So I have been home from training camp for a little over a week now…It has been taking a while to try to process everything that happened there. It was not only amazing finally getting to meet my squad, it was a time of more growth, challenges, and surprises than I could have ever imagined. It has been difficult to come up with words to describe the 10 days I spent at AIM. While I can’t share everything I am excited to share one of my stories with you!
As many of you know my biggest concern about training camp had been our fitness hike… (walking 3 miles in 50 minutes with our big packs on) fitness has been a weakness of mine for quite a long time now. We were informed that out fitness hike would take place on our second full day at camp. I will fully admit to being extremely anxious and half expected that I wouldn’t make it. Outside some contact on social media I had had less than 2 days with the members of my squad and less than that with our squad leaders (Justin and Crystal) and our awesome training team. I cannot say thank you enough for all of their support. They knew of my concern and apprehension. Nothing can make you feel more a part of a group than people you barely know being willing to help you. They split our group into groups of around 5 people who would probably be walking at around the same speed, those of us who knew we would take the whole time going first. Justin (Our Squad Leader) walked with our group. After we got up the hill he told us that we needed a verse, the one we chose was Philippians 4:13 ~ “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He had our group repeating one word at a time. I started to lag behind, which I had known would happen. What I had not expected was for someone to stay and walk all the way with me. Justin, thank you for walking with me and keeping me distracted with stories and conversation. As we passed each of the people cheering people on along the route he would ask for a verse and a majority of them chose the same verse that we had. We reached one of the last people at the top of the driveway back onto AIM property and they told us that we had about an 8 minute walk to our ending point… we only had 6 minutes left in our time. Justin and one of my squad mates Bailey came alongside me and in a true God moment we made it! Right on the dot! After that moment everything else flowed so much more. I was still not easy, but it felt as it there was a barrier that collapsed inside me. It freed me from any lingering doubt I had about my ability to be a part of the World Race. It felt like the a final affirmation from God that this is where He has called me to be.
The fitness hike was one of the most visible God moments for me. There was many others that were internal and intensely personal. In my last blog when I said that I felt like I would return a new person, I did not know just how true that would prove to be. While I am still me, I have learned and grown in my relationship with Christ. As a result of that my heart, mind, and soul have been opened torn apart and rebuilt in Him. I will continue to process and work through all that we learned and I very much look forward to what He has for me this year. The verse from the fitness hike has become a verse for this entire experience Philippians 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
~ by the way our Squad Leader Justin just got back from his own World Race and one of his team members Julia Robertson is a vlogger and was volunteering as a part of the Serve team for our training camp. She made a couple videos about our training camp. At one point during the fitness hike she apparently gave Justin her camera so I though I would link them below so that you can see a little bit more of our training camp! In the first one my squad are in the Red shirts! Go I Squad!
