Teammate Spotlight: Jakob R. Kachirisky-Reyes

- Role: Music Leader

- Resides In: Glendora, CA

- Birthday: January 29th

- Before NET: Graduated high school on the same day I did, May 31st, 2019. Worked at a police car auto parts shop.

- First Encounter: Playing guitar while Ellie sings, then dorming in the same room as him, then being in the same Wapo small group as him and dorming with him for two straight weeks. We were always around eachother the first two weeks of training, making team announcement night more special since we would continue to dorm with eachother the rest of the year.

- Initial Thoughts: The most talented guitarist I've ever seen, so incredibly good! Have a feeling he's a soft guy inside a big body.

(Left) Before handing my phone to me, Jakob "slyly" takes a selfie on my phone. But honestly I love this photo because of his smile. It's one of the best, most genuine smiles in the world, and it describes his demeanor pretty well too. Always genuine, always putting on a good face, never having a bad day. (Right) At a host home in December, Jakob is entertained by an dancing animatronic Santa Claus. Jakob was notorious for being fascinated with the most basic things, from touch faucets to laundry chutes, his reactions to "new" things were the best.

- Favorite Memory: No question, anytime he was in the snow. Of course, being from Southern California, he's never seen real snow before. So on the glorious morning of December 1st, in Greenville, MI, he saw his first snowfall. As we were leaving the house, I was able to catch his live reaction of real snow, and it's the best thing ever. Along with that, I have many videos of him playing in snow, jumping into snow, walking around in snow in shorts, etc., especially ministering in the Midwest in January/February. Every video is like watching a little kid playing in snow every time. Legit the best thing ever, impossible for you not to smile.

- What I Will Miss: I'm gonna miss the Jakob-Mia connection. Who is Mia you may ask? It's his guitar. They were together all the time, basically inseparable, and the music Jakob made was amazing. He seemed to always be playing her during retreats, at host homes, and everywhere in between. There seemed to never be a quiet moment because of it, but that was alright. Listening to him play a praise song, finger pick different melodies and tunes, or hearing him try and create his own melody was all I needed, all we needed. He is also very smart musically, as he has been playing music since 4th grade (guitar since a couple years ago), so he taught us all alot about beats and melodies and music theory.

- What the World Should Know About Jakob: One of the coolest, most inspiring guys you will ever meet. He has the biggest heart, and he isn't afraid to share it through his story, passions, and talents. I had the blessing of being with him 6 hours a day every day of NET, from Day 1-199, and I can confidently say he will blow your mind with everything he does. He blew mine every single day, and I am grateful for it.

Dear Jakob,

Man, how far we've come. We built so much chemistry, everything we did together was so natural and fun because we did it so much. Thank you for being an incredible brother to me, for teaching me and challenging me to be the best I can be, and for loving every one of us every single day. I am beyond excited to see your journey going forth. Keep sharing your incredible life with the world, because it deserves to hear it. Love you.