1. Know the weather!!! I checked the weather 2 weeks before camp, the week before, and the day before I left. Yet I still didn't have enough warm clothes. (My training camp was in October, and contrary to the belief of myself, and many others on my squad, Georgia gets REALLY cold! Especially when the sun goes down, pack accordingly)
Kara trying to stay warm
2. Do NOT judge your squad mates before you get to camp. This is especially true if you have been involved with your squads Facebook page even slightly before camp. The comments and post that may have rubbed you the wrong way or made you say "I'm not going to get along with them" may take on a whole different meaning once you have met them, heard their story, and learned their heart.
All M Squad does is WIN!!
The famous Fish Soup ( that I ate with chopsticks)
4. Remember you are not doing thins alone. Not only will you have God on your side, your entire squad will be experiencing all this with you. This is a good thing to remember when they are training you for things that may actually happen on your Race. And yes, some of them are crazy, but we could always find at least one Race alum who had it happen to them. Embrace it.
My Family for the next 11 months! Team Speak Life
5. Speaking of Alum… Talk to as many Race Alum/ staff as possible. Even if they are not working directly with your squad. Each one has their own amazing, horrible, and encouraging story. They are so willing to share their knowledge with you. They are also there to help you process what God is teaching you during the week. Short story: embrace the staff, they love you more than you know and want to help!
Our fearless M Squad Leaders Stacy and Vanessa
6. Bring your baggage to camp. This is not the place where you have to live your second life. You know the one you try to hid from your church friends or family. This is the place to get real with God and your squad. By the end of the week you will have 60+ new accountability partners who will love you through your baggage and mistakes, not judge you for them. More importantly, God is there to begin the process of freeing you from the baggage. Drop the walls and let Him do that.
One of our amazing worship services
7. Be ready to have a new standard of hygiene. Showers are limited. (Girls, we had 4 showers with 200+ girls trying to use them) There were many girls on my squad who only showered once and only wore 3 outfits, at most, for 8 days. I know you are reading this saying "Eww, I'll never do that!" Just wait.
I wore that sweatshirt all day, everyday, for a week straight!
8. Prepare your heart and make room to love 60+ people as much as you love your family and friends back home. I was a squad Facebook stalker. I thought I knew what it meant to love my squad before I got to camp but I had no clue. These amazing people will become like family to you. You will learn to love them more and more as you hear their stories and experience life with them. On that same note, one of the best pieces of advice I got before camp was to get to know as many people as possible from your squad. Don't just sit with or talk to the same people all week. Talk to as many as possible. It really makes team bonding a lot easier.
You can't help but get cozy with your squad when you are sleeping this close together
9. Don't be afraid of what the week holds. I can say this now being on the other sides of camp. I was a mess before camp, I had no idea what to expect because no blogs would tell me. (You learn at camp it is because they ask you not to divulge too much.) I am a planner and not having an itinerary in my hand before I got on the plane scared me to pieces. But as the week progressed I learned to live in the moment. It may ease your mind to know that you are never put in a dangerous situation. You may encounter uncomfortable ones, and ones that stretch you, but never are you in any danger.
10. Let go and Let God. I know it sounds cliché but for this week it is so true. I can’t tell you how many miracles we witnesses and how many moments that were just filled with God that we experienced. But it was because we were willing to let the walls come down, drop the expectations and just focus on Him.
Let go and Let God
I hope this blog will help you future Racer! Feel free to comment or email me any more questions you may have.
Also be on the lookout for a blog about my personal experience at training camp!
