Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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I got back from training camp 8 days ago.  It's taken 8 days to convince myself that I can attempt the inevitable "training camp blog."  Why is it so hard?  Well, when you experience a week of excitement, challenge, dashed expectations, "meal bipolar-ness", love and SO MUCH MORE, it's really difficult to put it down in writing.  I'll do my best.  May take a few blogs.
So, there are aspects of World Race training camp that I believe should stay a mystery to future Racers.  So for that reason, I'm going to balance between some fun revelations and just enough annoying secrecy.  If you have no plans of attending Training Camp in the future, feel free to message me for all the gorry details!  I'm a facts-based analyzer, so here's my week by the numbers:

57 N Squad-ers
1 big yellow school bus

                                    photo credit: Melissa Milroy

10 blue finger nails

                                     Photo Credit: Melissa Milroy

6 days of 7am "healthy living" exercise
378,983,562 daddy long-legs 
55º F average daytime temp/ 38ºF average nighttime temp

                        Let's play a game of "Where's Michael's super white teeth?"
                                         Photo Credit: Lauren Lebhart

240 bowls of un-eaten fish head soup

                                 Here it is.  In all it's disgusting glory.  
                                          Photo Credit: Lauren Lebhart

30 "missing" backpacks
2 rainy nights
Countless impromptu out-of-control dance parties

                                             Photo credit: Melissa Milroy

 
                 ONE moving Holy Spirt

                                            Photo credit: Melissa Milroy

I started training camp Saturday night with excitement and anxiousness and I finished training camp the following Saturday morning with 56 new family members and unbridled motivation for 2013.  It wasn't an easy week, as most everything we did was a challege of some sort.  Have you ever tried to sleep on a school bus with 62 people and about 120 big and small backpacks?  Just don't.  We found out that it didn't really matter how much of an REI frequenter you were, we could all come together and survive a night in a swamp together (with a delish dinner, by the way!).  I've listened to my new "N Suad: YOU KNOW" playlist over and over again this week, consisting of the essential dance jams.  Seriously, I can't count how many times I did The Wobble during training camp.  Not sure what I'm talking about?  I'll share a training camp video for your viewing pleasure.  The best part for me, was that within minutes I felt like I was surrounded by the coolest group of people ever and I got to spend 11 months with them.  Knowing without a shadow of a doubt that you are exactly where your God wants you is possibly the best feeling in the world.   

So I want to introduce you to my incredible team of 8, Team Doulos.  Doulos is Greek for "bond servant" or 

    1. "one who gives himself up to another's will, whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men; devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; a servant; attendant" (ref: Strong's).   Our focus in 2013 as a team is to live to extend the arms of Christ, not for ourselves, but for His ultimate Glory!  I'm honored to serve and live among them for 11 months!  
  2. (left to right) Back row: Jesse Stanford, Julie Dickey, Kyle Stinnett and Eric Nordhues
                        Front row: Meredith Hastings, Molly Williams, Me and Brianna Robinson

       I cannot express to you how in love I am with these people, not just these seven, but all 56 N squad members.    They taught me new things daily, and continue to do the same while we're scattered about.  I've thought about them many times a day for the past week and can't wait to see them again in 9 short weeks!   Please be in prayer for N Squad!