Hi All,
Recently I returned from an amazing ten day training camp in preparation for The World Race! Training camp was an incredible experience! It was a privilege to spend ten days immersed in a community of believers, focusing on my relationship with God, learning more about the year to come, and meeting fifty four other men and women who will be sharing this journey with me. On the plane ride home I was so excited to share with everyone what I had learned at training camp, how the Lord is continuing to work in my life, and how I was ready to go out and spread God’s love to all the nations! On my drive home from the airport I started planning exactly what I would share but by the time I woke up Sunday morning I was at a loss for words.
Training camp was an emotional experience and it has taken some time for me to process all of it. The World Race has been a goal that I have been working towards for a long time and to be finally going to training camp felt like such a monumental accomplishment! Going into it, I really didn’t know what to expect. I assumed we would meet our squads, talk about the countries we would be traveling to and learn more about the work we will be doing. I knew that there would be a “Man Hike”, that I would be sleeping in a tent, and that my time at training camp would be challenging. What I didn’t know is that I would be taking ice cold showers out of a five gallon bucket or that I would be eating a bowl of crickets for breakfast. Training camp was full of little surprises and I thank God for each and every one of them! For me, the biggest surprise came as an unexpected answer to prayer.
When I first decided to apply for The World Race, I was feeling pretty lost. Over the past 8 years I’ve moved 10 times, held 7 different jobs. I haven’t had a real sense of direction or a clear understanding of where I fit in the world. To say the least I’ve been restless. My application for The Race was an act of submission. The path I had in mind for my life wasn’t working and I was ready to follow. I was praying for this journey to strengthen my relationship with God and help me gain a clearer understanding of where I belonged. It didn’t take eleven months for God to answer this prayer. He answered it on day one of training camp! As I started setting up my tent a feeling came over me that I hadn’t felt in years. It was an overwhelming sense of comfort, security, and belonging. I felt home!
The next few days were spent getting to know my squad. We prayed together, played card games together, sang songs together, and danced together. We dove right into sharing our stories, being vulnerable, and learning about each other on a deep and intimate level. I fell head over heels in love with my squad and more quickly than any of us expected, fifty four perfect strangers had become a family. It’s been difficult being apart from all of my new brothers and sisters since training camp. Little pieces of my heart are scattered around the country. Thankfully, It won’t be long until we are all together again as launch is only fifty eight days away!
Soon we will all be reunited in Atlanta ready to start our journey. We are all incredibly excited to start our first month of ministry in South America, spreading God’s love and furthering His kingdom! Though I am already counting down the days there is still tons of work to do for me to be ready to launch in January. My next fundraising goal is right around the corner, I still have more shots to get, and gear to purchase. Going into my last fundraising goal I was scared. This time is different. I still don’t know when or how He will provide but I am more confident than ever! The World race is where God is leading me and where He will use me! I am so grateful for all of your continued prayers and support.
