The “Man” Hike

Training camp is officially over. We are set to Launch on July 3rd to Bolivia. All of the members of our squad need your prayers this next month. Satan will continue his attacks to discourage and frighten us away from the path we are on. After training camp I know even more that this is where God wants me. But lets start from the beginning…

THE “MAN” HIKE

On May 14th all the men from July launch met at AIM headquarters to go on a hike for two days. This was our first time meeting these fellow racers and an opportunity to bond and strengthen ourselves for the next week of training camp. We were to set out the next morning to hike about 20 miles.

The first thing they told us was to remove anything we would not need for the hike that we brought for training camp. As little as possible they said. We checked the weather, shared tents, and got our packs as light as we could. I knew I would have trouble, so i took out as much as i could live without for 2 days. That night I couldn’t sleep. Either out of anxiety or restlessness from sleeping on my pad for only the second time.
We awoke early and were bussed to our starting point and began our 20 mile through hike on what I would later find out was one of the toughest sections of the Appalachian Trail. We spread out into our Squads. F Squad headed out and I soon learned I was in for a world of hurt, physically and spiritually.

Just after Lunch we started a brutal uphill climb. I was having trouble. Wes, our Squad leader, came up and took my pack. He told me we were a team and that we wouldn’t give up. We helped each other out the whole hike. It was tough for me. My pride was hurt. I am strong, but not today. Uphill was too much for me. Once we reached the peak for the day, I took my pack and hiked into camp for a long needed nights rest.

Dinner was dehydrated meals. We boiled water and ate surprisingly well. The wind was picking up and it was getting cold. The weather had said it would get down to the high 40s, but we neglected to consider the elevation we would be climbing. It would get down into the low 40s and upper 30s. I had packed all wrong. There was no way I was going to be warm enough. I tried getting close to my tent mate, but it wasn’t enough. Another sleepless night riddled with shaking and shivering to keep my body temperature up. I prayed for relief all night. It could not get any worse than this.

We got up early to pack and head out by 8AM. Today’s hike was supposed to be shorter with one last night on the AT and hike out a few miles in the morning. The weather was supposed to be worse tonight, so they decided we would hike out the rest of the way today. That meant a longer hike in poor weather, with no sleep in two days. I was not excited. We headed out. Today was less hard on my heart and cardio system and more brutal on my legs. A lot of elevation changes and man was it slow going.

The rain came and went and with rain gear, it didn’t bother me much. Then the hail came. It started hailing and all I could say was REALLY! I was still cold, wet, and now hail. I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Clearly God wanted to break me a little more. We made it half way and stopped for lunch. It was a rejuvenating break that we would need. The longest climb was next. Three miles uphill. Several times I thought of handing over my pack,but I knew I could make it today. I made it up with my pack, although it was slow going. This was the worst of it. We eventually hiked out by 7 or 8PM. Had dinner and discussed how the hike went. Our feelings, our bodies, and our minds. These men were now my brothers. They showed such support for me these past 2 days.

The bus finally picked us up after 2 hours of huddling around a fire in the cold. We made it back to the AIM offices and collapsed on the floor for a great night of sleep. After this Training Camp would be a breeze…HAHA!!

Through the man hike God taught me dependance on others and on Him. I could not have made it on my own, in fact I would have turned around less than half way through the first day. God gave me men who encouraged me and helped me with my burden along the way. This is something we will need a lot of over the next year. He showed me that there are times when I will need to ask for help. I am a man, but sometimes in life we need to ask for directions.

God was not finished breaking me. I still clung to my pride in finishing the hike myself. I had passed the test and was ready to enjoy Training Camp. There was much more to come.

Check my next blog to see what God did at training camp.

After the hike and Training Camp, I have discovered that there are some things I need to get rid of and some gear that still needs to be purchased. My sleeping bag I had was heavy and oversized. I need a smaller one. My daypack was too big and bulky. I will need to get a lighter one. I also still need malaria medication, which can become expensive.

If you would like to help support my year around the world, please click the support me button at top. If you would like to help with gear and medication, please contact me at [email protected] to discuss how we can do that.

Thanks be to God for having all these wonderful people in my life who are willing to support me. Without you I would not have had this reformation week at Training Camp. GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU ALL.