In my last post (https://kaylakincaid.theworldrace.org/post/training-camp-part-one-meet-my-squad-photos) I shared a little about my squad and my leaders, but I also want to share a little more about what training camp was actually like and tell you guys what I’ve learned since then. I don’t want this blog to just be about all the good things because, quite frankly, life is not always good, as I am sure you already know. But I think people tend to put on a front when they present themselves on social media. However, my hope for this blog is to be as real as possible and share my heart about what God is doing while on the race. So to follow suit with this declaration, I am going to share the good, the bad, and the ugly about training camp.
But first, what is training camp? Training camp for the World Race is meant to prepare you for what life may look like on the field. Each day had a different cultural theme, which means that you eat and dress like the culture, as well as learn different cultural norms. For example, on India day we ate with our hands and wore long skirts or pants. Training camp is filled with personal quiet time, team and squad time, scenarios you may encounter on the race, as well as various teaching sessions. It is a jam-packed ten days, but also a sweet, sweet time of spiritual growth.
Now that you know what training camp is, here are some of the good, bad, and ugly of camp:
– THE UGLY:
As I mentioned above, training camp is meant to prepare you for many scenarios you might experience while on the race. For example, one night the “airline” lost half of our squad’s luggage, so we all had to share tents and supplies for the night. Throughout camp we also took cold bucket showers and slept in tents most nights because in some countries this will be our living situation. This was great training for learning to be flexible and making the most of difficult situations while on the race. Because we essentially camped for 10 days some of my things got a taaaadd smelly in the Georgia heat! After getting home, I took out my towel and it resembled the smell of my brother’s soccer cleats in high school! Yuck! So lesson learned, I will take more than one towel on the race and make sure to completely dry the towel before packing!
We also had an adventure day while at training camp. Adventure day also came with adventurous food. For example, the picture below is a duck egg! The “white” of the egg reminded me of the texture of Jello and the yolk reminded me of mashed potatoes. Pro tip: don’t smell the food before eating!
– THE BAD:
At training camp I realized that I definitely will need to learn to balance my personal time with my team time. There was not a lot of alone time at training except in the morning and something I have learned as I have gotten older is that I really need and value alone time. I have also learned that I have a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out). While on the race I will be living with and doing ministry with many people and, with that, alone time might not look quite like it does back home. Therefore, I will need to get creative with alone time and make it a priority at times.
Another down side of training camp is meeting your squad mates and then having to say good-bye just as you’re starting to connect with everyone. It was so much fun to get to know the people that I will be doing life with over the next 11 months. It was great to finally meet the faces and names I had seen so many times online. And it was sweet to hear their stories about how God led them to the World Race. Even though I have only known them for a short time, the good-bye was still hard – it was like we are putting a pause on it all until the race starts.
– THE GOOD:
Finally, the good about training camp! In addition to meeting my squad, it was great to meet some of the leaders behind the World Race. The more I learn about the race the more I am excited to be a part of it. The leaders not only value what the Bible says, they put it into action, and desire each racer to do the same. I knew that the World Race was part mission trip and part discipleship training, but I did not realize just how much the staff would pour into us and how much they desire us racers to do the same for each other.
Training camp was also filled with extended periods of worship. It was amazing to be in a room of so many other Christ-followers just authentically worshiping our God – I couldn’t help but think that it might be a glimpse of what heaven will look like. In addition to the worship sessions, we also had various teaching sessions. Some sessions were very practical (i.e. travel insurance, dress code, how to share your faith, etc.) and others were educational (i.e. reviewing Old Testament stories and fruits of the Spirit). What I loved about each session was the emphasis that was placed on the Bible – throughout the sessions verses were quoted and used as rationale for why things were being done the way they were.
One of the sessions I loved was about communication and feedback. While on the race communication will be key to making life work as a team. We will have times with our team to debrief and just talk about what is going on. As a team we need to be there for one another and share truth with each other. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching.” I am excited to do life with my team and to call each other higher through the way we communicate with one another. I am not always great at communicating and am sometimes timid about giving feedback, but I am excited to grow in these areas and see what the Lord will do with it.
Overall, training camp reassured me that this is what the Lord has called me to and has made me even more excited to go on this journey. I have only shared a few of the things I learned at training camp, but if you would like to know more just message me and I would love to talk more about it!
