I am officially in my fifth week on the World Race! Time has been flying by, and God is moving in so many ways! Five weeks ago, I was excited while packing my bags to Gainesville. However, saying goodbye to my family was strange. It is still hard for me to believe that I am going to be gone for so long. Although it seems to be forever, I’ll be on my way home in nine short months.
My time here definitely hasn’t been a vacation. We do things like sleep in tents, using port-a-potties, and brushing our teeth outside. This hasn’t been easy, but it is an excellent growing experience. On the bright side, the memories and friendships I’ve built have made for such a fantastic experience.
Here’s a little rundown of training camp so far!
Squads: My squad is known as Gap G or the outreach route! Our squad leader is Marissa. She is the person who watches over our squad and travels with us all nine months. Our squad is divided up into smaller teams that consist of 5 or 6 people. Within our teams, we have a team leader. The team leaders help lead bible studies, team builders, and process the week.
My team is called Upperroom. Including myself, there are 6 members on my team. This team has supported me immensely and has been such an encouragement!
Meals: While at boot camp a few months ago, we ate family-style and tried lots of foods from different cultures. Training camp food is a bit different. We eat three meals a day, and they’re all relatively close to traditional American. We eat food like chicken, hotdogs, plant-based food, fries, A LOT of salad, etc. We also have a vending machine, which are used pretty often. Overall, the food here is delicious, and I am still looking forward to trying other cultures’ food.
Devotionals: Every morning, there’s an hour set aside for us to spend in the presence of God. We do things like a journal, read the word, pray, etc. The first week we were here, we learned different ways to do a devotional. It was beneficial because it shows that everyone connects with the Father in unique ways. Now, we are free to do what suits us best. I chose to read the Bible in chronological order. Every day I read about two passages, one from the old testament and one from the new testament. I am hoping that when I am back in June, I’ll have read the whole Bible.
Sessions: We have two sessions a day. We have a session in the morning and in the afternoon. In the morning, all of the squads meet in the training center. We are taught by people who work at Adventures in Missions. We learn all sorts of things in this time. We have learned things like the history of missions, the importance of vulnerability, world views, and the importance of mental health. During our afternoon session, we learn how to fundraise, write blogs better, and talk about what God is doing in our lives.
My time in Georgia has been amazing! I am very excited to leave for Romania in a couple of weeks! I have been learning so much, and I am excited to continue learning ways to serve others and grow in my relationship with God! I hope that this gives you a clearer idea of what training camp is like! I will continue to update you all! I am thankful for all of the support you have given me and can’t wait to continue taking you on my journey!
the Upperroom:
