I am finally home after spending 10 days in Gainesville Georgia for training camp! I can say without a doubt that my expectations were totally blown out of the water.
It was amazing to finally meet my amazing squad! I am so blessed to be In a group of people that challenge me but also lift me up. And to my team (team lighthouse), thank you for being raw and real, and showing me what it looks like to be a man of God. I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys.
As amazing training camp was, it was also very difficult. I didn’t expect that I would have to eat bugs and others foods with my bare hands, I didn’t expect that I would have to be vulnerable with people I have never met before, I didn’t expect that I would have to share a small tent with someone 2x my size. But facing each of these challenges taught me something new. The bugs taught me how to be culturally respectful, and taught me to try new things. Being vulnerable taught me the importance of trust and faith. It taught me that the recipe for a good relationship/brotherhood is vulnerability, honesty, and being real with each others. This is something I am still learning and getting better at. And sharing a tent with someone not my size (FORD) taught me the practice of patience and being willing to do anything for the comfort of someone else. These are just a few examples of things I experienced during training camp… but here’s a run-through of what our day(s) looked like.
Sessions:
Everyday we would have session, people would come talk to us about a number of topics: cultures, community, ministry, forgiveness, intimacy with Lord, worship, and many other things. These sessions would take place in the Training Center (A place we all enjoyed because there was AC/Fans). We would also have worship before or after sessions.
Fitness Test:
The fitness test was a 2.2 mile hike we had to complete in 30 min with our fully packed backpacks on, and in the Georgia heat (The lack of food and sleep did not help). But the beauty in this was not completing the hike on time, rather it was sticking together and making sure we finished together. My team made it very obvious before we started that sticking together was more important that finishing on time. AND with that mindset we completed the hike on time, and was able to help the other people in our squad finish on time.
Meals:
The meals changed daily. Each day was a new country, and we were required to follow the dress code of each country, and also eat there food. Some days we weren’t allowed to use utensils, and other days we were only supposed to use chopsticks. For example on Africa day, the guys had to wear pants and any kind of shirt, and girls had to wear skirts and had to cover there shoulders. So along with eating the corresponding food, we had to follow the social norms of the specific country. It was a very exiting but educational experience. (Cauy practice using the chopsticks… you’ll get it)
Team/Squad
During training camp we got assigned to our teams! My team is 5 guys, who are Christ centered and we are all hungry for more. Our team name is “Lighthouse”. Built to shine light for those wandering in darkness and to bring them to safety. I love you guys, can cant wait to spend the next 9 months with y’all.
I cant wait to continue sharing this story with you
P.S.
I am sorry for anything misspelled or grammatically incorrect. I had some people who would edit my posts, but I wanted to keep this blog strictly me. So I guess just get used to my incorrect writing HAHA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9dGqJGNBwk&feature=youtu.be <—- Training camp
Glad to hear this update, and excited for your experiences with your team! God bless you!
Glad to hear you had an amazing experience! Training camp is indeed a hard but fantastic experience indeed and definitely a life changing experience!
Wow, that is an awesome video. Is that a world race produced video or did you do that?
Sharing a tent with Ford would definitely be an experience.
Thank you for stepping into the challenge of pursuing true Godly manhood. I’m looking forward to being a part of this journey with you for the next 9 months. Live gentle, love strong, man of God .
Well Parker, I thought I was following you, but evidently not, lol… and I should be now!
So now, I’m going to play some catch up and read about what has been on your heart. So glad training camp was a good and growing experience for you! Also thankful you have such a great group of guys who you call team!