…the "continued"…
Obviously for me, training camp was definitely more spiritual training, but there was other training that was done!
Every morning we had to be up and FULLY packed (tent/sleeping arrangements and all!) by 7AM! If you know me, you know I am not a morning person. We had exercise from 7-730, personal time from 730-8 and breakfast at 8. Now, not being a morning person, I actually enjoyed the exercise and personal time…I enjoyed it until about 4PM when all I wanted was a nap. They also wanted us to realize there would not be caffeine. Yup, headaches!

Each day was a different country/continent's food. It was great! Everyone had these expectations of horrible food (as some had read previous racer's accounts of "fish eye soup" at TC) but in all it was quite tasty. With the different foods we also had to adhere to the cultures way of eating; eg: no shoes, seated on the floor, women serving men at tables-then sitting on the floor with what was left (some of our guys got real ticked off that it was so sexist; we told them to sit down and enjoy being served for once, and to ignore that it was only by the women).

Each night was a different living situation as well. Everything from sleeping in our own personal tents to sleeping 10+ to a family tent
to everyone sleeping on one cramped bus (which our team lucked out on and didn't have to do…don't hate!).
One evening we all hiked into the woods to set up camp and cook over a fire. What should have been a three hour tour….oh wait, I'm getting my stories mixed up…what should have been a 20 minute hike turned into a 2 hour getting lost hike.
It was great! Hot, but great (but then again, I love hiking)! With not a single complaint we arrived at our destination where we did end up being right on the lake.


The "kitchen" crew started on dinner (as it was now after 8PM) and we all pitched in to setting up camp.(as it was now after 8PM) and we all pitched in to setting up camp. Many of us went swimming/bathing in the lake where one of our girls mentioned being baptized!
It happened the next morning! God has great timing!
We had nights of no allowance to the bathroom, "squaty-potty" it is!

Everything was up-hill.
Even if you went downhill, you still had to go up-hill!
One night we had to buy our food in the "market" in "South Africa" That was an experience! We had to bargain for our food, fight off pick-pocketers, deal with people wanting money, a van driving through the middle of the "road" and had the most legit homeless actor I've ever smelled! We also had to exchange our money for the correct currency.

As the week neared the end, and many team building exercises later, we learned who our team mates would be (we are on a squad of 47, and teams of 6-8). I learned my team would be made up of some of the most encouraging, most awesome people! I am so blessed to have the opportunity to spend 11 months serving with team HOLLA-lujah!!

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