April 25, 2023

In less than a week the men of Unit 68 and their cadre will head up to Oklahoma for their Endurance Hike. The 24-hour Endurance Hike is one of the most challenging obstacles of Basic Training, and is a significant cause of pre-hike angst among each unit. As far as practical value, however, simply learning how to hike has almost zero direct application to life outside Basic Training. So why is it such an integral part of our training? Because it helps the men develop mental resilience, shows them what their limits actually are, and most importantly, it helps them practically rely on God for strength. While each recruit may never again hike over 50 miles in 24 hours, every single one of them will face times in life where they are at the end of their rope and they need to rely on God for the strength to walk the path in front of them. Pray for the men next week as they tackle the challenge, test their limits, and hopefully learn to depend on our infinitely dependable God.