    I would be lying to the World Wide Web if I said I was excited to go to training camp. The night before leaving, I went to three REI stores to find the right size air porter for my ginormous pack. Two wonderful friends came across town and helped me pack (though I dumped it all and repacked, sorry girls). Although sleeping the night before a flight is essential to one’s well-being, sleep did not occur the night before my seven a.m. flight. I was a nervous wreck, not knowing what to expect. I make lists; enjoy having a schedule and a plan of action. NONE of that was given to me before training camp (Welcome to The World Race- where the word expectation needs to be voided from your vocabulary).
Packing the night before:
Training Camp was one of the best weeks of my life. Sure, I ate some of the nastiest food, slept in some weird places, and smelled some strange things (aka people who didn’t shower, including myself).Â
This was one of my meals:
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This is where I slept:
    After applying to the race, I told myself not to have expectations- expecting God to do things my way. Sadly, I had expectations- I told God what I wanted and asked (more like begged) Him to do and give me the things I wanted.   I was able to pick which route I wanted and thought everything was set- but God had a different plan. I received an email from Jess (who plans the World Race trips) a week before training, asking if I would prayerfully consider switching routes. Responding right away I said, “I’ll pray about it, but I’m pretty set on going to the countries in my current route.� I prayed and waited, God never gave me a clear yes or no answer. Instead, He asked me a question a few days later. “Savannah, I am going to use you wherever you go, so you have a choice in this request, you can choose to begin the process of change now by switching routes, or you can stay in your comfort zone. You decide.� Wow! So, I switched squads and I could not be more excited to be on P SQUAD. I will be traveling to South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
   I had no desire to be put on an all-girls team for ministry. I asked God to make it so I would be mixed. Yes, girls are great, but I had my fair share of living with them in college 24/7 it was time for a change. As our team-building activities were underway at Training Camp I started warming up to the idea of being placed on an all-girls team. Meet my team of all girls. I could not be more excited to live life and do ministry with this wonderful
Team Grow Freely Inc.
Back: Left to Right- Rachel, Morgan, Jessica, Jess
Front: Christel, Savannah, and Hannah
   God keeps reminding me through little events that I have no control of my life- it is His. When we give our lives in complete submission and surrender to Him, He allows growth to happen.  When the chains of control fall off, FREEDOM arises. If I felt the beginning of the pruning process in a week- I cannot wait to see what HE does over the course of a year.
Here I am, Jesus!
