First off, let my just start off by appologizing at how late this post is. LIFE IS CRAZY BUSY. With that being said….
Oh boy…where do I start. I have been home from World Race : Gap Year training camp for a few weeks now which has given me some time to process all that I have learned.
Let’s start from the beginning. My trip to Gainesville, Georgia for training camp started off as a whirlwind ride from the very beginning. From the motion sickness and also the [raging] nerves, I started out the first day so incredibly sick. I had to arrive late to camp because of my high school graduation, so I was thrown into an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces who had already started getting to know each other. Let me tell ya, the first few days were ROUGH. I felt so discouraged and out of place, the thought of backing down and heading home crossed my mind multiple times. I would ask myself “why don’t you just go back home to your family, air conditioning, running water, and comfortable bed?!” HOWEVER, through all of this, I experienced God’s grace in incredible ways. God really nailed on my heart how truly lucky I am to live the life I do with the people I love. Whenever I will be holding an orphan in my hands, I will have the comfort and peace of knowing what I have to come home to. As truly wonderful as that is, it also breaks my heart. God says he will break our hearts for what breaks his. There are so many people who have nothing but a yearning for one thing…LOVE-which I have taken for granted.
Training camp pushed me to my limits, which I was absolutely not expecting. I learned that I have a lot of work to do before I go out in the world as a disciple, but I also learned that no matter how far we are on our journey with God, His love is equal and ABUNDANT.
Those 8 days that I spent away from all that I know we’re some of the most challenging but rewarding days. The community that God has given me to go on this journey with is unlike anything I’ve ever known. I am 100% positive that I am where I need to be with who I need to be with in order to make me the best person I can be. It’s really pretty overwhelming to know that God is putting all of our puzzle pieces together everyday, and I feel like my pieces are finally fitting together.
These 9 months are going to be like no other, and I know I am going to be bent back and forth a few times, but I find peace in knowing that the creator of the earth chose me- ME, of all people (???!!) – to spread his goodness across the world.
My squad found out that the first destination will be Lezhe, Albania! Boy am I excited but am so in need of some prayers! Prayers for my squad would be so appreciated- to help us prepare for what is ahead. I cannot stress how insanely grateful I am to have such a wonderful support system. The love that you have showed me throughout this chapter in my life, and simply the fact that you believe in me, has kept me going.
Training camp was extremely physically, emotionally, and spiritually demanding but it leaves me so excited for my future as a World Racer. Thanks for tagging along with me on the journey!!
Luke 17:33 “if you hold on to your life, you will LOSE it, but if you let go of your life, you will SAVE it”
