First of all, thank you so much to all my supporters who, through prayer and financial contributions, enabled me to attend. I could not have gone to Training Camp without you and the preparation I received during that ten days exceeded all my expectations. I am now 75% funded so thank you thank you thank you!
Training Camp was a wild ride of team building, worship, personal revelations, porta-potties, tears, vulnerability, dirt, and lots of body odor. The journey began in the airport at the baggage claim when I saw three ofbackpacking packs and their owners. Shortly after establishing that they were indeed racers and that we would be travel buddies for the next year, I met two hundred more racers who I would be living with for the next 10 days.
My squad (K Squad) of 50 people was assigned a dirt campground at the front of the campus for Adventures in Missions. We were thrilled to be able to test out our new gear and were even more thrilled to discover that the ground of extra finely grained granite would leave all of our belongings sparkling like sorority queens. The earth was essentially glitter and we, along with all of our belongings, were dedazzled for the duration of Training Camp. As Joni, one of our squad mates, phrased it, “Kesha just evaporated,” and we were blessed to live on her remains.
With our glittering K squad burrow established, the real adventures began. Bucket showers instantly became a refuge. Freddy the Frog was the shower mascot and he supported us through all of our hygienic struggles, like shaving in a cup in the dark with spiders. Worship was always incredible and the speakers overflowed with genius. I burned through twenty pages of my journal and drained my favorite pen trying to capture as much insight as possible.
We learned how to eat in different cultures and how to abide by a variety of customs. They taught us how to navigate a bustling market, set up a campground, survive without our packs and sleep through booming airport sounds; most importantly though, I learned that God surprises me when I step outside of my comfort zone. Connecting with my squad left me star-struck. I was in awe as I stood amidst my fellow World Racers, all of whom form such a powerhouse for hope.
Some major takeaways have been as follows:
-Our journey as missionaries on the World Race is about learning how to live missionally.
-Serving is not about me.
-Pain and discomfort are opportunities to grow closer to God
-I am not good at eating rice with my hands
NOW FOR THE TEAM: I could not be more thrilled to introduce you to them! We call ourselves the Kaleidoscope… Nobody knows what it means but it’s provocative. It gets the people going… Just kidding, we spent a lot of time thinking and consider ourselves a beautifully unique group, hence the name!
I am so thankful and cannot wait to learn from them. Also Brittni Wisner is a Storyteller for the squad and you should follow her blog, it’s going to be awesome (no pressure Brittni).
Left to right:JJ, Emily, Esther, myself, Brittni and Megan
FYI: We have a route change. We will no longer be going to Burkina Faso. Instead we will go to Laos/Myanmar.
I am one of three logistics leaders on the squad (we call ourselves the Legit-Sticks) and I will be blessed with the opportunity to help serve my fellow racers through my obsession with details. Here are the logistics leaders: Kelsey, myself and Amy. I think we hit it off.
Thank you for reading! God Bless!
Psalm 90:14 – Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
