Hey everybody!! So im about finished with week 3. We finished our First Aid training today. I was very proud of my self because I did well on all the tests we had. We also got to sew up a pig yesterday and amputate its foot. It was awesome!! But then again pretty disgusting! but I did well with all the stitching. So last time I wrote on here I told you the following day would be the hardest....so let me tell you about that day. It was called Exodus the end of ground school (wich is the physically hardest 2 weeks) so we start off going up to the boys house in are uniforms, then we are blind folded and put in the back of a pick up truck. Scott was riding with us and all the sudden he starts yelling to someone "Sir! this is private property! YOU NEED TO LEAVE" then we here some more yelling and then Scott says"Sir put your weapon away SIR!" then they throw fire crackers at us the whole time im thinking well since were still blind folded this has got to be an act but then again Scott was very convinsing. So when they through the fire crackers at us Scott starts yelling at us to jump off the truck and take are blind folds off. He says for us to run in the woods as fast as we can! so we start bookin it through the woods while there still throwing fire crackers at us there coming from everywhere they must have had a million people in those woods throwing them at us! Ok..Well a million is a exageration but at least 15! So then we get to this creek and they scream to us to get in and get down and to move. So in are boots and uniforms and back packs we all get in and have to army crawl about a mile in this creek! It sucked! they were still throwing fire crackers at us and these thing would be landing on us and it really made your adrenaline kick in because it really felt like the reall thing. Then they were throwing gas bombs at us where if you went in the gas you couldnt see or breathe! So we would have to go under when the gas bombs where thrown at us. then we get to the end and were all exhausted already everyones elbows are cut up from arm crawling and are legs are soo tired! but we hop out then have to lay down and cover are heads while there still throwing these things at us and there also shooting airsoft guns at us which by the way really hurts when your wet and there right next to you shooting! But anyways so then the shooting and fire crackers and the gas bombs all stop we get up and start making are way back to the guys house. and that was challenge 1! then we had to go into the woods and chop down a tree then chop the tree in half then we had to carry this thing the rest of the night. So after we chop the tree down we then go to a bridge where we are told where about to repell off of it. But instead of being roped to a tree or a very sturdy object we had to tie are self to eachother. So I got second and tie a knot around the guys with me and I quickly repell off the bridge. We had a time limit. after we all came down he had to walk through the creek into this huge mud mountain called the Guatemalan Mud Slide and we had to climb up it. That was pretty hard but we all did it. Oh and by the way Im just with the Sudan team going through all this. which is all 4 girls and 3 of the guys. So then we see we have to climb a rope ladder up this tree where there is a rope about 20 feet up going across to another tree. We had to walk on the rope and hold on to the rope above you while the whole time the thing is shaking and wobbling. Im not gonna lie to you my hands were starting to sweat when I saw that thing! I really didnt want to do it. So then it gets my turn and Russ comes and says were out of time go to the field! and im like PRAISE THE LORD!! so then we hike on up to the field where we had to carry 2 girls above are shoulders like a board for about half a mile. then they would yell to us "FALL IN" which means where ever you are what ever your doing run as fast as you can to the person who calls fall in. So they would call it then someone on the other side of the field would call it as soon as we got there someone on the other side of the field would call it and again and again and im worn out!! then we have the cross ceremony where they advocates wash are feet and we get a medal cross for completeing ground school. But I have to say through the whole Exodus my favorite part was when I or someone else felt like they couldnt go on anymore someone in the group would start saying bible verses or start praying for courage and strength for us. it was so awesome to see how everyone is so close already and cares about eachother and no one would let anyone here quit! This week has been all first aid training and we still have PT everyother day which im kinds glad I feel we worked so hard these last 2 weeks I didnt want to go back to know physical activities but thats not what im thinking when im doing PT like today for example we get up at 6 and im saying all kinds of stupid thing pretty my delirious from lack of sleep. and we had to run a while and do lunges all the way up a hill and had to hold on to this beam while someone held are feet and we had to do dips. Then of course theres are normal 100 pushups and flutter kicks and all that fun stuff. But right now I have free time and the guys are cookin us dinner tonight so im excited...and kinda worried about that. But we will see how the guys do. This next week we start Arabic and Survival training. I cant wait to show sir Charles that I know how to fight off a bear! haha :) anyways love you guys and miss everyone!!!! Cant wait to see everybody when I come back in October for a week! Keep me in your prayers and your all in mine!!
God Bless!!