“World Race Training Camp changed my life forever.”
That’s a phrase that I’m sure, if you are wanting to be a World Racer, you’ve heard many times. I know before I went to mine, I heard that phrase so many times from a lot of different people.
And I’m back to confirm that it is true….training camp is LIFE CHANGING.
On the way back home yesterday, I kept thinking on how I could even begin writing a blog to appropriately unload on a blog what training camp was like. So much happened, I didn’t even know where to start. Then, I believe God gave me the idea to unpack the past 10 days alphabetically…so…here we go!
Adventures In Missions Staff
All of them are amazing and have the heart of Jesus. You will truly be blessed by every single person at AIM during your stay at training camp and beyond. They care for every person and are interested in hearing about your story, your heart, and preparing you for the race.
To my squad mentors, coaches, mentors and mobilizer: Thank you so much for everything.
Airport Simulation
There was a night where we had to “sleep in the airport.” I won’t go into much details about the actual simulation (for you future world racers!) but it was a very awesome night for me.
This will make sense later on, but I talked with my friend squad mate Jami, and opened up to her about my past being bullied and how I didn’t talk to her a lot in the beginning of the week and several others because they reminded me of the people that used to bully me. She listened to me, was so understanding, and then afterwards we had an awesome conversation. God brought healing that night!
Afterwards, I stayed up until around 1:00 am with my squadmate, Lacey, about our passion for God. We found out we are very like minded. That conversation brought a lot of life into my spirit because she is an answer to prayer! So thankful she is on my squad!
Bucket Showers
They are cold at first…but my goodness, they are so refreshing. Embrace the bucket showers!
Bullies
So, when I was in Elementary and Middle School I was bullied badly. However, prior to training camp, I believed that I was totally healed from the trauma of it for a while now.
Then a dream I had almost a year ago began making sense to me that commissioned me to on The World Race.
I won’t go into details of the dream, but I was in an airport getting ready to leave the country, and near the end of the dream, the flight attendant who represented the Holy Spirit, came up to me and asked me to answer questions before I could leave. These were the questions:
Q: Who hurt you the most?
A: My bullies.
Q: What would you say to them?
A: I would say that they hurt me, but I forgive them.
I handed the sheet back to the flight attendant, she looked at it and smiled, and told me I could go.
Fast forward to training camp….the first 3-4 days there were many instances I felt paralyzed with fear around certain people and it made me very socially awkward. I couldn’t be myself and it was killing me because I knew that it was the devil making me afraid. Then, it just hit me one day, that I had fear because they reminded me of the bullies who hurt me when I was younger. I still had not completely healed from going through that!!! Once the Holy Spirit revealed that to me, fear began losing it’s grip and I started to be more like myself.
To everyone reading this from T-Squad: I’m sorry if it seemed if I was awkward around you! I love you guys!
Coffee
Tip for future world racers: bring instant coffee or coffee droplets. You’re welcome. 🙂
Comparison
Comparison is a horrible, ugly thing that destroys community. Everyone, especially the ladies dealt with it during training camp, and the AIM staff knew this would happen, so they addressed it and I believe for the most part, squashed it! I am me for a reason, and you are you for a reason. so embrace who God destined you to be and celebrate how God made the people in your life!
Here is a quote from a session on Comparison during the Women’s Retreat by Vanessa:
“Comparison kills creativity, unity, craps on the way God made you, and it hinders the reflection of God that He wants to give through you.”
Debrief
This is something I adored during training camp. After every simulation we would go through we would have “debrief” and it was a time our squad mentors and leaders would listen to our feelings about the experience. All of our voices mattered and it felt awesome and genuine. To every future world racer: you will love debrief!
Feedback
To go along with debrief, feedback was also that I learned a lot from. Feedback is where we would encourage someone when we saw them doing something awesome or to challenge them in a loving way to do something better. I was encouraged and challenged in ways that I am so thankful for. I felt genuinely cared for.
Friendships
The friendships that were formed in those ten days were incredible and it was beautiful to watch them form. I made awesome friends within my own squad, of course, but also a couple people in the other squads as well.
