It may take a while to process the week that was Training Camp for the World Race. Imagine a year’s worth of information, interpersonal connection, and travel experiences all compressed into 6 days. It was tough, exciting, beautiful, grueling and incredible. Like jumping out of a plane with no idea how to release the parachute…your heart is racing and there are moments of panic, but your hand finds the correct cord and you find yourself safely on the ground ready to take on the world. It’s enough to make you say some F words.
Here are some of the most informative F words of Training Camp this past week:
Food: There is plenty for everyone to live off of, but far less than you’re used to. 8 people share one large platter of food specific to a certain culture (a new one every day) and cultural dining rules are followed. Don’t like eating corn mush and collared greens with your hands? More for the rest of us. 
Full: Each day is packed full of information and experience. From learning things like hermeneutics and pneumatology, to having your pack “lost by the airline” for 24 hours, to daily exercises, to games focused on building and forming your specific mission team, you will never be without something to do. And, towards the end of the week, you’ll even find yourself full from a meal of a handful of rice with curry sauce and some unidentified meat.
Five: You will discover that this is the number of days it is possible to go without going #2 and/or going without a shower. And you will discover that you will live through the experience and come out the other end feeling as light as a feather and happy as a clam.
Foreign: You will be introduced to many things that are foreign to you. The people you meet come from all different cultures from around the US (and some from beyond) and they may have very diverse expressions of their faith. The organization has a specific culture and expression as well that is very Holy Spirit focused. This may be foreign to you and you may find some of what they do strange. No worries- everybody is there for the same reason with the same mission under the same God- the rest is preference and personal expression. God will speak to your heart, so even though you may be around things that are new to you, don’t feel any less than or different because you don’t look the same as the guy next to you mosh-pitting during worship. And it is always okay to ask questions.
Framily: You will begin the week with 50 people who are essentially strangers. After a few days that feel like weeks in the fox hole, you find yourself pretty good friends. By the end of the week, you’ve probably seen these people open up, break down, and resurface stronger than ever. This week is a battle and, by the end, you have the bond of soldiers who’ve come out of it alive. There is a level of trust in each other that is necessary for the next year to be successful and, miraculously, you will find it in these friends who become family (Framily) in the backwoods of BF nowhere Georgia.
One big happy E Squad Framily
Freak-Out: You will do this a few times. Maybe it will be when you discover the forest floor is your home for the night, maybe it’s when you find rice on the plate for the 8th meal in a row. Perhaps it’s when the preacher guy at the front goes straight-up African Pentecostal and starts yelling and crying as he quotes scripture at the top of his lungs. It could be when your luggage is “lost” for 24 hours and you have to rely on your fellow squadmates to take care of you for the night. Or maybe (true story) it’s when you realize you’re going to be on an all girl team with people you haven’t really connected with yet.
Speaking of which- here is my team and 24/7 community once the Race starts. At first we all were reluctant (All girls?!? Mostly introverts?!?), but we soon discovered that our strengths and weaknesses all balance each other out and that we’ve got the perfect recipe for personal growth and a really flippin’ good time. So here it is…Team Bellator
Apparently I missed the memo about standing up…
I was afraid an all girl team would mean we’d have a super cheesy name like “His Delicate Flowers” in Hebrew or The Boaz Finders. Luckily we were all on the same page. We wanted a strong name. One that reflected that we are brave, independent women who are kicking ass and taking names for the Jesus.
Team Mascot?
I kept thinking of the movie Gladiator, probably because of my gladiator-like physique and extremely adept fighting skills. So we started from there and eventually came up with “Bellator”. Bellator is Latin for “warrior”. Also, if you cover up the “tor”, it totally says “Bella”, which is Italian for beautiful. So there we go…It’s a strong, yet feminine name for a team of world changers who don’t need no man on their team. No man but Jesus (even our mascot would be okay with that one)…
There were a lot of other words that could describe Training Camp. Some of them don’t even start with F. To state them all would take years. So I think I’ll just stick with the ones I’ve got.
Thank you so much to all who have supported me! At this point I have all funds pledged that should get me to full funding by the deadline! If you’d still like to contribute toward things like gear, plane tickets to launch, a year’s worth of deodorant…etc… you can do so through paypal! My paypal ID is [email protected]
So Fank You, Fank You, Fank you for all you’ve done to make it so I am able to go out into the world to do some good with the Goodest Doer.
Love,
