Training camp. Where do I even start? I survived and I got home Saturday night. My aunt Lauren picked me up from the camp and I got teary. Then my cousin Tristian surprised me and met us for lunch two hours away from home and I cried. And it seemed like the whole family was buzzing with the excitement of my coming home from training camp. That really surprised me. I never thought of my survival as big stuff or news but it was and I must have retold stories three times over. I love my family. They were waiting for me to get home.
How would I describe training camp? It was by far the longest week of my life. Every day was at least 17 hours long and I kept track of how many hours of sleep (or lack thereof) I got and the grand total was 22 hours by the end of the week. That roughly works out to about 3 hours of sleep per night. Add to this no schedule, a different sleeping situation every night (after the first few nights I began to think of my little tent as a Hilton in regards to comfort.)
Training camp for me was not the fire hose it was, I think, for some people. But it was rough, I would not say that it was the hardest week of my life, but it was one of the hardest. Training camp was not easy and held very little comfort, but the Lord was there and thank God, He walked me through every step of the way, refilling me with strength and courage when I needed it.
You know nothing about training camp before you go. There is a tradition of secrecy and you can only piece together rumors from past racers on what actually happens. Usually I record all the details to keep my friends and family closely in the loop but now I understand that if they give you the week’s schedule you would be hazardously overawed by it. So in this post I will shy away from specifics. If you are a friend of mine feel free to comment below or email me and I will give you all the gory details! But if you’re going to training camp in the near future, enjoy the moment, take it one step, one situation at a time. You will survive if you just trust the Lord to get you through it.
I remember reading about Nicky Cruz’s gang initiation in the book, “Run Baby Run.” He went through a painful beating, but came through it and gained a new family on the other end. Not to glorify gang involvement or anything like that of course, but the process seems similar. By the end of the week you could feel it, a sense of, “we made it.” They make things hard so that when we’re out in the field less things will take us by surprise. The harder training camp was, the better prepared for the field we would be.
The staff were family. The racers become family. I have never met so many amazing people in one place in my life. These people, these brothers and sisters in Christ, this remarkable K Squad has already made a place in my heart. Like at the end of the Grinch Stole Christmas how his heart grows, I feel like my heart has grown and stretched to adopt them all. I’m really going to be with family a lot this coming year, it’s just kingdom family. When you go through what we went through, you become bonded. I think I began to realize that night 3 when I was laying down to rest on the tarp and I was right up against one girl on the left who was also laying down but having a conversation with some people. And then to my right a card game was going on and one of the people was sitting Indian style and was literally touching me because we were all so close. And then another person playing cards down by my stretched out legs just used my legs as an arm rest. No one had space bubbles. I think it was then that I realized how comfortable we were and how crazy it was that 3 days before we had never met! These people on K Squad are crazy, free, surrendered, dance-maniacs, who love the Lord and each other.
This is K Squad!
And this group of awesome ladies is my team for the next several months! The People I will actually be living with and working beside. Meet Team Warrior Bride!
On top of my awesome Squad and wonderful team that I am thrilled about, I was asked to be the Squad Safety Coordinator, which considering my family’s concern on safety I thought it was pretty poetic. Haha Once a month when our whole squad debriefs and gets ready to travel to the next country I will go over the safety concerns of the country we will be entering and reiterating safety awareness.
This week was rough but I surprised myself with how little I cried. I think I got teary eyed a few times talking to people, or hearing their stories. Somewhere in the middle of the week Brittney and I were laying down on the concrete drive way at the lodge along with a lot of other people and we spent an hour looking up at the stars and talking about the universe. It was way late at night I remember because it was the last night the Gray’s where there and they were doing interviews till like 1:30 AM in the lodge. So everyone was hanging out outside because it was a beautiful night and way too hot to go into our community tents. We saw 3 shooting stars that night and I just remember Brittney telling me all this stuff that she had learned about the universe and the different galaxies and what stars really are and that I was actually looking up at stars that weren’t even in our galaxy.
Any way I lost it. Half way through what she was saying I started crying. Here I was thinking about making my next financial deadline for launch and the God of the universe hung stars in the sky. I can’t hang stars. But He can. It just put what was such a big thing to me in perspective. I was so tired at that point I just remember Brittney saying in shock, “Are you crying?” And me blubbering, saying something like, “He hung those up there! Isn’t He awesome?!”
But I think I was so busy surviving the week that I didn’t really get to take a moment and fully process what was going on till the last night of camp. Squad wars were over. We were all covered in red war paint and I remember sitting down in the corner of the training center and just watching people dance. Usually I’m up there myself but I knew it was the last night and I just wanted to observe my squad and pray. So I sat down and I really began to get misty eyed as I saw these awesome, fun-loving people who walk in freedom, out there busting a move, giving it their all on the dance floor to some crazy Africa song from Shakira. And I had this thankfulness just well up inside of me.
I got up, walked outside and went half way up this steep hill between the lodge and the training center. It was really dark so I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone and I sat down and cried my eyes out for half an hour. I was so thankful for that week, for my squad, for the Lord calling me and providing and showing me the next step to take in this adventure with Him. L squad dispersed and went on to their camp site for the night but my squad just gathered outside and sat down, enjoying each other’s company, making the most of our last night. After crying out all the tears and being able to process for the first time that week I went down and joined my squad. And we laughed and talked and stayed up late playing cards and tackle spoons (I’ve got the nasty wound on my shin to show for it.) lol
I now only have a month before launch and even now our countries might be changing a little. I feel like I have so much to do before I leave it’s crazy. On top of that my financial deadline in August 22nd and my support account could use some love to get me to the $7,500 I need to leave on! The Lord is good and I know He can provide. Thank you for all the love and prayers and support!! I can’t believe I only have a month left here in the states!
With a heart overflowing with thankfulness and love,
Sarah
