About two weeks ago I went to Gainesville, Georgia for 10 days and went through training for the World Race. I really did not know what to expect with training, but knew it would be a whirlwind. Since being back for a couple weeks, I have had time to process much of what I learned at training. Many friends have since asked me how training camp was, which I have realized is really hard to summarize in just a short conversation. So I wanted to write a blog to share a little more about what training camp was like and to explain some of the terminology I will be using while blogging on the race. In the first blog post I will introduce some terms, as well as my squad. In the second blog post I will talk more about what training camp was like.
At training camp I got to meet my squad, who I will be traveling from country to country with, and my squad leaders. It was so great to meet these wonderful individuals and hear about how God has uniquely brought each of them to the World Race. So let me introduce you to my team!
– Squad Coaches:
- Role: Squad coaches have not been on the World Race before, but bring wisdom that comes with age to our group. They support the squad and provide spiritual guidance stateside. They will come to the field at various points throughout the 11 months for times of discussion and debriefing.
- Keith and Karen are my squad’s coaches and they are an amazing, God-loving couple. They are passionate about serving the Lord and create space to be vulnerable and authentic. They love others so well and their joy is contagious; I cannot wait to get to know them better!
– Squad Mentor:
- Role: Squad mentors have been on the World Race before and lead the squad stateside. They help facilitate the other leaders on the squad and are a great resource. They will also come to the field at various points throughout the race for discussion and debriefing.
- Jeremy is our squad mentor and is one of the most intentional people I have ever met. He asks great questions and really listens to what you have to say. He leads with wisdom and builds others up in the process. He is spirit-led and just a fun guy to be around! (Oh and his baby boy is the CUTEST!)
– Squad Leaders:
- Role: Squad leaders are individuals who have been on the World Race before and will be with us for the first five months of our race showing us the ropes. After five months they will then call up new leaders from our squad and they will return to the states.
- Our squad has three leaders: Carson, Danny, and Hope. These three people have already come alongside us and poured so much into our squad. Each of them has such a unique story and is passionate about serving God. I cannot wait to get to know each them better as we travel around the world together!
– SQA:
- Role: This individual helps with finances for our squad stateside. They help with monthly budgeting among other things… Basically our squad could not do what we need to do in each country without this person!
- Clay is our squad’s SQA. He went on the World Race and now works for Adventures in Missions. He is so much fun to be around, but also knows how to get work done. He is also stellar at circuit workouts! He is a joy to work with and I look forward to working more with him while on the race!
– Squad Volunteers:
- At training camp we also had a number of other World Race alumni help out and pour into us throughout the week.
- Our squad’s volunteers were Ana, Bella, Courtney, and Ronny. I am so thankful for their prayers and how well they cared for us throughout the week. I wish they could all come with us on race, but I know that they will be rooting for us back at home 🙂
– My Squad: Squad I
- My squad consists of 27 other men and women from ages 21-35. We will be traveling to the same countries and when we are in Romania (month 2) we will all be doing ministry together. I already feel like I have connected so well with my squad and have loved hearing about how God has called each of us to the race. I cannot wait to do life with these individuals and be their family for the next year or so!
– My Team: SOL DOD
- Role: My squad is broken down into four teams of about six or seven people. Each team will be in a different city doing different ministries in each country. This makes doing ministry more manageable and allows us to get to know each other well and pour into one another.
- What does SOL DOD stand for?? Sons of Light; Daughters of Day.
- We chose this team name because, well, we have four guys and three girls on our team. But, more importantly, we chose this from a verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:5, which calls us to live as a light to the world because we have salvation through Christ. In verse 11 it states, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up…” As a team we want to live for Christ and be a team that encourages and points each other higher. I am so so excited to do life with these six other people! If you want to get to know my team more, head over to my teammate Regan’s blog (https://reganhorn.theworldrace.org/post/meet-my-team-sol-dod-photos)
Training camp part two will be posted later this week, where I will talk more about the good, the bad, and the ugly of training camp!
