I can’t believe it’s already been a week since I left home and went to AIM “headquarters” in Gainsville Ga for training camp, and it’s been 4 days since we first got to Peru! Time just seems to be going too fast! Now that I’ve almost survived my first week living with 7 guys, I figured I’d hop on here and give yall a quick update on how training camp went, how our travel days went, and what ministry has looked like for us so far!
Training camp day one… My morning started off with a 15 minute cold shower at 6:45am! Then we had one of our first team time, where we all sat and talked about what we’re wanting to see God do in us and through us while we’re in Peru! From there we had breakfast, don’t ask me what we had I honestly don’t remember! Then it was sessions after sessions of just straight forward what is going to be expected of us, a couple awesome and super insightful team builders(one in which I got elbowed in the nose…), what we need to know for while we’re on the field, we had some Amazing worship(I’m talking life changing worship), some general ideas of what our lives might look like on the field, and some Super helpful tips and tools straight from Gods word(I might get more into all of that in a later blog)! Day two was basically the same thing!
Then there was day three…That morning started with a 15 minute cold shower at 5:30am(both of those showers ended up being such a great way to prepare me for that cold showers here in Peru)! The rest of the day was the same as the other two days until 9:30pm that night! When we packed up all of our stuff and piled into a van and drove to the Atlanta airport!! Where we then went and found a little corner, out of the way and “attempted” to get a little sleep. What really ended up happening was some of us played Phase 10, some of us walked through the airport, most of us took the Enneagram test, and like none of us got any sleep!! At this point, it was about 3am we grabbed all of our bags and made our way to check our bags and go through security! We all made it through security no problem and found our way to our gate! We then flew from ATL to Fort Lauderdale, where we grabbed a bite to eat, found a nice spot on the floor in front of some windows and we all took a brief nap! Around 4pm on Monday night we boarded our plane for Lima, Peru!
So we get on the plane and I have a middle seat… between two people I do not know! I was so tired so I found myself sitting there while we’re waiting for the plane to take off praying that someway God would bless me with some restful sleep on this 6 hour flight! As we’re taking off I noticed that the row behind me was empty, so as soon as the flight attendants started going up the rows asking if anyone wanted a purchase a pillow or blanket for the flight I asked the guy if I could sit in one of the empty seats. To which he informed me that those seats were upgrade only and the upgrade was something like $100! I politely told him I wasn’t interested in paying for the upgrade, and that I would be fine in my seat! Well about 10 minutes later the lady that was sitting in the aisle seat next to me got up to use the restroom, and when she got back she leaned over to me and said “hey, the flight attendant said you can sit in one of the seats behind us, you don’t have to pay for the upgrade and if anyone asks just tell them you did pay for the upgrade!”, I was in shock for like a solid minute and then I realized what she had said and I got up and move to the window in the empty row! Shortly after the flight attendant walked by and gave me a cup of coffee and two water bottles, and then a little while he came by and gave me like 4 bags of chips and he was constantly asking me if I needed anything and just asking if I was okay! I ended getting some awesome super restful sleep, and just felt so loved by God at that moment!!
I’ll never know if that flight attendant just felt super sorry for me, or if the lady that was sitting next to me paid for the upgrade for me or what! But I’m so thankful for that small act of kindness during what was one of the longest travel days I had ever personally experienced!
Words can’t even begin to express how amazing this whole thing has been and how incredible God is through all of it!! I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be here without the love and support of my community back home, and I can’t wait to share more of what God is doing and what He is gonna do!! So stay tuned for part 2, hopefully, I’ll have it done by this coming Monday!! For now I am So thankful for all the love and prayers that I have recieved and that I know will contuine as time goes on!
