Where do I begin? I have been at training camp now for 6 days. When I got here I expected it to be hard, but they took it to a whole other level (in the best way possible). Training camp is a series of Bible studies, spiritual growth encouragement and preparation for the race.  Training camp serves the purpose to give your squad (in my case 15 people who just met in person for the first time) time to get to know each other, encourage each other, and get ready to do life together for 11 months. 

I got to training camp on the first day and it was raining. The rain did not stop for 3 days. We slept in the rain, we walked in the rain, we put up tents and dealt with all the scenarios our leaders threw at us in the rain. All these things before the race would have made me so uncomfortable, just being wet and tired for days, but none of it was really that upsetting which is surprising. 

 All the scenarios were difficult in their own way. One was a simulation of a travel day, so we had to pack up all our stuff (tent, sleeping bag, everything, which was all wet), show passports and when we “landed” half our squads bags got ”lost”. So we had to share with other people and make it through the night without our things. Then that night we ended up having an actual tornado watch. There’s never a dull moment at training camp. 

God has shown me individually and my team collectively how much the things that we think matter so much on the daily basis don’t matter. Things like showering everyday, having indoor plumbing, sleeping indoors those things just don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. There is such a unity that has been built already with my squad even in this short time. Those things don’t matter, because our hope and trust is not in things of this world. God has not given us the spirit of fear, so no matter what life throws at us we can face it no hesitation with God on our side. God is doing amazing things in us thus far and I can’t wait to see what He shows us next.