Sooo, a few days before training camp, I asked a World Race Alum what to expect for training camp. She said expect to encounter God and meet some incredible people with a winky face emoji.
Bruuhhhh.. She wasn’t lying. I’ve never been surrounded by so many amazing people completely on fire for Christ, and the way God moved and met me where I was, all I can do is shake my head and raise my hands in praise.
To set up the scene of training camp, imagine missionary boot camp:
- 10 days of sleeping outside in a tent, where there are bugs and spiders and grass all over the place
- using port-a-potties every single day
- taking bucket showers
- that’s when you have the opportunity to do so; Baby wipes and tons of hand sanitizer were your friend, *insert side eye*
Each day represented a new country, and in these countries, we had to follow social norms:
- eating with your left hand (Eastern Europe)
- covering your hair for meals and meetings (India)
- eating the sauciest curry chicken and rice with your fingers from one platter shared by eight people. *insert eye roll* Lol.
So that was interesting. By the end of training camp, about 20 out of 50 people had a cough, myself included.
Each day we were given different field scenarios that could happen on the Race:
- our luggage being lost, meaning we share tents (God showed me myself with that one,)
- “Airport Simulator” which is where they made a mock airport with unmovable seats, played the loudest, most annoying airport sounds they could find, the air blasting, and the florescent lights on bright. (I slept like a log, ye shrugs. Lol.)
- the market, where about 250 people are barricaded into one tight area to buy our dinner; there is a taxi (van) driving through, policeman, pick-pocketers, people trying to steal your food, vendors ripping you off, etc.
Now that the scene is set, I can go into the nitty-gritty of how I encountered God.
So going into training camp, I felt like a hot mess. I was broken and was holding onto lies that the enemy kept whispering in my ear. I felt like I was the only one going through stuff, and that everyone could tell. On top of that, I had been dealing with headaches and a weird stomach thing for about three weeks. On the second day, I had the opportunity to talk to my squad leader and spilled everything I was holding onto. That night at worship, I was singing to The Lord so hard, because I just wanted to feel Him like I had before, and I had been begging for His forgiveness. Then one of the worship leaders said,
“You don’t have to strive for God. He’s with you. Just open up your sail, and let His wind catch you.”
As I sang to Him, I just relaxed in it and praised Him, then BAMM!! It hit me like a flood, and I was filled with the Holy Spirit. At that moment, I immediately felt the weight of my sin, shame, and heaviness lifted from me. I immediately felt His forgiveness, and I no longer had to hold on to the shame that the enemy so badly wanted me to harbor. I immediately felt like that door had been shut, like I was no longer in it, and I could now see it for what it was and could share my testimony with others about how God took me out of the muck.
That night, as I went back to my tent, I could feel the headache and weird stomach thing come back. I knew then, that this pain I was feeling was a physical manifestation of what I had been feeling. I prayed to God then and there, and said,
“Just like you took away that emotional pain and lifted that heaviness, take this from me too.”
That was the last time I had ever felt it.
We had a physical challenge of a 2.2 mile hike through the rolling hills, with our 50lb packs on our backs, to be completed in under 38 minutes. I finished two minutes over time and had to redo the hike the very next morning. I was so discouraged. Everyone was so sore from doing it, and I had to get up at six the next morning to do it again. I was literally like,
“Ok, God. Imma need you to be my thighs, calves, feet, and back bone, aaand I need you to hold up my pack for me.” Lol.
I had people pray over me, and there were these amazing women of God that woke up early to do the hike with us. I ran the majority of that hike with my teammates hand in hand and came in three minutes under, shaving five minutes off of my time. The Lord literally answered my prayers. I felt no pain in my legs, and there were runners from other squads who didn’t even know me and came behind me and carry my pack as I ran.
Just thinking back at those moments as I write this, God showed me so much about myself, about how I see myself as His daughter, about how it’s ok to trust my team and ask for help and not feel ashamed, and most importantly about being free in Him. There is a freedom in Christ that I know about, but it was hard for me to grasp it and feel it. I’m still trying to walk in that freedom day to day, but that night, I truly FELT. IT. It was undeniable. So I know it’s real.
*Sidebar* If you haven’t experienced God’s healing and don’t think it exists, press in. Six people got healed from my squad in one night. (I couldn’t leave that out!)
I look forward to the days to come. There is still a ton of fundraising I need to do this month. I leave for the race in five weeks, and I still have about $4,000 to raise in order to leave on August 4th. It is sooooo much bigger than myself, and I know I can’t do it on my own, but God wouldn’t have me do it if He wasn’t going to be in it. So I’m excited for Him to meet me where I am. If you are led, feel free to partner with me financially and in prayer. And I thank you so much.
Stay tuned!!!!
