11. Discovering that my tent really is waterproof: It monsooned for half of training camp. I have never experienced so much rain outside of a hurricane. It was wonderful to be able to go to sleep with the peace mind that came from knowing I would not drown in the middle of the night.
10. Accepting the mud: Thanks to the aforementioned monsoon, all that red Georgia clay turned into red Georgia mud. At some point, I gave up on my grand delusions of being clean and embraced the fact that my belongings and my body would be tinted red for the week. Bonus surprise: all the mica in the soil made everything glitter once the mud dried.
9. Having earplugs and an eye mask: These are hands-down two of the best items I packed. They are small, lightweight, and so helpful for things like sleeping in a noisy Korean airport.
8. Dancing: Pretty much any spare moment at camp was a dance party. Life needs more dance parties.
7. Gaining new insight on hospitality: Due to an unfortunate situation with an African airline, my luggage was lost for a day. That meant I was without important things like my tent and sleeping bag. My squadmate Cassady was kind enough to invite me into her tent for the night. She was so gracious and so pleased to be hosting me, despite the fact that she had next to nothing. Hospitality isn’t about giving someone a five-star hotel experience; it’s about giving what you have. Cassady offered me what she had, and I felt so well cared for.
6. Losing eight pounds due to the perfect storm of physical activity, third world-style nutrition, and unhappy intestines: It was amazing to watch everyone adapt to our new eating habits by the end of the week. A lot of us gained some insight on the way we eat (e.g. I can be prone to eating when I’m bored as opposed to hungry) and learned that you need a lot less than you think. Don’t worry, I’m gaining the weight back.
5. Being off the grid: No, they didn’t confiscate our cell phones, but they did encourage us to use some self-control. I decided that for me, that meant not using my phone for anything other than checking the time at night. Not dealing with texts or emails meant that I could stay fully present in each moment, and airplane mode does wonders for your battery life.
4. Nerding out about Jesus: The first half of training camp was PACKED with teaching. I love learning in general, so you can imagine how delighted I was to have hours of sessions devoted to the things I’m passionate about – things like hearing God’s voice, understanding your identity, and experiencing healing and freedom. Speaking of which…
3. Healing: Emotional, physical, spiritual – every part of you is important to God, and he loves to heal, whether it’s a bodily injury or a deep emotional wound you’ve carried for years. Seeing physical healing happen at camp was awesome, but that paled in comparison to seeing God lift heavy, hurtful burdens that people had carried for years.
2. Finding out our launch date: We launch on January 7, 2015. This trip is really happening, you guys.
1. Getting a new family: Meeting the men and women of P Squad face to face was awesome. We may be divided by things like our opinions on biscuits and gravy or the pronunciation of “hammock,” but we’re united by a passion for Jesus and a heart for serving others. I cannot wait to spend next year with these people, and I miss them already!
