Hey family and friends,
Let me tell you about the craziest week I just had. I got home from training camp this past Sunday and it has taken me a while to fully process the magic that happened in 8 short days (it felt way longer). So many amazing things took place throughout the week. I met so many incredible people that are chasing after god and their dreams fearlessly, I found out my fist six countries, and I still get butterflies when I think about the other 5 women that I am lucky enough to be on a team with.
The first 6; 1. Guatemala, 2. Honduras, 3. Costa Rica, 4. Nicaragua, 5. Columbia, and 6. Ecuador. Of course all of this is subject to change but man am I excited.
My team. I am on a team of 6 women. Words can not express the joy and comfort I feel knowing I will be serving and living along side such strong, wise, funny, kind, and god chasing women. We are more than ready to let god work through us and within us as we embark on this kind of crazy journey.
All of that is/was great and gives me the warm and fuzzy feelings inside but that was not my entire experience. Not even close. On the first night after setting up camp, having dinner and meeting 100+ new faces we went to worship. The band was great, the music loud and the energy high. I could feel the holy spirit in the room and I was so excited for the most amazing week I was about to have. I took that time during worship to send up a quick prayer for God to really prepare my heart for the year ahead. I went to bed excited and eager for more.
Sounds great right? Wrong! The next few days I was met with the total opposite of warm and fuzzy feelings inside. Let me start by stating that the World Race team is so incredibly intentional about preparing us racers for the upcoming year. They gave us real life scenarios that past racers have experienced that lead to tired bodies and vulnerable hearts. I was inspired and intimidated by the amazing people they brought in to help challenge us and grow in our faith. Looking back I wouldn’t change a thing, even if you asked me on day 4 or 5 I would have said the same thing, but on day 3 I was ready to pack up and head home. More figuratively than literally but I was struggling. I have never questioned my faith or my plans more in my life. I stayed and I worked through it. Thank goodness I was not alone, I leaned into the people around me and was relieved to find out I was not alone in feeling all of these intense and unsuspecting emotions and doubts. I was vulnerable which can feel pretty uncomfortable but in this space I felt safe. It was in that vulnerability that I made such strong connections with people and a deeper and more intimate connection with the very God I was doubting. He is so good.
My prayers were answered yet again. He prepared my heart in ways I didn’t know needed preparing. Leaving training camp and since being back home I am more at peace, confident and assured that this year will be MORE. More challenging, more inspiring, more filled with love and more than I ever could have imagined for myself.
