We started our trip with 2 weeks in Georgia doing training camp. 

Day to day layout:

8am: breakfast 

9am: worship and session

12:30: lunch

1:30-2:30: break

2:30: session

4:00: squad time

5:30: dinner

Break

7:00: camp clean up (clean porta potty’s, showers, or training center)

It would get dark around 8 pm and we were sleeping in tents so we would get ready for bed then spend some time reading in our tents. In between all of these activities was playing games, taking showers, doing our laundry in buckets, doing dishes, and spending time getting to know the people we would spend the next few months with.

What I learned: 

These two weeks were really hard they were very busy and we had a lot of information and sermons that we were taking in. We also were with strangers in a new place with none of our normal comforts. However it also was super growing, learning to understand our teammates that are from different backgrounds, and how to be okay being uncomfortable and smelly. 

Most importantly I learned even more the importance of knowing scripture. This time was difficult as there are many different people giving sermons from different denominations and backgrounds. So there was a lot of new perspectives and ideas that I did not understand or always (completely) agree with. But because of this I learned that I need to know what God says and his character so I could bring everything people said back to that truth that is laid out in the Bible.

Knowing Gods word and his character has been so helpful when satan is telling me lies, I am hearing new ideas and want to know if they are from God, or being tempted. 

An example of this in scripture I kept coming back to is in Matthew 4. Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by satan. And satan was telling him lies and using scripture out of context to try to trick Jesus. But because Jesus knew scripture we was able to correct the lies in the way satan worded things and remind himself of the truths God says.

Favorite memories:

On about the third night at training camp many of my team ended up laying on a blanket and star gazing and joking and laughing together.

On the second to last night of training camp we had squad wars, we all dressed up in our squad color purple and were competing against the other squads (three gap year squads and an 11 month squad). Our squad is 17 people while all the other squads are about 30 or 40. So we were small and most of us had to do every game. My squad was not good at dodgeball ?? and lost every game! However we had to come up with a all squad dance and we killed that!! And got second in the dance competition. This was the most fun night and our squad had so much fun together losing at some games and winning others. 

On the night before we went to the airport we got to watch a movie together. Keep in mind we have been in tents and outside for two weeks straight with a lot of rain and we were wanting to watch a movie and sit inside so badly. Our mentor Cami said we could go into the office and watch a movie on the projector. Unfortunately we didn’t have WiFi and could not figure out how to get the projector to work. So we all huddled around someone’s laptop and watched nacho libre. We also found grape juice left over from communion and extra corn bread from dinner. So those were our snacks as 15 of us huddled around this computer.

Some other amazing memories included washing clothes together, taking bucket showers and hearing people yelling as cold water washed down their back. And doing dishes together while singing and dancing. 

Training camp was hard and long but I am so thankful for this time with God and my team and the wonderful memories I made. 

Two people on our squad got positive covid tests and were unable to go into Nicaragua due to needing negative tests. So they have been quarantined in Costa Rica. The rest of us have made in to Nicaragua and have been quarantined for the first week but will begin ministry on Monday. Please be praying for those two girls and one of our leaders still in Costa Rica and that they can join us soon!

Please also continue to be praying for my team as we start ministry! 

Love you all, 

Halle