Hello friends! 

Wow, it has already been four weeks here in Georgia! Just over four weeks ago I stumbled off the jet that carried me from Alaska to the opposite corner of the country. With a sore butt and excited heart, my 36 squadmates and I set up our tents in the woods at the Adventures in Missions (AIM) campus near Gainesville, Georgia. 

Since then, we have been learning a whole lot in our daily sessions, playing games together, and growing into a Christ-centered community. Each day looks a little different, but we follow a tight schedule which usually includes: 3 meals (don't worry, mom), an afternoon and evening session where we are taught by a speaker, team time, free time, and devotional time.

Here, I will outline what a typical day in the life of a WorldRace: Gap Year racer at training camp!

6.00am— I wake up and crawl out of my tent, batting away spiders and other bugs trying to invade my hair and home, and make my way to my secret spot in the woods. I spend about two hours with God as the birds test their morning voices and the ants begin their daily investigating. This means studying scripture and journaling my thoughts and feelings.

8.00am— Breakfast! I have bought both hot sauce and a jumbo jar of peanut butter that I use to ‘spice up’ our breakfasts 

9.00am— An hour to spend with God in any way we want. I am getting to know the creator of the mountains, the sea, and the creator of me so much more intimately than ever before. I usually spend this hour praying for my family back home and for my new family here.

10.00am— Morning session! A different speaker has two hours to teach us various important topics! So far, some things I have learned about: different cultural perspectives around the world, how to listen, the history of missions (and how not to repeat the ugly parts), and mental health! These are some awesome learning times!

12.00pm— By the end of that, we are usually hungry so we gather to pray for lunch! I love meals because it is a time to talk to squadmates and laugh around the table. After lunch is free time for 2 hours, where we can be found playing board games, napping in our tents, and taking walks in the woods!

3.00pm— We reconvene after free time to do an hour of activity. Some days its a workout, some days its fundraising, along with other subjects like squad dance parties!

4.00pm— Afternoon session! We all sit and take notes from a speaker. The last few were about student leadership tools and how to take responsibility for our actions.

5.00pm— Ah, one of my favorite times of the day. Dinner! The sun is beginning to get low, and we all eat food prepared by the incredible kitchen crew! I love how our whole squad takes turns serving each other every meal.

6.00pm— With our bellies full and our hearts happy, we seperate into our teams of 5 with our team leaders (alumni from last year) and process and talk about different things from the day. I will be spending the whole time on the field with these specific girls doing ministry together, so we are all bonding and preparing to do life together!

One of my favorite things about our days here is that we don't have our phones for the day. I have seen how that invites a kind of raw, distraction-free community and intentionality with each other that is so fruitful!

Thank you so much for reading! I am enjoying my days here, but I am so eager to be on the field! We are headed to Costa Rica on November 5. In less than one week though, we are all loading into vans and driving to New Orleans, Louisiana to partner with Samaritans Purse for hurricane relief! (More about that soon!)

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All the love, 

Grace