FIRST THINGS FIRST:
I am overjoyed and INCREDIBLY humbled to announce that I know some of the most generous and kind hearted people in the world, and they have chosen to bless me with their hard earned finances so abundantly that I am FULLY FUNDED FOR THE WORLD RACE!
Thank you for buying t shirts, telling your friends, liking and sharing posts about my fundraising, and for every dollar and prayer sent on my behalf. Grateful doesn’t even begin to describe the love I have for you wonderful people. Please don’t donate additional contributions to my fund in any way, as all additional money past my goal goes to a general fund!!
IF you still want to bless me or the work that God has for my team, I ask that you consider giving to some of the members of my team who still need your help. Every person joining me on my route MUST reach $10,000 by August 22nd or face being unable to join us on the field. A lot of these people have put college on hold or quit their jobs for this trip, and TRUST me when I say that this group of people are serious KINGDOM CHANGERS!!
Here are some of my friends that could use some financial lovin:
http://alexbrown.theworldrace.org
http://christiaanburke.theworldrace.org
http://abigailconverse.theworldrace.org
http://leahdailey.theworldrace.org
http://drewdoyle.theworldrace.org
http://abbyevaniuk.theworldrace.org
http://katelyngierke.theworldrace.org
http://lexigrisanti.theworldrace.org
http://kayliharshbarger.theworldrace.org
http://ryanhennessy.theworldrace.org
http://katehogan.theworldrace.org
http://irishowell.theworldrace.org
http://noahjames.theworldrace.org
http://ashleylevesque.theworldrace.org
http://spencermarks.theworldrace.org
http://marissamartinez.theworldrace.org
http://beccameekhof.theworldrace.org
http://donteminter.theworldrace.org
http://rebekahmonroe.theworldrace.org
http://mikaylaolson.theworldrace.org
http://lizpuersten.theworldrace.org
http://laurynraleigh.theworldrace.org
http://kateremsburger.theworldrace.org
http://taleysmith.theworldrace.org
http://leahstugan.theworldrace.org
http://michellewright.theworldrace.org
Now that you’ve prayed over all of them and blessed them with your life savings, I’ll tell you how training camp was.
Y’all. Training camp was GOOD. I’m sitting on the floor of the Atlanta airport and reading over my journaling from every night while writing this and I still can’t believe how good it was.
I’ve never been an anxious person, but the amount of fear and unknown surrounding these ten days was causing me physical pain. Then God started flexing his muscles and answering my prayers fifteen minutes after my flight landed from Houston, and continued to address and answer my doubts in ways I could have never thought of asking Him to.
Real talk: On my flight to Atlanta I had No Longer Slaves by Bethel playing on a loop in an attempt to appease the anxious knots in my stomach. Every morning I would draw two waves split by a line under my watch band to remind myself of the truth in “You split the sea so I could walk right through it, my fears are drowned in perfect love”. I didn’t totally understand what it meant to me but it sounded powerful and I felt peace in hearing it.
I broke down night four and called one of my best friends, crying hysterically. I was lonely, I had a huge bruise on my hip from the tree stump that I had foolishly placed my tent on top of, I had been coldly scolded for nodding off during a secession earlier that day, I was hungry, I still hadn’t gotten past small talk with anyone, one of my teammates had quit the race that morning, there wasn’t a single sink available to us, and the thought of feeling like that for nine months seemed like utter psychological torture. I went to “bed” and weighed the disappointment and shame I would feel letting down everyone at home who given their hard earned money and time into helping me get to this very place.
I drudged through the next morning, my decision weighing heavy on my heart and more tears threatening to drop any second. If you know me well or have ever stalked my vsco, you know that my heart connects with music, and that I cry joy tears in worship all the time. I’d felt disconnected in our worship secessions up to that point, largely due to the fact that I hadn’t recognized a single song. Low and behold, the closing song that night was No Longer Slaves, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more in love with the character of my savior than in those few minutes.
My sea is the hardships of the World Race, and my God isn’t going to let me drown in them. My fears are held back the one who commands the waters with his voice and won’t let them crash in on me.
Although easily the most exhausting, long, hungry, and disgusting week of my life, it was simultaneously patient, nurturing, honoring, and real. I was pushed out of my comfort zone in the sweetest ways, and I can genuinely say that I have never heard the Lord speak to me more clearly than I did during my time seeking Him at camp. He grew and stretched me during those ten days, and while at times the growing pains were excruciating, I walk away with a more intimate relationship with the Lord than I’ve had in a really, really, long time. So much of our time spent at camp was dedicated to listening to the Holy Spirit instead of being the main speaker, and I am a better Christ follower for it.
It would be laughable to say that training camp prepared me for the Race, because there is no way to prepare for the Race. The best way I can phrase my feelings is that I am learning to be excited in my unpreparedness. Eighteen years later and I am STILL learning over and over again that God is so much cooler than I am. He answered EVERY fear on my heart bigger and better than I could have even imagined asking for, so I have every confidence that He’ll do so on the field.
For more stories-the spiritual, the funny, the scary, and the gross- or if you just want to know how the food was, feel free to contact me and we’ll get together for pancakes or popsicles. Until then sweet friends, have a real blessed day.
In Christ,
Gracie
