To all my future World Racers out there, this potentially is a spoiler alert so proceed with caution. Keeping it to a minimum because I loved going into Training Camp blind!
Training camp…..What the what?!?!?!
Going into training camp I had been so overwhelmed of what was to come. I had more anxiety over training camp then I actually did over leaving for Launch! i went in thinking that I would not make it through the whole 10 days. I was for sure that I would have been asked to go home early. So all the prep work was done, bags where packed well in advance and the next 10 days was so unknown to me of what was to come.
On the long trip to Georgia I was almost indifferent about going to training camp. I wasn’t excited and it hadn’t really set in that this was really happening. But when I set foot on campus I knew that these were my people. These were the people that understood my story, felt the same emotions I was feeling, and I could be so freely open with. I knew that this week was going to be so unreal.
So, what really is training camp????
It’s 10 days of the hardest, most real, most revealing, stretching, growing, laughing, crying, sweating, defeating, empowering moments. God will bring you to brokenness and push you right through it this week if you let him.
But for real training camp is hard. It will take you to some dark areas in your life that you thought you had already dealt with. You will be forgiving people you thought you have already forgiven. You will find your true identity. You will understand the darkness you have been trying to get out of. You will embrace the pain you must go through. By day two you will want to give up because you thoroughly believe that you are not suppose to be there. But by day three you will be on such a high from completing your hike that no one will ever be able to speak negativity into you! But by day four you will be so overwhelmed as an introvert that community will be lonely. But by day five you will love your community like you never had before. Training camp to say the least is a roller coaster ride of emotions that cannot be summarized into a short blog.
Each day we would go to sessions where speakers taught some of the most life changing lessons. Some of the topics that were covered included abandonment, discipleship, identity, intimacy, vulnerability, and forgiveness. Each of these sessions hit straight to the heart.
My squad became my family. We did a lot of team building exercises through the week. We took cold bucket showers together, brushed out teeth with our water bottles, had mold forming in your water bottle and still drinking from it, experiencing the “I ripped my pants” spongebob moment in one of the most intimate moments your community will experience, slept in some awkward sleeping situations, relied on them for support, used overflowing porta potties (The stories are true….), embraced our stories, prayed, worshiped, and danced together. We even won squad wars!! We grew from knowing each other over just a phone to loving on each others.
The people below know my heart, my soul, my story, my pain, and they didn’t turn away they just told me I am not alone, that they are here for me as I am them. God has blessed me with so many people that live out God’s will within their life. I cannot wait to see what God has in-store for this next year!! I cannot express who much I love O squad aka The Wolfpack! These individuals have a special place in my heart! I would have never thought that I could care so much for 40+ people sooo fast!
Training camp will rock your world!
Fundraising:
I have reached 10,866!!! Soli Deo Gloria
I cannot think my friends, family, and supporters enough for everything they have done thus far!!
This means that I only have 5,695 to fundraise till I am fully funded!!
I have a goal of $130 a day to reach this amount by October! I need 42 people, families, or churches to be able to commit to this! I know God will provide this!
There is a good chance that I could be fully funded by Launch, which is October 2, but I need the support and prayers of everyone! I am asking you to to pray to let God speak to you if you should support me and how much. He will speak to you and provide the way for you to provide this to this mission trip!
