Training Camp. Whew. What a full ten days you were! How do I describe you? I don’t know if I can do it accurately. I can tell all the things that happened, but it’s the people that make you a great thing.
Therefore, I would love to introduce all the people on my team as well as my training camp experience.
Every day at training camp was a different cultural experience. We experienced Central America, Africa, India, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Village culture. These cultures would determine what we were required to wear. Whether skirts, shorts, or even head coverings, it was always a fun exp
erience.
On any normal day, our Squad arises around 6:30 am or earlier, if you want to get in a bucket shower. We may have to have all of our tents packed back up before 7:30 am, if we have a field scenario that evening. And our camp – it was a big open space where all of our tents were set up, surrounded by trees; it was like a small neighborhood.
We had team devotions every day at 7:30 and then breakfast at 8:15 when we would learn all about the cultural rules of that day. After breakfast we would go to the lodge where sessions were held. I loved the sessions and learning more about how to do what we were doing or even just learning more about this walk of faith and what it looked like. We had sessions about the ‘cost of being a disciple’ to ‘discipleship and evangelism’ to ‘world religions’ and ‘communication.’
After sessions we would debrief about everything. It was actually really good to talk through it all. We would learn more about each other and how to be around each other as we talked through the day. Looking back on that, it was probably one of my favorite things. I learned how to operate in a culture of healthy communication and valuing what others said. That was something that the leaders did so well. They listened and valued what others said. I am excited to carry that with me this year.
After session we would have lunch in the giant pavilion and then we would either return to session or have Squad time.
Adventures always made sure that we had at least an hour of personal time each day. Oh personal time! One of the biggest decisions to be made is how to spend it. Shower or nap? Nap or shower? If you were good enough you may be able to get a nap in the shower line. There was one point in the week when I chose to take a nap and forgot that all of my stuff was packed up already. So I went to our camp site and found a tarp and sat right down and napped right there in the middle of the site. Did I get eaten alive? Yes. Was it worth it? If you asked my brain, “Yes.” If you asked my bitten skin, “No.”
We always ended the day in worship. One of my most favorite times. We packed 300-ish people in a room the size of a small Dollar General and sang louder than a tornado siren. Those were the moments I loved.
