I’ll start things off by saying I do not think I could ever bring myself to appreciate Bucket Showers as much as I do now. After day after day spent outside in record setting Georgia heat nothing feels better than that cold, refreshing water, poured on your head from a lovely little kitchen measuring cup.
Training Camp was hard though.
People keep asking me how it went, and all I can say is hard. Amazingly, perfectly, hard. I was stretched to my physical, emotional, and spiritual limits; and then I was stretched just a little bit more for good measure.
Every day brought something new, something extremely unexpected. The more tired we got, the more the lack of food got to us, and the more the porta-potties began to stink, the harder it became to withstand the curveballs being thrown our way. (I don’t want to go into too much detail about Training Camp specifics, because it would ruin all the fun for future racers, but if you want to know more I would absolutely love to share with you one on one!)
With a week, a short vacation, and two plane rides separating me and those 10 days at Training Camp, I am now sane enough to say that every hard moment at camp brought my squad closer together. We all faced the same hard things, and helped each other through them. We encouraged, loved, and prayed over each other constantly. Instantly opening our hearts, ears, and welcoming embrace to whoever needed it. In John 13:34 Jesus says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Then he goes on to saying “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This second part was brought up almost daily during camp. People know we, World Race Gap Year Squad D, are Jesus’ disciples because we love one another. The disciples weren’t perfect, and neither are we. The disciples did not always agree or get along, and neither do we, but it’s our genuine, unconditional love that sets us apart; our love for each other, others, for Jesus, and from Jesus. Love is what is going to carry us through the hard moments of the next nine months.
I would like to introduce my five new sisters to you as well. These girls know how to love, and hug, better than anyone I’ve ever met. These girls make up Team Breath of Life. For my time on the Race, they will be my family, best friends, and ministry partners. Everything we do will be done in this group of six, and I cannot be happier that these girls are my six. God breathed life into all of us; whether curing of asthma, and allowing one of us to take their first real breath in years, to filling us with joy and belonging, He has breathed His life into every one of us in our own unique ways. We’re ready to take that life, and help God breathe his renewing life into the lives of others in Thailand, South Africa, and Nicaragua.
Love,
Jill
