your princess is in another castle,

in super mario you go through different worlds

and beat different castles

and at the end of each one

just when you think you’ve made it

(we were so close to making it)

it says:

sorry, your princess is in another castle.

we are undergoing another team change and it is … heart wrenching. God put something on my heart in serbia about this particular team that i can’t let go of – and i think we have something incredibly special and each one of them has pressed a line in my palm to hold onto moving forward.

so let you tell me about these girls

who have captured my heart.

GROOVY CREW: T H E B L A C K S H E E P

 cristina.

mom, strong pillar

peaceful. loving. assured. [re]joices.

 isn’t afraid to sing and dance out loud with Jesus

(even it she’s a little off tune) –

knows God’s love so intimately and confidently

that it radiates from her and she’s always willing to share it,

that &–> whatever she has.

 “blessed and highly favored” and God absolutely hears her prayers

 works a lot behind the scenes, but the show would never go on without her

don’t talk to her until she’s had at least one cup of coffee

can’t remember to take her hair out of the drain

so please just take it out for her –

needs: anything that’s “delicious”

she just KNOWS things, okay?

the girl doesn’t know how to whisper, laughs loud, and always

talks during movies … but …

she’s had her voice t r a p p e d for years and she’s learning

to speak again so please encourage her to speak up, speak out

and speak L O U D because she has so much to share, so much to give,

and everything she has to say is g o l d

don’t let anyone silence her.

favorite memory:  giggling like 13 year old girls over our struggles and

that time i was nervous and spilled my cereal

and it was when she just woke up BEFORE HER COFFEE

and she SPOKE TO ME& said it would be okay, we can sweep it up.

also when she sat with me while i shaved my legs in the sink

“… is it delicious?”

word: b o u n d l e s s 

wendy.

our fearless leader, a t i g e r

relentless. kindful (kind+thoughtful). steadfast. brave.

if she hits you, don’t be alarmed, it means she loves you.

she may also aggressively pat your arm (&/or say something sarcastic).

doesn’t like to share her alcohol… but she will.

if you ask her if she wants something or has something to say she will probably say no when she

means yes so make sure to ask her twice, maybe three times.

 can look at a list of symptoms and quickly diagnose you – 

says it straight, direct: it can be a bitter

pill to swallow but she loves you too much not to treat you.

will rejoice with you and cry with you.

excellent listener, asks deep & insightful questions

stands her ground and advocates strongly for those she loves

needs k drama time and also korean food +soju

 always serving – quietly & humbly, please notice all the

little things she does for everyone all the time

the hardest worker i know and does the things no one else wants to

sometimes she isolates herself and needs reminding that she does play well

with others – make sure to invite her in – sometimes that means throwing

something at her like a chapstick to get her attention or just asking

how her day was, how she’s doing.

remind her that she is good enough, she is more than good enough,

remind her she is seen & important

and that she has what she needs to pursue the dreams God’s given her –

favorite memory: drinking soju on our patio in thailand, eating an entire giant bingsu together, every

time she tackle hugs me, & when she didn’t bat an eye when i came to her sobbing and heartbroken,

she walked arm & arm with me around town and found us dandelions to wish on –

“AAAAH!” [if you’ve heard this scream you know it] & “heck to the no!”

word: r e l e a s e

carolyn.

moral compass, paint splatter.

noble. brilliant. unique. wild.

always looking for the perfect picture and will take about 200

to make sure she gets it – you have to wait for her though, or she can’t

catch up (her legs are short).

she’ll never miss a diamond in the rough

the most creative person i’ve ever met in every capacity: it’s mayhem,

but in the best sort of way.

sees the things no one sees, the things no one notices, the little things, they just

“catch the corner of her eye”-  cares about the details and pieces things

together in a way you’ve never seen before.

will drag you out of bed when you’re ready to lay down and die and show

you parts of the world & yourself you’ve forgotten, even if it takes until 3 am.

knows the bible inside & out, it’s in her fingerprints

scrapbook s o u l

needs pickles, glitter, and all the small things

stream of conscience writing pours out of her, one of a kind, and maybe

a little dark & twisty sometimes

please just let her be who she is (absolutely c r a z y): don’t try and box her in because

she is meant to be all over the place; her 500% is needed for those who have nothing left.

if you’re upset with her, don’t ignore her, she needs you to tell it to her up front, how it is.

senses changes in the atmosphere on her skin

needs to have at least 10 pounds of stuff with her at all times (you’ll have to pry her passport

from her cold, dead hands).

favorite memory: sitting on a bridge in thailand drinking chocolate milk and aloe water, and talking about golden

snails in linen closets and eating a tub of mint ice cream with PB and jam lids outside a grocery store.

“what the hell!” & “are you feeling some sort of way?”

word: s u r p a s s

jenny.

the shaker, h o n e y

enthusiastic. passionate. caretaker. gregarious.

 wants to include everyone, and seeks people out

even when they aren’t seeking her in return.

eager to volunteer in ministry and to help out in anything

loves, loves, loves team time and being with people and group activities and

encourages us to cherish the time we have together

this girl can COOK – heavy whipping cream and all – when she owns

a restaurant someday i’ll be there every night.

notices people and how they’re doing and always checks in with you.

the ultimate disney fangirl,

in fact, i think she is actually a disney princess

(please sing disney songs with her sometimes).

the girl has a lot of allergies so make sure she has benadryl with her at always!

open with her emotions and reminds me that our God is an emotional God and it is

okay to embrace our emotions and feel things strongly.

needs all things cow themed and movie nights and lots of hugs

remind her that she’s important and worth taking care of herself, which sometimes

means not staying up until 5 am and sometimes means saying the feedback

she has for people, because it’s always worth being heard.

favorite memory: spontaneously dancing in the streets while doing weed work

(i really needed that, thanks girl). and when we sang disney songs together while she

cooked for her team time and on the river bank.

“RUDE.”

word: i n t i m a c y

tori.

comic relief, breath of fresh air.

romantic. brilliant. hysterical. sentimental.

wears her [pure] heart on her sleeve, o p e n wide

(it’s softer than a baby bird)

feels strongly & cares deeply about everything and everyone

sees the beauty in everything and refuses to be a cynic in this jaded world

often found staring out into the wilderness, contemplating.

she snorts when she laughs (ever since watching miss congeniality )

meant for adventure and the great o u t d o o r s + long walks on the beach

if the sun is out, she’s out

needs carrots & a bottle of wine & louis c.k.

hasn’t washed her sweaters since bolivia, it’s fine (…is it?)

incredibly generous, buys kids on the street ice cream, gives to the homeless man begging,

buys food just to give to stray dogs

(would give me the shirt off her back… if its not her favorite one :P)

hug her, hug her, hug her, even though she’ll shove you off

there is a method to her madness so don’t judge this book by her cover because she

doesn’t beat around the bush and she is the best thing since sliced bread

(did i tell you she bought a book about idioms?)

she needs alone time but don’t let her isolate herself, sometimes you may have to

literally kick her out of her tent (with your foot, like, kick her)

she’s learning to hear God’s voice

remind her that He IS talking to her and she sees God in the world in a way few people do

(i’ve seen you grow so much these 8 months, it’s been a privilege-

favorite memory: hanging out in the thermal baths in budapest just talking about life in her happy place.

tori’s favorite memories: when she was upset and maybe (maybe not) crying and i climbed

into the bunk bed and hugged her & going to red bar, befriending the waiter, she

ordered a very interesting drink and the i ordered a tea but the waiter said: you can’t order

that, it’s friday night & when she told us about rhino mating scenarios and

how the female rhino fake falls asleep when she is not interested

in sexual relations.

“…is it going to explode?” [after you say that’s bomb] / “i’m an individual”

word: u n f e t t e r e d

i’ll miss you so terribly, but

God has big plans for you girls & i can’t wait to hear all about it –

<3