The past week I’ve been sweating it out in the Georgia backwoods, training to become the perfect, put-together missionary that surely God intended for me to be… so I thought. I expected bugs, the humidity, and quality hammock time. And those expectations were met within the first night of training. But I didn’t expect my team of 7 girls to become inseparable within the first twenty-four hours. But my favorite time of day is meal time, because then we’re all together, laughing until we cry. I didn’t expect to spend my first night sleeping in the woods under a...

  This has probably been the most exhausting week of my life, but in such a good way. This week was focused on connecting with our team but also connecting with the Lord as we prepare to spend our summer serving Him and His children. In less than 24 hours we will be landing in Guatemala City, it's hard to believe that all of the waiting is almost over and only a 4 hour plane ride and 6 hour bus ride seperates us from our home for the next 2 months.  I am 100% confident that God has placed each person on our team for a specific reason and that we all are going to make such...

You know that spiritual high you get at church camp? The one that sticks around for a few weeks then you’re left with nothing but a countdown until next summer. Training camp is nothing like that. We all arrived after a day of goodbyes, airports, and a long, sweaty, 2 hour, 3 bottoms in a seat bus ride. Feasted like there was no tomorrow (cafeteria food is always the best), jumped right in, and haven’t stopped running since. All-group worship sessions are entirely God’s. People are shouting, dancing, crying, jumping, singing, praying, clapping- however you could think to...

No no no no no. No no no no no no no. No no no no no. I hate waking up early. But I love God so much more… eh, you give some. you get some. Anywayyyy….. Prior to arriving at training camp, I honestly did not prepare much for this 2-month endeavor.  I was so overwhelmed with other things, preparation fell to the bottom of my list. I definitely regret packing so hurriedly last minute and choosing not to get the suggested vaccinations and meds.  However, I'll just use this as an opportunity to rely even moreso on the Lord. Training camp has been refreshing. I truly...

Today is the final day of training camp.  Everything ha sprogressed so much since that first slightly awkward team dinner.  Everyone on my team agrees that it feels like we have been here for over a week. We have been learning a ton of different things about worship, freedom, listening, and how not to hate each other for the next 2 months.  Most of our team walked to a sweet waterfall here at Toccoa Falls college this afternoon and had some great bonding time. Our leader Grayson slid down a rock into a hole in the waterfall pool, which was pretty funny. We are leaving...

Friday we arrived at Toccoa Falls College with no clue of the adventures we would experience before we flew out. We’ve learned to face the unexpected and face everything with stride and encouragement from each other.   Our training consists of witnessing to foreign remote tribes (our team leaders are such great actors/actresses!), building our own tent out of rope and tarps and spending the night in them, dancing…learning “the Wobble”, and sessions about survival in our countries.   This time has not only tested my physical limits but it has been a...