Training camp is happening. Last Thursday, 250 some World Racers showed up on campus. Everywhere you go, there are World Racers. There are squad leaders. Training teams. The grounds around the office are filled with colorful tents, hammocks, and lovely yellow porta potties.
Tonight was the market night, which is when the trainers simulate what the market experience is like overseas. It is complete with beggars, crazy taxi drivers, vendors being all up in your face, people pickpocketing, the crazy american tourists, the loud music, and etc…
All week long, I have been flooded with memories from my own training camp (which seems like it was just last week).
Remembering the first few days when it rained, rained, and rained some more. We were freezing all the time. We were hungry. We had to wake up ridiculously early in the morning and have all of our things, tent included, packed and ready to go.
You meet 40ish strangers who are supposed to be “your people” for the next 11 months. You bond with them over eating meals with only your left hand, sleeping three to a tent because you “lost your luggage”, worship around the campfire, exhaustion from all the things, not having had a shower for days, and when one of your squad mate loses her key at the bottom of the lake but it is found because that’s just how D squad rolls.
You’re put on a team with 5-6 people and these are the people you are told that you will live with. Eat with. Work with. Have team time with. Give feedback with. These are the people you will literally spend all of your time with. They’re the last people you see before you go to sleep at night and the first people you see when you wake up. Every. single. day. And you bond over Cici’s pizza, Goodwill, and bumblebee dresses.
By the end of your time at training camp you find yourself legitimately sad to be saying goodbye to these people who you just met but yet have this insane, unspeakable love for. Literally we said goodbye at least 3 times before we actually left. And the countdown for launch begins the minute you leave the camp grounds.
And now here I am, five months (to the date) after our return date, living in Gainesville going to the CGA. Who would’ve thought.
At training camp, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I was the wide-eyed-what-is-happening-right-now girl during the market experience.
These people who I was surrounded by, who I somehow felt so connected to but yet I didn’t know them at all, I had no idea how close to them I would actually become. I had no idea the ways that living in community would change me and push me to step into who God made me to be.
Looking back, I can see so clearly the way God orchestrated it all so perfectly. That crazy, unspeakable love for my beloved D squad? It only grows more and more. Thank you D Squad for loving me well. For being my family. My friends. My church. My people. I absolutely love being a part of your family.
I knew the World Race would be insane and life changing and mind blowing…and it was all of those things. The Lord rocked my world. It was one of the best years of my life thus far. But it won’t be the best year of my life. Praise Jesus for that. I am overflowing with gratitude to you who made it possible to go on the World Race and those who are continuing to support me now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
