Training Camp: Desperation and Decisions

Before we begin talking about how training camp went, I want to preface some things with honesty. This is a safe place right?:) Less than three weeks before training camp, the deadline to have $10K was in four days and I was quite far from that mark. I was overwhelmed and I could physically feel a weight on my shoulders. So at this moment, training camp did not seem like a possibility, much less the Race. The Lord and I had some intense “face-to-face” conversations that consisted of tears of desperation and lack of understanding. “This is something He called me to, so why is it not happening?” I thought to myself. It came to the point where I just surrendered…and I hated it. I hated it because it felt like I was giving up, but a gentle whisper reminded me that I wasn’t giving up. What I was doing was giving up control. I told God that if the Race didn’t happen, as much as it broke my heart, I was ok with it. Fast forward to three days later, I reached the $10K mark. He is good people! Comforted by Him and my community, I started preparing as much as I could. TRAINING CAMP WAS HAPPENING BABY. 

On July 10th-16th, I attended training in Gainesville, Georgia alongside 75+ other 20 something year-olds who are crazy about Jesus. Here is where I was able to meet my SQUAD!! A squad is a group of 30 or so racers that become your family in a matter of hours. We travel to each country together and then break into teams of 5-6 people. My team consists of myself and 4 other fabulous ladies; April, Camden, Madie, and Taylor. I’ll insert a picture of my squad below:

LET’S GO M SQUAD!!!

Training camp consisted of a lot of exposure to new things and new people. Each day represented a different country or region. On India day, we were to dress in culture-honoring attire as well as eating according to traditional customs. Women in India typically wear a head covering while eating. Some of us had to get creative and use what we had. i.e my flannel. Also, everything must be eaten with your right hand for your left hand is considered unclean. Here is a picture of some delicious Curry and my teammate Camden and me at the table. 

I always like to say “rain is not an obstacle, it’s an opportunity” but my spirit was challenged (to say the least) that week. You guessed it, it poured the whole week. You might be thinking “what’s a little rain”, but when your home is a tent on dirt, things get messy, literally. I quickly learned that camping is cuter in theory. Shout out to the bugs, mud, and good ole humidity for helping me make that conclusion. Days began before the sun was up and the moment my eyes opened, I was faced with the decision of who will I follow: my flesh or my spirit? The soreness of my body, the constellation of bug bites on my legs, and the lack of bathrooms made it really tempting to follow my flesh BUT recognizing and acknowledging the WHY of what I’m doing gave me the strength to push through. The circumstances around me forced me to crave a level of comfort that could only come from God and could only be satisfied by Him. A new level of desperation for Jesus was opened and I gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be a disciple of His. The reality is there are people in this world that do not even realize Jesus is an option and that genuinely breaks my heart. So now this me doing something about it.

Thank you so much for reading, it truly is appreciated! Please feel free to subscribe as I will continue to post about all the adventures ahead. Our first country will be ROMANIA! 

Until next time amigos,

Gina Oyuela-Dickinson