Training Overview!

HIIII GUYSSS!!!!

Here’s a quick update about the logistics of training camp, what’s been going on around here, and what’s to come! I will be adding pictures and videos very very soon as well as a more intimate post so y’all can hear what is going on in and through me personally.

I want to start off with a praise God moment: We are almost fully funded!!! Thanks God!! Thank you again to everyone who has supported me both in prayer and financially! The Lord has blessed me immensely with each and every one of you. To think we started this journey just a few short months ago has absolutely blown my mind and strengthened my faith in a way I never imagined.

Soooo I might have lied, I think this post is going to be a little long……

As many of you know, my parents had the opportunity to drop me off in Atlanta and spend an extra day with me as they went through Parent Launch. It was the sweetest time worshipping and simply spending quality time together before this adventure began. I was blessed to see the peace and joy of the Lord in both of them as we said our “See you [soons]” and I was loaded into a bus with my squad mates for training camp. I thank you God for the peace you have so faithfully gifted to each and every one of my family members during this time, it is without a shadow of a doubt what has not only pushed us through the last couple weeks but pushed us closer to you and reliance solely on you.

I also met my squad mates and leaders for the first-time during launch and let me tell you, when I say I was white knuckling it in the backseat all the way through Atlanta traffic holding back the urge to crawl up in a ball and just hide out, I mean it was baddddd. Scared was not the word. The only thing I could do was continually pray for the Lords reassuring peace and remind myself that He made a way for this to happen, and it did.

My fear and anguish were immediately put to a halt. I was greeted with the most beautiful hug! Yes, I know what you are thinking, that is a really strange way to describe a hug. To be honest, I don’t know how else to describe it. It was so pure. Miss Racheal Farner was my first impression of the vast love and community I was to find in this squad. Looking at them now, it’s quite an understatement. I have never met a group of individuals that collectively carry themselves and each other with a strict standard of love, humility, and pure compassion. Each person is a vital part to the team and a crucial part of this body.

On the logistical side, there are five squads total, an 11-month squad and 3-month squad who left for ministry after 2 weeks and three 9-month (gap year) squads, which is the route I’m on. Each squad was given a camp site at base where we lived in our tents the last 4 weeks. It was incredibly insane but with that also came lots of bugs and spiders, aka daddy long legs. Not to mention the uninvited puddles of mud and mold growth that comes with a week and a half of straight rain. Nevertheless, the experience as a whole was unprecedented. If you would have told me a year ago, I would be living in a tent, showering with a bucket, hand washing my clothes and praying it doesn’t rain again so they can dry, I would’ve said you were crazy. The funny part is I have never been more joyous and content in my entire life. God’s sense of humor is hilarious! A year ago, I was living in a shoebox with a roommate, a meal plan, communal showers and laundry, and could not wait to move into my own apartment; I’m now living like I’m homeless, stripped away from everything I’ve ever known and am so grateful.

Anyways, in terms of our daily schedule, we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner family style with our squad every day; 1 to 2 teaching sessions followed by discussion with our squad/team; daily chores such as dishes and cleaning porta potties, shower units, and meeting places; and daily devotionals and bible studies. Depending on the day, we have worship and revivals, as well as opportunities for evangelism and ministry.

Here are a few big moments I have experienced thus far!

–       We had the opportunity to have Jessi and Parker Green speak to us the 2^nd week at training and it was incredible! This was a total God moment! I bought her book to bring on the race a couple months ago and come to find out she is an alumni racer! It was crazy! The Greens now spark revival across the world baptizing hundreds on hundreds everywhere they go. When I say revival, I’m not talking about the weeklong church services that happen every so many years. I’m talking about setting the body of Christ on fire for more of the Holy Spirit and the Lord’s work; ready to go out and do the Lord’s will. On fire to spread the word of God to everyone who will listen. Fighting at the gates of hell for all the lost souls walking around. Because that’s what we’re doing as believers. We’re quite literally fighting at the gates of Hell, were called to action for the name of Jesus and not to sit in a church pew.

There were over 150 racers, squad leaders, and mentors baptized at this event. Not for declaration of faith, but because we want more of the Holy Spirit. We hunger for more of Him.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  Matthew 5:6

The Holy Spirit was moving in ways I have never seen, and it has continued in this direction every day. That same day, we visited a church that has been in revival for almost 5 years. I have never experienced anything like it. They were on fire for the Lord and what He was doing in their community. We are too comfortable. We need to fix it.

–       Gap year squads evangelized at Walmart and Home Depot one afternoon and it was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The US is the hardest to evangelize to. Our culture is rushed — how fast can we get in and get out? As a whole, we are not approachable people. I personally was convicted of this.

Are you more task oriented or people oriented?

Answer me this: When you go to the grocery store are you trying to get in and out as quick as possible or are you interruptible. I’ll put it like this, Jesus was for the people, he allowed interruption everywhere he went. He wasn’t annoyed when someone came and tugged at His robe or the line at the grocery store was too long. How approachable are you in public places?

–       We had a Thailand market simulation! Insane! There were so so many lessons learned in this! The goal was to get dinner for your entire team in 15 minutes. Well it seems easy at first until you take into account the language barrier, currency exchange, the police, cars driving through the middle of the market, drug plants, the crowds, all the while keeping an awareness of your surroundings. Needless to say, we failed miserably at this task. On the other hand, we stayed united and the boys’ team got more than enough food for all of us. My favorite quote has to be “Ya’ll will be eating before we will be eating.” I witnessed a whole new level of compassion and sacrifice that has forever changed my views and standards. On top of this, one of the guys stayed with us the entire simulation keeping an eye out for us. At one point because of the language barrier, we did not receive the correct amount of currency and as soon as the boys found out they gave us part of what they had left without hesitation. I was shocked and humbled.

–       Last week, as our fitness challenge, our squad hiked up mount Yonah and to add a twist we legitimately carried up our injured teammate. To give a little bit of context, he broke his heel earlier in the week and we were determined to bring him. The boys wanted to carry him by themselves, so they created a military stretcher out of two pieces of wood and a tarp and carried him up a decent bit. We soon realized it was pretty much straight uphill. Slowly I watched every one of our teammates and leaders jump in to help. The crazy part is I did not hear a single complaint up or down the mountain. How insane is that?! I went on a 1 mile fairly flat hike with my family roughly a month before we left, and the complaints were real. Don’t play, I live in South Georgia, I complain every time I step outside to a face full of gnats and humidity, I could cut with a butter knife. 27 young individuals carried a man up a 2.5-mile hike one way and did not complain. Straight uphill one way and straight downhill the other….and not a slight elevation. Quite literally one of the best days of my life. We got to the top and sat there for hours watching the sunset and just spending time together. We later roasted hotdogs and marshmallows over a fire and slept in hammocks by the side of the mountain. An incredible experience hands down.

Andddd……as of Friday night, we finished training camp in Georgia!!!!!! Saturday, we left for Kentucky to work at Samaritan’s Purse! We will be here for 2 weeks volunteering with flood relief!

Prayer requests:

–       For the people of the Dominican Republic, they were hit by the hurricane and are still recovering from the last one. We are scheduled to go to the DR in January.

–       For preparation of our hearts and the people of Nicaragua as we get ready to leave mid-October.

–       For our team at Samaritan’s Purse, that we can work in unity. Prayer for those we will be volunteering with, that we can love and inspire them! Prayers for the people affected by the flood, that we can love on them, hear their stories, and spread the good news of the gospel with them.