I’m back in New Jersey! I spent the past few weeks at World Race training camp and then visited family and friends throughout Georgia, Florida and Virginia.
Training turned out to be amazing and so much more than I expected, so I wanted to give you some highlights of what those 10 days looked like for me.
*** I listed a few definitions at the end of this post to help clarify some terms ***
Lodging: Our squad had our own camp site and most nights we slept in our tents. This was my first ever real camping experience. With the Georgia humidity and sporadic rain storms, the first couple nights were a little difficult for me, but eventually exhaustion set in and I slept like a baby. Some nights we had sleeping scenarios which included a simulation airport (air condition, lights on and airport intercom all night), lost luggage (we shared our tents and sleeping things with another teammate) and a camp out (we built a shelter from tarps and rope, made a fire, and cooked our own dinner in the woods).
P Squad training camp camp site
Meals: Meals were served community style (one dish per table) and each day had a theme. On Africa day the women served the men first and ate their meal on the floor. On India day we wore head coverings and ate with our hands. Other themes included Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, each with their own food and cultural norms. We also had a travel day theme (which was mostly peanut butter sandwiches) and an adventure day (crickets for breakfast and mystery meat for lunch).
Adventure day: crickets in our scrambled eggs.
(Yes, I know I look a little crazy.)
Physical Fitness: We had to complete a 3 mile hike within 50 minutes, with our full packs on our back (about 45 pounds). This was probably the one thing I was dreading, and I’m happy to report that Shara and I completed it together. The minutes were going by quickly and we were feeling the heat and weight of our packs. With a downhill stretch to finish, Shara and I grabbed hands and ran the remainder. We finished in 49 minutes!
Most mornings we also did some type of morning exercise: running, squats, pushups, etc. For those that know me well, you know that physical activity is an area I’m lacking in. I was sore for most of the week, but am definitely feeling stronger and have some muscles to show for it!
Sessions: There were sessions each day taught by different AIM staff members. Some were talks to the whole camp while other led into small discussion group and breakout sessions. These sessions encouraged us to build community with our team and closeness with God. Both challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and be vulnerable and honest with my team and leaders. I learned a whole lot about myself and God through these sessions, so I’ll be posting more on this in the coming weeks.
My team: Throughout the week our whole squad took part in different team building activities. Our squad mentor and leaders observed our interactions and divided our squad into 5 teams. Each team will be in a different area of the country. This is my team for the first few months.
From left to right: Jules, Sarah, Lauren, Lyndsay, Sam
Our first location is Loyalty School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where we will be teaching English. I’m very excited, and ask that you pray for me as I learn to prepare lesson plans and as I build connections with the kids and host family.
These 10 days of training were challenging and exciting, but stretched me in new ways to enable me to serve well while I’m overseas. I’m so thankful for this team as well as my entire squad. Looking forward to spending the next few months with these lovelies.
Please let me know if you have any questions at all. I realize this post was getting long, but I’d love to answer any questions you might have. I will be in New Jersey for the month of September so if you’re in the area, let’s catch up in person!
Fundraising update: My next fundraising deadline is September 16th. In order to launch in October I need to raise $10,000 and I am just $2,275 away from reaching that goal.
DEFINITIONS:
Squad – the 29 people on this route
Team – me and the 5 other people I will be spending the next few months serving with
AIM – Adventures in Missions – parent organization of the World Race
Route – October Route 4 – the countries I’ll be traveling to in order (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Uganda, Rwanda, Albania, Croatia/Bosnia, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia and China)
October Route 4 – P Squad
