Just over three weeks ago I arrived at training camp, unsure of how my journey might go. I imagined the possibilities of flight delays and broken down vans with drivers who didn’t speak our language. I daydreamed of finding any American food for the first time in two months in a shop in Asia. I reminisced over my past Cambodia trip when we made the best of disappointing situations — yoga alongside our smoking bus, inside jokes about peeing behind a hut, laughing at the unnecessary panic that overcame when we broke the Marady Hostel’s tiny elevator, and shrugging off curfew on our second to last night because we were too invested in a poolside rap battle. I had even felt prepared to be wrecked by the Holy Spirit and built back up all over again. I put on my game face and rolled up my sleeves for the bug bites, the squatty potties, the bucket showers, the never ending bowls of rice, the “tan” (layer of stubborn dirt) I would get on my calves after all the time spent in the outdoors playing with children, and even the strange noises of chanting, roosters crowing, etc. that were guaranteed to wake me from my sleep prior to sunrise.
Each woman on Team Brutal Awakening brings their own unique skill set, beauty, and piece of the Kingdom. Three days into training camp it became evident to me how much we supported one another and grew together despite having been strangers at the beginning. Three days is all it took for Jesus to take our sins, abolish them, and give us new life. Three days is all it took for Him to make us His family. 23 days is not enough to know each teammate well, but with Christ as our gravity, 3 days was all it took for the eight of us to become family. One thing I never imagined happening was one of our team members returning home early. I cannot say I know her well, I cannot say she is one of my dearest friends, but she’s been my sister for twenty days. Though our team count is now 7 rather than 8, our family number remains the same.
She went home because of health issues. Please keep her in your prayers.
