Teammate Spotlight: Ellie R. Lehto

- Role: Hostess, AME (Skit) Leader

-Resides In: Savannah, GA

- Birthday: April 10th

- Before NET: Graduated high school, learned about NET from an alum, did not realize NET did retreats until she arrived to music training.

- First Encounter: Heard her sing on arrival day, but did not have conversation with her until the bed bugs situation at Wapo.

- Initial Thoughts: Wow, her voice... umm, okay, hopefully I can hang out with her. No way we're teammates though.

(Left) Out in the cornfields again, taking cool photos with the corn such as that one. Gang Gang. (Right) Basilica of Holy Hill, February. We had an iconic handshake that ended with us pointing at eachother, and had it captured in this photo. We also say "YOUUUUU", like it is said in Soulja Boy's song "Crank That", while pointing at eachother. I'm telling you, the handshake was iconic.

- Favorite Memory: God's Chisel! For context, Ellie and I are in a drama where I portray God and she portrays a girl who is broken but chooses not to show her faults. In the drama, I use a chisel and hammer to chisel out "all the things in her life that aren't of her", but she tries to resist. Eventually, after a lengthy conversation between the two, she understands what is good, and that she is God's beloved masterpiece. This drama hits hard, and it was the first drama approved to be presented on retreats. The last time we performed it, we got an amazing reaction from the group, and it was moving.

- What I Will Miss: I'm gonna miss planning parties with her. Ellie and I, as host and hostess, plan team days celebrating people's birthdays. Some took weeks to plan, while others we only had a few hours to figure out. All of them worked out accordingly, and they were all so much fun! Through planning, we created a chemistry that worked and flowed so well, and it's sad we could not plan half of our teammates parties, though, which is why I will miss it.

-What the World Should Know About Ellie: She is talented beyond belief. She has aspirations to change the world, and the work ethic and creativity to do so. Hence, if she becomes a superstar, pioneer, or both, don't say I didn't warn you. She is also an amazing storyteller, mainly because her stories are ridiculous! From stepping on an alligator, to getting complimented by Hugh Jackman on Facetime, she has a story for just about any situation, and they are endless. It's definitely entertaining to hear, and they keep dull van rides intriguing.

Dear Ellie,

You are incredible, and I will not say it enough. Thank you for being such an amazing sister to me, and a vital part of the team. Thank you for sharing your time, talents, and treasures with us so boldly, and being so strong throughout this year. I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for you. Love you.