Training Camp – 8 days that seemed like 8 months with friendships that seem like they’ve been going strong for 8 years.
Oh, what a difference 8 days can make…
First stop, Race Route Changes!
The first day at camp we took some time to get to know eachother and go over expectations of our trip. Not long after, we learned that our race route was going to change due to safety issues and budget concerns. We are now beginning our race in Romania and Ukraine, and then we’ll be heading to Ireland in August for the Awakening (where all the squads on the field meet up for a week). At this point, we will NOT be going to Israel and Egypt anymore; instead we are traveling to Central America the last few months of the race. This is our new tentative route: Romania/Ukraine, Ireland, Kenya, Uganda, Ask the Lord Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Ask the Lord Central America. While I was disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to go to Israel and Egypt, I know that God’s got a plan, so I’m going to keep on rolling with it! J
BUGS!
I did manage to get a spider bite on a little adventure hike a few of us went on while exploring the island. I’m not gonna lie, it freaked me out for a bit considering we saw a very chunky spider that was about half the size of my fist walking around right before I got bit and who knows what’s poisonous in that neck of the woods?! My spider bite has now turned into a bruise..but dont worry, i can still see the fang marks. Scars help to keep the memories alive ¢¾
Compared to all the countries we’re going to go to, I’m sure Atlanta was nothing! However, would you want to wake up to this hangin out on your tent?
Ugali, Watery Anchovy Soup and Banana Boats!
Each day of camp, we had a different theme for our meals which included European, Asian, African, Budget Day and Welcome Home Day. European day was overall pretty tasty…oh, how I love potatoes! Asian day was…interesting. We woke up to find a nice hot bowl of watery anchovy soup for breakfast…while it was disgusting, I did manage to guzzle it down in a race. For African day, we had Ugali with each meal which wasn’t too shabby at all…turns out it tastes like Cream of Wheat! Yum! On our adventure on the island we made banana boats (banana’s sliced down the middle, filled with chocolate chips and topped with marshmallows roasted over the fire)..deeeelicious!
My family, aka Team GLOW!
After quite a few team building activities and lots of prayer, our teams were chosen! We have six people on our team, including myself. Although our squad will be traveling together from country to country (in most cases), these five people will essentially be my family for the next 11 months. Together we are Team GLOW which stands for God’s Light Over the World. Daniel Montenegro is our team leader, and then we have Nathan Boaldin, Ashley Van Houttum, Anmari Rivera Molina, Brittany Jackson and
myself. They are all amazing people, and I am so glad I get to serve along side of them for the next year! J
myself. They are all amazing people, and I am so glad I get to serve along side of them for the next year! J
I was chosen to be in charge of finances for our team, so please keep me in your prayers for that! 🙂 We are given a certain amount of money each month for lodging, food, other misc expenses. I will be in charge of tracking it, reporting it, balancing it and making sure we’re not over/under spending with what we have to work with. I’m excited to take on this new role, and I’m hooping that it will motivate me to start balancing my own checkbook once I get home haha 🙂
ATL in ATL
One of my favorite days at camp was our Ask the Lord Day. Our team prayed for God to guide us where we should go for our day of ministry and we ended up in Downtown Atlanta, GA! While downtown, we were able to pray and provide food for quite a few homeless people which was absolutely amazing. We met so many wonderful people that were so open and willing to tell us their story. Most of the men and women we spoke with had asked us to pray for them regarding specific issues they were currently facing which we were more than glad to do. I even got the opportunity to give my TR water bottle to a woman, Judy J, that needed it much more than I did. So amazing. I had never done anything like this before, and to just go out and be there for complete strangers was an experience I will never forget. It was also really encouraging since this will be a HUGE part of what we’ll be doing over the next year. Wahoo!
One of my favorite days at camp was our Ask the Lord Day. Our team prayed for God to guide us where we should go for our day of ministry and we ended up in Downtown Atlanta, GA! While downtown, we were able to pray and provide food for quite a few homeless people which was absolutely amazing. We met so many wonderful people that were so open and willing to tell us their story. Most of the men and women we spoke with had asked us to pray for them regarding specific issues they were currently facing which we were more than glad to do. I even got the opportunity to give my TR water bottle to a woman, Judy J, that needed it much more than I did. So amazing. I had never done anything like this before, and to just go out and be there for complete strangers was an experience I will never forget. It was also really encouraging since this will be a HUGE part of what we’ll be doing over the next year. Wahoo!
Overall, training camp was so much more than just training.
To think I met the group of 52 that I’ll be living with for the next year only about a week ago is unbelievable…it honestly seems like I’ve known them my whole life. Basically, we were laughing maniacs the ENTIRE time. I love my O Squad! I cannot wait to continue on this journey with 52 completely amazing teammates and my incredible family and friends back home.
