Recently I posted on instagram the “Top 10 things I learned at training camp”
And I did that because I thought it was a funny idea but also gave a chance for some people to see the actuality of training camp.
I’ve been wanting to write a blog post about training camp but wasn’t really sure of what to write. My friend actually gave me theidea to elaborate on those ten things that I learned, so here we are!
So these are the top 10 things I learned at training camp:
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NEVER leave your sleeping bag in your hammock, even if it looks like a BEAUTIFUL day
So first of all, for those of you who do not know, at TC (training camp) we had to sleep in our tents for the 10 days we were there. So I brought my hammock to lay in during any free time we might have. Well some of the girls had a great idea to sleep in them! I slept in my hammock 3 of the 10 nights we were there and let me tell you, that was the BEST three nights of sleep I got at TC. So one day I was getting up and ready for the day and I decided to keep my sleeping bag and pillow in my hammock because it was annoying having to put it into my tent every morning then getting it out at night. Well about 4 hours later in the middle of a squad session i realized it was POURING, like cats and dogs pouring. And then I realized that my sleeping bag and pillow were IN MY HAMMOCK !!! so as soon as the session was done i RAN back to camp and when I got there I picked up my sleeping bag and it was SOAKED, like I picked it up and had to dump water out of it. So let’s just say I learned my lesson with keeping my sleeping gear outside. Haha
2. Always have your rain jacket on hand (even though my team makes for a pretty good umbrella)
So everywhere I walked I had my book bag. I always kept some snacks, my water bottle, my bible, journal, pen and of course my rain jacket. Well the ONE time that I forgot my rain jacket it POURED so my team came over and used their hands as an umbrella for me. Haha, i love my team so much already.
3. Always be prepared for hugs from @SamBarnheart
I think i received about 87 hugs from SAm at TC. Sam is such a sweet soul and everyone she meets she gives a hug. If you are having a bad or a fantastic day, you can ALWAYS count on Sam to come give you the biggest hug with the most open arms.
4. Never lose your elephant/llama
So on the second day of TC, our advisor Deborah said to pick someone that is not on your team to pair up with. So I picked this girl Kaitlyn. So when everyone had their partners, she said “okay now this is your llama or elephant for the next 9 months”. So i am kaitlyn’s llama and she is my elephant! This means that on travel days or when we’re going out to dinner or something as a squad, Deborah can say “Does everyone have their elephant or llama?” and that way everyone just looks to see if their elephant or llama is there. It’s just an easy way to make sure we’re all together.
5. ALWAYS HAVE SNACKS ON HAND
This one is a BIG one!!! We were fed enough at TC, however, I get hungry literally every 20 minutes so you must carry snacks with you wherever you go. Also if you don’t like what you were given for a meal, then you could always have a snack to help you out.
Ex.: On Adventure day, we had the most bizarre food. Because who knows what we’ll actually be eating while on the field…
So for breakfast we had crickets, a fermented egg, scrambled eggs with an unknown meat in it and colorful rice. I ate everything that was given to me (EXCEPT the fermented egg, I just couldn’t get passed the fish smell…) however, let’s just say crickets are NOT filling, so my snacks came in handy:))
this was after i ate the cricket, yeah not my favorite thing ever. haha
6. It’s okay to cry
I’d say i’m an average cryer. I only cry when something really sad happens, or something life changing, or maybe if I get super emotional about something. So I don’t cry super often but over the course of TC I probably cried about 8 times. Most of the time (at least for me) I think some Christians get this idea that we have to be happy 24/7 because Jesus is always happy and we can’t show our emotions of being sad, or whatever it is. But that is not the truth. Look at John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Jesus was just showing His emotions. So it’s okay if we do too. I didn’t cry at TC because I was sad or upset, I cried because I was overwhelmed with being at TC and I cried because I was so overwhelmed with Jesus’ presence during worship and because I was so happy and joyful when I was in the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is 100% okay to cry, I promise:)
7. A little mud won’t kill you
I HATE mud. I think it’s gross and I’m just not a huge fan of it. Well during squad wars, you didn’t get a choice, you were gonna get COVERED in mud. HAHA, squad wars was so much fun, it was basically a whole bunch of games and a giant dance battle, in the middle of a mud field because it had rained so much. But let me tell you, it was so much fun and I didn’t even care that I was covered in mud.
this was taken right after squad wars:)
8. Peanut butter is a lifesaver and it will keep you alive
Two of my friends, Julia and Carissa, brought a jar of PB and it was the best thing ever. If you’re sitting in session and need a little snack, boom, spoonful of PB. If you’re hanging out with your group, boom PB. Basically PB makes a whole bunch of things taste better, apples/bananas/cliff bars.
9. Jesus is super cool and a life changer
Now, this is something that I already knew, but something that I was reminded of. Over the course of 10 days, I saw Jesus work in the most miraculous ways. I saw Him heal a girls foot, I saw Him break so many chains and set so many free, I also saw Him in nature. I saw Him in His own creation, the past week I saw Him change me in my life. And it’s only been 10 days, can you imagine 9 months?? Wow, Jesus is cool.
10. My team is the coolest and i love them all so much
When I first got to TC, I was SO overwhelmed by everyone there. Basically this was the first time meeting anyone on my squad and I got to meet all 37 of them at the same time. It was so hard to try and remember everyone’s name and get to know them all. At first I was like how in the world am I going to do this, but after a few days I finally started to connect and get to know everyone. Let me tell you, I have THE BEST squad and team ever. God could not have been more intentional in putting us together.
this is my squad:)) one big happy family
ALSO!!!! I have HUGE news!!!!
In just 8 months, and about 8 fundraisers later, I’m 100% fully funded!!! I wanted to thank every single person who has helped me in any way to get to this goal. Anywhere from donating to me, encouraging me, praying for me, or participating in one of my fundraisers.
Thank you
Thank you
THANK YOU!!!
xoxo
syd
