In all honesty I don’t even know how to start this blog off because I have so much to say about training camp and all that Jesus has been teaching me. I just ask you all to bear with me. I am going to break it down to three main points.
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What is training camp/what did I do at training camp?
Training camp is a week-long camp where we meet our squad in Georgia (the people we will be doing the race with). We connect deeply with the Lord and our teammates through teaching, prayer, scenarios and relationship-building. We practice different scenarios that are supposed to be hard so they can stretch us and bring us closer to God. For the most part we camped in tents all week long, including sharing a tent with someone else for the night. I don’t want to give away too many of the scenarios for some of the future racers!
Here’s the link if you’d like to read more: https://www.worldrace.org/training-camp/
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What did I learn from training camp?
Before leaving out for training camp and even the first two days, I struggled with doubt. I wasn’t sure if this was something God really wanted me to do. I thought I was getting way over my head, but as I was taking a shower (because that’s where some of the best conversations happen with God), God told me it wasn’t doubt. I knew God had called me to this when He first put it in my mind. It wasn’t doubt; it was comfortability. I am comfortable at home; I’m not really being pushed outside my comfort zone. A lot of the friends I have, I have known for two years or longer. I don’t have to make new friends or do new things. While I was at training camp and when I leave for the World Race, a lot of things will be new to me and I will be pushed outside my comfort zone.
My second story from training camp is about God’s grace. At camp we did a lot of team-building activities. I do not consider myself a leader in the sense of leading people during games and things like that. I would say I am more of a quiet leader; I lead by example. The first couple of games I played with my teammates, we did really well. I did what people asked me to do and stayed on the sidelines. One game, I had to step off the sidelines and do more. I was not comfortable with that because I kept making mistakes and my team had to start over a couple times because of me. In those moments I felt so bad; I felt like my teammates would hate me (being a little dramatic but that’s how I felt in the moment), but instead they kept letting me try over and over until I got it right. That’s when one of the leaders said, “That’s grace.” That really hit home for me, because at any point they could have gotten mad at me and said, “Let me just do it,” but they kept encouraging me and talking me through it. That’s when God showed me I don’t have to be perfect; I can make mistakes. My teammates will show me grace just like God does.
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Where does my help come from? (Psalm 121)
I’m going to share how God is providing for me. About a week before I left for training camp, they told me I could come, as I had $7,500. However, if I didn’t have $8,500 by August 1st, I would have to launch with a different squad. I thought about what he said a little but didn’t give it much thought because I knew God would provide for me regardless of what that looked like. About a day before training camp ended, I checked my email to see what was happening, and to my surprise I had $9,000.
Now I have $15,160. I am in complete shock. When I first said that I would do this trip and I told everyone how much I had to raise, so many people commented on how much it was. I agreed it was a lot of money but believed God would provide. Over these months, my faith in God providing for me started to get a little shaky. I was missing deadlines and felt like I wasn’t doing enough. During that time at training, God used a time when I couldn’t do anything to provide the most.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Meet the K Squad
Thanks Karen! I am super excited to see all of the ways that God will teach and grow me. Love you too!
Thanks Keith! I am super thankful God showed me so much in one week.
SO proud of you!!!
Thanks!
Wow, Makala! There is so much I love about this blog. You are walking into this journey with your eyes wide open to the Lord—His activity in your life and His unfailing love for you. I can’t wait to see what He shows you next! Love you!
Makalah! … This is one of the most insightful training camp recaps I have ever read. Abandoning comfort, experiencing grace, depending on God to provide… amazing. You clearly walk with God. I seriously can’t wait to see how He uses you to bless K squad.