When you go to training camp, venture out of your squad and talk to people in other squads. Yeah there’s squad wars and friendly competition going on, all of you are on the same mission, just different routes. You will be so thankful if you mingle with people from the other squads.
Food
The food at training camp is THEBOMB.COM just in smaller portions. I recommend bringing granola bars or chocolate or maybe both. 😉
But seriously, you’re in for a treat from their serve staff. They are amazing cooks and I can’t think of any meals that were bad. All of them were DELICOUS!
Godly Emotions
There were emotions that I felt this past week that I have never felt in my life and the only way that I can describe them is that they were out of this world, Godly emotions. My “deep things” cried out to my squadmates’ deep things, and vice versa.
For example: when I found out my team, I can’t adequately express how I felt in human words, just that I felt so overwhelmingly thankful that I didn’t know what to do or what to say.
*Will talk more about this later*
Godly Men
The six gentlemen, and that’s what they are…gentlemen, in my squad are amazing and walking miracles. There were countless conversations amongst the girls this past week about how thankful and amazed they are because of the gentlemen on the squad.
Guys: Thank you for loving Jesus and having a heart like His.
Heart’s Desires
This is proof that Jesus cares about the little things!!!
So, for a couple days, people were talking about how they were craving cheeseburgers and pizza, and for what ever reason I kept talking about my love for bagels and plantains. Well, breakfast one morning we were blessed with bagels and later that SAME DAY we got plantains the way I like to make them at home!!!
THAT IS AMAZING!!!!!!
Jesus Answers
During one of the night sessions, the speaker had us five questions. I don’t think I have ever felt Jesus answer so quickly to questions so quick in my life.
I am going to talk about the fifth question, because this one REALLY amazed me.
Q: Jesus, will you show me something you really, really, really like about me?
A: Listen to the song ‘Wick’ by Housefires and I will let you know. I will tell you one now, I love your passionate heart and how you battle the wars of worship in your mind.
So, that night, I listened to the song and it was about my heart being the wick and Jesus’ love being the flame that lights it on fire. The heart cry of the song, is for people to be able to see Jesus when they see you. The song confirmed what Jesus told me He loved about me but that’s not all!
The NEXT night, the praise and worship band played that song for the FIRST and ONLY time at camp. I was amazed and overwhelmed. Thank you, Jesus, for your great, reassuring love!
Random Tips
Do the thing.
Invite people into your mess.
Create space for God.
Bring your dance moves.
Be prepared for new levels of vulnerability.
Expect to not have your phone attached to your hand, and ENJOY it!
Expect God to blow your mind.
Don’t stress out about team formations.
Squad Wars
Squad Wars was incredibly fun and I’m happy to say…..T-SQUAD WON!!!! <3
Team Anchored
This is my wonderful team’s name, but this requires a blog of it’s own. I will be writing about my team here in a few days probably!
Worship
Worship was incredible. One night in particular really moved my heart.
I walked over to the side in the front, and me to look at everyone worshipping. That image will forever remain in my memory because I understood why worship moves God’s heart like it does.
Everyone was worshipping Jesus passionately, but in their own way and it was BEAUTIFUL! I felt God’s love for everyone there, and it was one of my favorite experiences not just at camp, but in my life!
You Look Like My Mom
So, the first night at during the session, I look over and see a lady in another squad who resembles my mom. I keep noticing her for the next couple of days and wondered why. Well, during a morning session, the guest speaker, Ron, shared a testimony of how he was at a conference and saw a young lady that reminded him of his niece. The reason why, is because God wanted to give this lady a word through Ron, because she has a similar calling that his niece has.
When he shared that testimony, a light bulb in my head turned on.
I realized why I kept noticing the lady I felt that resembled my mom because God wanted to use me to say something to her. So I did, and it was awesome and she became one of the friends I made at training camp.
So there are a billion more stories that I could share with you, but then this blog would be EXTREMELY long.
Just know training camp was exhausting, challenging, amazing and life changing. To all future world racers: you’re in for a treat!
And I will end with this statement that was said during the women’s retreat that we ALL should hold onto when God calls us to do something crazy:
“You can’t have courage without fear. Recognizing fear in your life can lead you to the path of courage.” -Carly Brown
With love,
Meraia
