I originally wrote this blog post on my plane ride home from training camp. I would like to share it with you my raw thoughts and emotions as I came back from a radical 10 days.
“I’m currently sitting on a plane after spending 10 days preparing for my next year of life. These last 10 days have been exhausting not only physically, but also emotionally. God has stretched me in ways I could not even imagine. It is crazy how close I am with people I have only known for 10days. I have been truly prepared for the race. Nothing throws you out of your comfort zone like bucket showers and port-a-potties. While I head home, I am excited, but also very nervous! These last 10 days God has stripped so much away from me and worked so hard in me. Going back to a life where I did not truly know God in this form is frightening. There is nothing more freeing than the love of God. As I embark on this season of my life I remember…
I am no longer a slave to fear… I am a child of God!”
Training camp was such a whirlwind experience, is has been very difficult to explain to people. Training camp is truly one of those things that you have to go through to truly understand. I will try to give you a brief synopsis to best explain this experience.
The People
Training Camp was the first time I met my squad and my team for the race. This was such an amazing experience and I now have 50+ people who I get to call family.
- K- Squad
- My squad will include 50 women and men who will be traveling country to country with me. We had an awesome opportunity to fellowship and bond together during these days.
- Leadership
- Along with my squad, we will have two squad leaders traveling with us for the first five months. These two women are alumni racers who will help us during this journey.
- We will also have a team back here in the US, that will be in contact with us as we continue on this journey.
- Team empowHER
- Most exciting I get to begin my race with 5 amazing women. We are a powerful team of 6 that will be journeying and spreading the gospel. I am also excited because I am able to serve as a “Team Leader” leading these women on this experience.
Living Conditions
First off, we camped out everyday. We were sleeping in our tents outside in some sort of fashion. Almost every night we had a “field scenario” where we sleep in different conditions to prepare us for the race. Some of these sleeping conditions included a “single room” scenario. In some of our mission site, we will have a single room where our entire team will be sleeping. This scenario we stayed in an eight-person tent with 10 people and all of our gear. Another scenario was “airport”; this is where we slept in a makeshift “airport” (noises included)! During the race, we will have VERY long layovers so preparing yourself to sleep anywhere is important.
In addition, a part of the living conditions were the showers and bathrooms. We took bucket showers and used port-a-potties the entire time. While this was not glamorous, this was very accurate of our situations around the World. These living conditions, the heat, and being uncomfortable really helped prepare me for what life will be like on the race. Getting out of your comfort zone and learning to adapt is going to be my new way of life.
The Ministry
The 10 days of training camp I learned more about my relationship and journey with God then I ever had before. Each day we dove deep into the word, our identity, and God’s love fore us. God truly spoke to me and unpack some things that I need to work on. While it was painful, it was the most freeing experience. My favorite day and most in-depth day for me was the day we talked about God’s grace for us. For a long time I felt I was not good enough for God, but really knowing God’s grace and love for me is unimaginable. A quote that the speaker said that truly stood out me was “ Your problem is not going to change God’s invite!” These 10 days made me so excited to continue with my faith for God and continue growing. I know this next year will be amazing as I learn more of the gospel and have the opportunity to spread it.
The Music
The music of training camp was AMAZING! These songs spoke to me in so many ways. I just wanted to share some songs that filled my heart at training camp….
- Overwhelmed- Big Daddy Weave
- Just Want You- Travis Greene
- Good Good Father– Chris Tomlin
- King of my Heart– John Mark McMillan
- Heart to the Heart– United Pursuit
- Holy Spirit– Francesca Battistelli
- Since Your Love– United Pursuit
- One Thing Remains– Bethel Music & Brian Johnson
- No Longer Slaves– I Am They
- How He Loves– David Crowder Band
- Fierce– Jesus Culture
- Lose My Ability– Cageless Birds
Lastly, I just would like to say thank you so much for your love and support. This has been such a life-changing experience so far and I know the best is yet to come. Without the love and support of my family and friends, I could not have done any of this. God has blessed me with such a welcoming and loving community and I am so in love with all of you. Words cannot express my love for you and how God is working in me. I will be praying for every one of you. I said “YES” to this journey and I appreciate you saying, “YES” to me.
