I am back home now after spending 11 days in Georgia for world race training camp. Here is a list of what I learned that sums up my training camp experience.
- God loves me. Like He truly loves me as I am. And I love and have compassion for others because He loved me first.
- I also have power and authority over the dark because the Lord has given it to me.
- I should have practiced setting up my tent more than just one time like six months ago
- I need lady friends in my life. A girl just needs her girls, and for me, beginning to step out in boldness and be more vulnerable is easier to begin around women first.
- It is okay to grieve. Even the little things that might not seem worthy of grieving to others. It’s okay to not be okay
- I should have brought my sleeping bag to training camp. Sleeping in a fetal position for 10 nights due to the cold = not the best thing ever
- I am naturally more negative than I am positive, and sometimes it takes people to hold you accountable to complaining less (beep boop…if you know you know)
- Every small decision I have ever made has led me right to where I am now. The small choices have a large impact on our lives.
- Eating crickets makes me puke
- Physical touch is higher up on my love languages list than I thought. (Thank you to the forty million people that gave me back scratches, braided my hair, and hugged me)
- I am capable of more than I thought. I had never done any real camping and I don’t work out. I was pretty nervous for sleeping in a tent in the woods every night, taking bucket showers, and passing a fitness test. But I did it.
- I learned about community, ministry, intimacy with the Lord, shame, freedom, vulnerability, feedback, logistics of the Race, evangelism, healing, and fundraising.
- I love my squad. Only the Lord can bring 38 complete strangers together and it feel like family after only 3 days.
- I love my team. I am on a team with 4 other women. They are great. I cannot wait to do life with them (life is ministry, ministry is life) for the first few months on the race. I can’t wait to learn from them and grow with them.
- This is exactly where I am supposed to be.
It’s hard, and I may even argue impossible, to completely share about my training camp experience. It was challenging and intense, but I am coming away with confidence that these people on my squad are my people, I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be, and the next 11 months will be full of adventure if I just keep saying yes to the Lord.
And just for fun, here are a few pictures from training camp.
This is X-Squad aka some of the greatest people I’ve ever met
Just filling up my bucket shower. This is the reason I only showered 4 times in 2 weeks lololol.
Team “Overflow” aka the ladies I’ll be spending the first few months of the race with. I love them.
Our little tent homes!
With love,
Hals
