Week One Training camp

Week one of training camp is officially over.  Never have I ever met more like-minded believers in my life.  

I got here on Saturday, August 31st.  I said goodbye to my parents on Sunday after taking my last normal shower for a while.  I was definitely filled with a lot of emotions considering I’d be sleeping in a tent for the next month on a sleeping pad that’s maybe an inch off the ground.  The first night of sleep was the hardest but I found myself longing for my tiny tent with my sleeping bag only a few nights later.  I was worried it would be harder being here without my family but I’ve had so much peace about my decision to be here.  The Lord is so good and I just know this is exactly where he wants me to be. 

Every day has been so different with a new simulation preparing us for the field.  Our first simulation was pretending our ministry host had us all sleep on the floor of the church so my whole squad gathered our things and had a slumber party that night.  Our second simulation, they had us pack all of our things up including tents by 6 am.  They then proceeded to take half of our belongings and made us buddy up that night in case we lost our belongings at the airport.  That evening led to me shivering in the corner of a friend’s tent with a backpack as a pillow.  So not everything is sunshine and rainbows here at camp, but…. It honestly has grown and changed me so much and it’s only been a week.  

We’ve had sessions daily where we are able to learn about hard topics we’ll need to be prepared for in the field and have our own views on.  The worship here also is something so special to see.  It grows my love for the people around me every time i open my eyes during worship and see someone simply worshipping Jesus.  To see godly men and women all around me who love Jesus as much as me has just changed my perspective so much.  I never thought I could genuinely love people this much in just a week of knowing them.  I’ve been learning so much since being here and learning how to just say yes to the Lord and surrender to him is one of the biggest things.  So even though I’m taking a shower from a bucket of water or hand washing my clothes it’s all so worth it.

Today is sabbath so we’re taking the day to rest.  We decided to celebrate someone’s birthday by door dashing steaks and potatoes and we’re going to cook it over a fire. So our rest day is going to be filled with sharing snacks, Starbucks, and our steak meal cooked by the boys in our camp.