This week the boys were camping. Yes, only girls on campus- so special!! We missed our brothers but if they had been here we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have some really special moments. 

Wednesday night our sweet leaders took the backpacks off of our backs as we grabbed our fall cookies, hot apple cider, and walked into our squad room that was lined with fall candles. We each had a spoken word and flowers on a chair for us (mine was sunshine). It was such and tender and wholesome moment. We sat together as women and did an activity where we stood for our sisters and came together in our struggles. We cried, we worshipped, and the Holy Spirit spoke through a couple of our leaders with encouraging and powerful words. 

Wow I love these women. One of our squad leaders, Kenz, was talking to God during our worship, she repeated that she wished she had a word bigger than thank you. That thank you could not come close to expressing our gratitude to Abba for all the incredible blessings we have been given. Wow God, I do wish there was a word bigger than thank you.

Another part of girls week was of course a fitness challenge. A great reminder that we are so capable, strong, and athletic when it comes to physical challenges as well as mental and emotional ones. 

It required us to do: 4,500 crunches, 4,500 squats, 4,500 jumping jacks, 3,000 push ups and 3,000 burpees as a group. We had 2 people running at all times for 7 miles ALL in 45 minutes! 

WOW we are so strong. None of us did the same number of reps.  For example, during one set I took on 30 more squats- helping a friend that asked for help. A different round I did 10 less push ups because I accepted help. Whoever finished their set first would ask who needed help and you’d hear “can you take 10 of mine?” Each. Round. For the purpose of all finishing together and starting the next set together! There was disunity some of the time, but incredible togetherness during most of it. We learned how to be strong for others and I had opportunities to lean on God and my sweet friends to help me when I needed it. 

God keeps showing up and telling me he will provide. He is enough and he is giving me strong women and men to push me and share God’s love. So many lessons this week, and so many more to come. Wow I wish there was a word bigger than thank you, but God knows our heart and the amount of gratitude in it, so for now those two words are the best I can do.