I woke up on January 7 packed and ready to leave Wisconson Dells. That morning was very busy consisting of last minute stuffing things in my day pack, emptying out the fridge in our room, and cleaning last minute things for the room check. After all that was finished all before 10:00am, I carried my big pack and day pack to the main building where I would wait with the rest of the squad until the bus got there. Our schedule for the day was: 1. Pack 2. Clear out your room for room checks. 3. Move packs to the lobby and wait for the bus. 4. Get on the bus to get to Chicago and 5. Fly to Georgia for parent launch.
Somewhere between step 3 and 4 things went a little unexpected. While we were waiting for the bus, my team got called for a private meeting in the laundry room. Apparently someone on our team had tested positive for COVID-19, so they kept us separate from the group and I just sat in all the feelings that were flooding me all at once. I had more questions then answers. My team and I just sat silently for awhile, then we attempted to ease the tension with some jokes. Little did we know this was going to be the last time we were all in one room for over a week. 

Kayla, one of our squad leaders came, and told us we could come see the rest of the squad off. They were still going to get on the bus and go to Georgia. So we put on our masks and waved  as they set off to parent launch. Seeing the confusion on their faces, as they realized we weren’t coming with them. We had just spent an entire 6 weeks together as a squad. It was equally as hard for us to watch them drive away. 

Once they were out of sight, we picked up things that we had just put down on the free table( a table in the common area where you would put unwanted things), because we were headed back upstairs to start our quarantine which, at this point, we had no idea how long it would last. Kayla and one person from our team went to Walmart and we bunkered down.  We settled in for 7 days of being quarantined two separate rooms, guys in one room women in the other. 

It was a rough seven days being away from the other half of our team even though we were so close, not to mention being separated from our squad. Also in that seven days we rested in the Lord. God showed us just how much we weren’t in control and how much better His timing is than ours. Our reward for getting out of quarantine was getting to see our parents before we launched to Guatemala to join our squad. My team and I have learned how to lean on each other more and be truly vulnerable through all of our ups and downs. God’s plan is so much better than ours. 

-Elizabeth:)