The Team

This blog post has been dedicated to the students that compose the team I will be serving with in Moscow. The following will be mentioned in detail: Rachel Belth, Abby Coppedge, Brian Gifford, Steven Hudec, Mark Osborn, Kaleb Parks, Laura Peden, Stephen Pittman, David Powell, Laura Sanderson, McCall Sanderson, and Lauren Young. From Henceforth, we shall be called the Baker's dozen (because there are 13 of us for those that may not be savvy enough to understand).

1. Rachel Belth aka Ms. Ohio - Words cannot describe how awesome Rachel is. From the 3 second introduction via skype, I knew she was going to be one of the most awesome peeps on project. I mean, all the people I have met from Ohio have been cool (the only one being my Father). What she brings to the table: a knowledge of the Ohio River Valley, grand skyping abilities, more to come.. Lookin forward to meetin ya in person Rachel!

2. Abby Coppedge aka Apple Sauce aka Abble Cobbler - Here we go..Abby, one of 5 billion siblings. Of all of our team, Abby is the only one that has made it to the motherland and back and now wants to make the journey once again... God bless her.

3. Brian Gifford aka the cool kid from Harvard - <--- Brian has literally grabbed the bull by the horns. This guy is the only one on our team that has been taking Russian in school. Therefore, he is quite the hot commodity. Looking forward to meeting ya fo realz B-Giff!

4. Steven Hudec aka Conan O'Brian aka Obi-Wan Kenobi aka the Idahoan - True, he is from Idaho, but don't hold that against him. It could be worse, he could be from Oklahoma...I kid I kid. As can be seen, Steven is easily frightened..let's hope that doesn't come back to HAUNT him in Moscow..get it? ha just a little humor for you there. Also, we are beard rivals. Bring it on Hu-daddy.

5. Mark Osborn aka Marky Mark aka World Traveler - Mark has literally been everywhere, man. I've seen his passport. There's more ink on that thing than on Lebron James' body. His knowledge of many foreign cultures coupled with the knowledge gained from his brother going to Moscow last year makes Marky Mark a vital component for our team.

6. Kaleb Parks aka K-mart - As the saying goes, "There's smart, and then there's K-mart smart." Kaleb's outgoing personality will be able to pierce even the most hardened Russian. He also claims to be a good tennis player. That is to be determined :)

 

7. Laura Peden aka Pita Bread? - I've gotta stop blogging when I'm hungry..there will probably be a better nickname down the road, but for now I'm sticking with that. Laura's ability to be super nice will be a great asset to our team this summer.

8. Stephen Pittman aka Pittman - Baller is spelled P-I-T-T-M-A-N. This guy is awesome. That's what he brings to the table, awesomeness. We're gonna rock some Russians' worlds this summer (in a good way).

9. David Lee Powell aka DLP aka The Navigator - If it weren't for DLP and my Iphone, we might not have made it to Norman for our Summer Project retreat. Thankfully, they saved the day. Let's hope his navigation skills will hold up on the streets of Moscow. Better study up on your Russian DLP.

10. Laura Sanderson aka Sandy Pitts aka Pitters - The master of pointing out random things. This could come in real handy whilst in Moscow. Her impeccable taste in music will also be of use for those 14 hour plane rides and hour long metro journeys. Bring your A game to Moscow Pitts. We're counting on you.

11. McCall Sanderson aka Pepper aka Not a Star Wars Fan - McCall, I promise you that by the end of our project, I will make you a fan of Star Wars. Even if that means I have to act out all six of them in sequential order (don't think I won't). Aside from that, McCall has an uncanny ability to small talk with anyone. This will be an incredible tool for talking to the Russians.

12. Lauren Young aka The Law Abiding Citizen aka Home school Queen - Ah yes, don't let the fact that she was homeschooled fool you. That just means that her brain was way too big for normal school. Lauren Young does not get tricked easily except for when I convinced her that I only had 9 and 1/2 toes or when Misty convinced her that her crackhead parents named her Mistiqua. Other than that, nothing gets by her. Super amped to serve with you Lauren!

13. And then there's me aka B-Da - I'm the 4th bearded wonder of the world. I have the ability to create awkward conversations in several languages (English, Spanish, Russian, Thai). That's what I bring to the table. Get ready Moscow, here we come. 







And let's not forget our fearless leaders! Zach and Jamie Stevens!

Well there ya have it. The 2011 Moscow Summer Project Team. Now you can put faces to the people you will be continually praying for this summer. Until we meet again. God Bless!