What can I say about Training Camp?
For one it is aptly named. We had situation after situation thrown at us in the best way.
For two, I’m still unpacking (and I don’t just mean my backpack – though technically I do still need to unpack). I never thought my life could be so full. I remember 2 weeks of grad school – I had 60 pages of research papers due in 2 weeks – not because I had slacked off. Oh no, I had been grading undergrad papers for the 2 weeks prior and then meeting with students who needed to understand why I took points off for them referring to Russia as the Ukraine’s abusive ex-boyfriend (creative but doesn’t belong in an academic paper).
It was a lot. I stopped sleeping – not completely but I subsisted on 20 min power naps, one every 5-8 hours for the duration of the 2 weeks.
I thought that was a very FULL time in my life.
Training camp? Training camp was a different kind of full.
It was full of people!
People who are vastly different than me – but we all share the same heart and the same goals and in a lot of ways had the same insecurities.
It was full of teaching!
We had speaker after speaker after speaker talk about everything from “what is the good news of the gospel?” To “expectations of a world racer” to “walk through the Bible – Old Testament” I took notes and filled up my 144 page notebook!
It was full of healing!
So many of my squad mates and launch mates were set free from past pain, trauma and struggles! I myself was released from a deep-rooted shame I carried for years.
It was full of challenges!
Between the fitness hike (which I completed with a minute to spare thanks to the encouragement and assistance – hand holding – of my teammate and squad leader Whoot!), the night “the airline lost half your luggage” and sitting on hard plastic chairs or concrete the whole 11 days, I was exhausted at the end. But every challenge presented a chance to press forward with Jesus and praise Him because there was an opportunity to enter into a new glory.
It was full of love!
I can hardly write this one. The amount of love and support poured out over each of us. Not only was God showing up every day (like He does) to shower us with His Presence and love, but every staff person, trainer, squad leadership and support member, squad mates and launch mates were constantly encouraging and engaging each other to honor and serve. Girls would braid each others’ hair, people would offer the extra food at their table to other tables, we bought snacks for each other, borrowed each other’s pens, blankets, razors, hammocks, tents, pillows, you name it. The community I experienced was full of love for the Lord and for each other. And I can’t wait to begin the journey of 11 months of traveling and ministering with my new brothers and sisters!
