I spent the past week getting trained for the World Race at the Adventures in Missions headquarters in Gainesville, Georgia. To say it was an amazing week would be an understatement. God challenged me physically and spiritually and blessed me with many new friends and memories.

To begin, I got to meet my squad! People who had only been pictures on GroupMe or talking heads on a Zoom call for the past few months finally became real friends. It was a novel experience to be thrown into community with a group of 30 people from all over the country. Although we were coming from different states and backgrounds, everyone bonded quickly. I got to talk with each of them at some point during the week, and I enjoyed every conversation. It is evident that God has masterfully woven together a tapestry of unique giftings and stories in this squad to be used to advance his Kingdom.

Towards the end of the week, our leaders placed us into smaller teams that we will be ministering with for the first few months of the Race. I was blessed with four awesome people on my team. If you are interested in praying for them, their names are Jose, Allie, Lindsey, and Gwen. I am so thankful for them and excited to live and serve with them for the upcoming months! We are a bold group of people, equipped by His Spirit's power to move in confidence. Therefore, we decided to go by Team 217, based on 2 Timothy 1:7.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

Some of our squad at the summit of our hike on Yonah Mountain.

Another aspect of the week that made it so memorable was the physical challenge. One goal of training camp was to prepare us for the living conditions we could expect on the Race. That meant tent camping, port-a-potties, and bucket showers. With the Georgia heat, humidity, and rain, I had to be ok with my body and most of my possessions staying wet and muddy throughout the week. I learned quickly to make sure I had everything under my rainfly, even if there was no rain in the forecast :). It took me a bit to adjust to this more rugged way of life, but God quickly showed me the joy of living simply when it comes to material things.

My home for the week.

 Each morning our leaders gave our squad an exercise challenge to complete. We all had to get up around 6:15am to workout together in some form. I loved getting to run, do yoga, play basketball, and be active with a group of friends. The best part was hiking Yonah mountain together. We packed up our gear in our backpacks and hiked over 2 miles and 1500 ft up to the summit where we pitched our tents and camped for the night. We spent time worshipping together around the campfire and gazing out at stunning views. A sudden and violent rainstorm rudely interrupted our cozy campfire. We all scattered, scrambling to keep our things dry and tents from blowing off the mountain. I am sure it was a hilarious sight, but it added to the fun memories of the hike.

Campfire worship atop Yonah Mountain. The calm before the storm.

Lastly, the most important goal for training camp was to prepare spiritually for the Race. We worshipped together and received teaching from Adventures in Missions staff. They spoke about their pillars for ministry which are, Intimacy with God, Community with Others, and Kingdom Mission. Throughout the week, I sensed a God-given peace resting on me. I felt like I was in my sweet spot, and God was confirming that I was right where I needed to be. This sense of peace came to a climax one night during worship. The worship leaders were challenging us to surrender anything that might be getting in the way of our relationship with God. I began talking with Him, asking what I needed to deal with. He responded quickly, with a simple,

"You're good. I have already healed your heart."

It was not God saying that I have nothing to grow in, but him assuring me of the work that he has done in my heart throughout my life. He was telling me that I did not have to dig up issues that he had already dealt with. I felt like a little kid at a playground looking up at my dad to see what he wanted me to do. He simply looked down with a smile and said, "you're good. Go play!" He just wants me to walk in the freedom he has already given me. Therefore, I want to go into the World Race resting in what God has accomplished in my life and stepping into new levels of freedom and authority in His Spirit. 

He has given me the green light. My job is to go.

Here is an awesome recap video that my teammate Lindsey made. Check it out to get a better look into what Training Camp was like...

Thanks for following my journey! Training camp is in the books, but launch is quickly approaching. Here is some important logistical info to know about launch...

I will be heading back to Georgia for final training on August 6th, then leaving the country on August 12th. So far, we know the first six countries we will travel to: Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Ecuador. After those first six months, the goal is to go to Southeast Asia; however, that region is currently locked down due to spikes in the Covid-19 pandemic. We will wait to see if the opportunity to travel there opens up within the next six months.