Training camp!

Hey everyone!!!

It’s crazy I’ve been gone for over a month already! I flew out for training camp in Gainesville Georgia the 28th of November. Training camp was about two weeks long, and it was an amazing time to meet not just my own team but the other teams being sent. We stayed in tents with our squads the whole two weeks, through the rain and heat and had bucket laundry and showers. There were about 150 racers, all apart of different squads, being sent out into different parts of the world. It was such a sweet time of community and growth and the Lord did some really amazing work in my life.

It was so encouraging and refreshing to be around such a big group of people close to my age who love Jesus and want to share the gospel. There are so many sweet stories I could tell about training camp but just don’t have the space. One of the major things God did in my life was call me to be baptized again. One of the messages was about repentance and how we often create our own houses to hide in when God is offering us a house in his Kingdom that is so much better. Even though we are a part of his kingdom we often still run back to the house we have built but God calls us to leave that all behind and burn those houses. The Lord convicted me of my halfhearted or lukewarm faith. He gave me a picture of how I am trying to live in both. I had a foot in both doors, trying to bounce back and forth. Being on this trip is a big yes to what God has called me into and I don’t want to do it half heartedly. By getting baptized I said yes to everything he has for me, no matter what that looks like and it’s not a lukewarm yes, it’s a on fire for Jesus yes. I want to know him fully and give my all. It was a really cool night full of worship and baptisms. Three other girls in my squad were baptized and it was a cool experience to share. Made new in Jesus together.

My squad is a little bit smaller than some of the others, which is kind of special. There are six girls and six boys, which includes our two squad leaders. Because we are smaller it has been super easy to get close to everyone. Especially the girls 💗

Training camp flew by and it was such a special time. My squad was the last to leave, we flew out September 12th, and arrived in the Philippines the night of the 14th. We have now been in the Philippines for almost three weeks and this is our last week here before Thailand! My next update about the Philippines is coming soon! God is so good and has so much He wants to do with my squad on this trip. It has been cool to see Him work in our lives and those we get to serve.

Thank you so much for reading, I love you all!
-Lyds