squad leader. He is one of the wisest men I have ever met in my life. Not only is he wise, but he is incredibly humble. He was the man who spend most of the time I was in the hospital with me, and I can’t thank him enough for that.
• Brook Landt- Brook was my other squad leader. She was a very kind, and gentle spirit. But above all she was very joyful in all things, and she sees the world through a child-like (not childish there is a difference) disposition and she always finds the fun in everything she does.
• Josten Stanley- Josten was a man of commitment and focus. When he sets his mind to something he will finish it. He time and again displayed great courage and faith, even in moments when anyone else would’ve found it nearly, if not completely, impossible. He is also a man who is committed to those around him, and he was probably the first person on the squad I had a meaningful conversation with and over the race we became quite close.
• Elijah McGrail- Elijah is a man who is beyond the description of words because there are so many to describe him. This man lives scripture and lives to be like Christ. Even if you could describe him, he’d still ask the lord what he says, and that’s all he cares about is what the lord has to say.
• Jason Esh- Jason is a man of duty and responsibility. This guy is one of the hardest working men I have ever seen in my life, and his problem solving skills are without equal. Jason is a man who seeks the lord and only the lord.
• Nick Lam- Nick Lam… this man is something else, but in the best way possible. I said this for Elijah, and now I mean it in a different way, there are no words in any human language to describe this guy. This man lives to be like Christ more than any other person I’ve ever met in my life. This is a man who has never let fear guide his steps in his life. I guarantee you have never met a person like Nick. 
• Cole Peterson- Cole is a man of emotion and feeling. He is a man who is not ashamed to cry and that is probably what I admire most about him. His laughter is probably the greatest thing about him, because it is so extremely contagious you can’t help but at least crack a smile when he does laugh.
• Noah “Reed“ Barret- Reed is a man of intellect, and was referred to as the “squad theologian.” He is a man who desired to understand the father in deeper ways each day, however in the end even if he is unable to understand, it never dissuades him from seeking the father first. Also a man of extreme musical talent.
•  Lydia Allen- Lydia is a woman who knows how to bring people together and love everyone. She is just a fun person to be around over all, and her joy is the most contagious thing ever because it will always lift you out of whatever sadness you are in.
• Marissa Newell- Marissa is a woman who you love and fear at the same time. Like, she scary. But one thing is sure she is a bad ass and she knows it, and she doesn’t need anyone to agree with her on it. She is also at the same time one of the sweetest and gentlest souls I’ve ever met. 
• Shanan Zavocki- Shanan is a woman who brings her own type of style to the world. Not only that but she also sees the world through a different lens. She is an extremely perceptive person who sees people for who they are and who God sees them as and she accepts nothing else. 
• Emma Neal- Emma was probably the quietest and simultaneously one of the loudest people on the squad. She rarely spoke but when she did the room moved. She is also an extremely determined and motivated individual. When she picks up something new like football or chess she will not stop practicing until she can do it to the best of her ability.
• Erika Lorenz- Erika is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met in my life, and she communicates it in a very Christ like manner. She speaks truth and love in all she says. She will say things as they are but never in a condescending way, and always has this look on her face like she’s picking you apart and like she knows you before you speak.
• Hannah Hutchinson- Hannah was a woman who knows not her way other than love and kindness. She makes it difficult not to like her as a person, like genuinely hard. Her kindness comes from the fact that she knows who she is and who made her.
• Kayla Jones- Kayla is hands down the loudest person on the squad. She is a woman who will never hesitate to speak what’s on her mind and she always seeks to use this to spread the gospel. Honestly not much else can be said that will do a justice to just how fun of a person she is.
• Kayci Standard- Kayci is a natural leader in the way she seeks to serve those around her. She constantly sees the lords light in all situations and she walks in an unshakable confidence in who her father is and who she has been made to be.
• Abby Driskill- Abby is a woman of self discipline. If it means getting closer to Christ she will stop at nothing to do it. Not only that she is a woman who always cares for those around her and if you are having a bad day she will seek ways to make it better.
• Claire Dueck- Claire is a woman of righteousness and justice. She constantly seeks to do what is right and do what is asked of her whether she likes it or not. she desires to live like Christ and do what is good by people, whether they return the favor or not.
• Gabby Tezaguic- Gabby is a woman whose heart loves the last the lost and the least, and it loves them first last and always. She shows such an impartial love for everyone and everything. She always wants people around her to know the love of Christ and she does this very well.
• Emily McCann- Emily is a woman who sees the world as it is. Her ability to solve problems never ceased to amaze. She also constantly worked to get better at things and she was always willing to learn new things. And she uses these gifts to help those around her as well.
• Kourtney Vitera- Kourtney is a woman of a child like joy and awe of the world. She is also a very loud person. She is constantly laughing, constantly joyful, and always seeking to share it with others. Her joy comes through most in worship which she is great at leading.
• Graceyn Halabicky- Graceyn is a woman who cares for all. she always exemplifies compassion and grace (no pun intended). She always sought ways to bring the squad together and come together. She is also great at leading worship because knows worship is a lifestyle and lives it.
• Quincy Ingersoll- Quincy is a woman who strives for excellence in all she does. She does everything in her power to do things to the best of her ability. She walks in confidence in the lord and she knows who she is. She is also a kind and caring person and seeks to care for those around her.
• Kate Goeler- Kate is one of the most awesome people I’ve ever met in my life. She walks in great humility and grace, but also with confidence and faith, and she always finds ways to promote and uplift these things in others. Kate is a woman who has zero doubt whatsoever of who she is, who she was made to be, and who her father is. She is one of the greatest mentors I’ve ever had and she was a catalyst for so much of the growth I experienced in this season.

So I know this blog was pretty long and if you made it to this point, kudos to you. I mostly wrote this blog for my squad to let them know how much I love them. I will miss them dearly in this next season (even though a lot of them will be in Georgia with me).