Wow, training camp has come and gone. It feels like I’ve either been here for two days, or two months, but it has only been 11 days. Training camp has pushed me out of my comfort zone daily and I am totally okay with it! I never thought I’d be so comfortable being uncomfortable. It has been helpful having such a supportive group of people with you every second of the day. I love my squad and my team (STREAM Team) and I’m so honored to be serving along side them these next 11 months. It’s hard to explain exactly what we’ve gone through here at camp but here’s an overview…
Training camp was an adventure right off the bat. When we arrived at training camp it was raining so it was interesting having to put up tents in the rain. Everything was soaked, damp, dirty, and muddy. We quickly made friends with the caterpillars, spiders, and millipedes. Each day we had multiple sessions (training), worship, and activities together. Every day had a specific culture that we focused on eating and dressing how they would in that country (ex. Latin America, Asia, and Indian). We ate a lot of rice! Some of these cultures don’t use napkins or silverware so that was entertaining. Ice-cold buckets of water were for showering. So cold! There were a few nights that we had to do simulations that we might experience on the race. For example, one night we had our luggage “lost at the airport.” Half of our teammates had their bags taken away (I was one of them) and we had to partner up and share a tent with someone. I loved my tent buddy! Another night we all slept in a big open room mattress-to-mattress “staying in our host home.” (I’m thankful for earplugs and eye masks). My favorite time at camp was a night that our entire squad and leaders gathered around a campfire to eat dinner, have smores, play games, and worship. Over the course of the next SEVEN hours, our team chose to be vulnerable with one another and share experiences that we have had in the past, or here at camp. It was an incredible time of being vulnerable with one another. The last night of camp we had squad wars and completed five different activities with our team. Our squad won second place (out of the four squads)! It has been really fun getting to know my team and already having the opportunity to make memories together.
All in all, training camp is really about unity. Coming together as like-minded individuals with the same purpose of loving others and letting God show you how He wants to use us for to further His Kingdom here on earth. Each of us on our squad are a piece of a puzzle and it is so neat to see how God has pieced all of us together for this season. I’m thankful to have have such a great team, I love it!
…Also, I have some big news, I AM FULLY FUNDED!!! Thank you to ALL of you who chose to invest in me and support me financially as I fundraised! Kingdom work, y’all! So EXCITING! I’m so happy to have reached my fundraising goal. Now I am able to fully focus and being intentional on the race. What a relief and what a blessing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
First stop, Nicaragua!
