Two weeks ago was the two year anniversary of my training camp with D squad (and C and E squads too).
Two years ago, God exploded my life and my whole entire understanding of who he is and how he works was challenged. I had this idea of God and I had my understanding of theology and lots of knowledge about God, but I think two years ago was the first tangible time that I was able to take what I knew and meshed it with my life in a very real way. There were things that made me uncomfortable for sure, there were things I really questioned because it didn’t fit in the box I had put God in. Then, ever so gently, in the backwoods of Georgia God exploded my box. If you want to read my reflections on that you can check it out here : God likes explosives. That is a very brief and not even entirely full version of the way God rocked me, but it is was the start of a movement in my heart. A movement that has taken place over the last two years to challenge me, rock me, make me question why I believe what I believe, and truly discover what it is I believe. I am still continually learning and still continuing to happen upon things that make me uncomfortable, but now instead of sitting in that discomfort I now know how to handle it a little better. I now know how to take it to the Lord and ask what he has to say about it instead of just relying on what I was taught. But I didn’t decide to write this blog to go on a rant about that… I would love to talk about that with you more if you want though, just let me know. =]
Two weeks ago I was a part of the serve team and the worship team at training camp for Y, Z, A, B, and C squads! It was so interesting to be on the other side of training camp and see just how much I didn’t even know about that goes into training camp. I loved being on the other side and just knowing that God is about to take these awesome people through some of the most exciting, challenging, hard, yet best times of their life. I forgot that there are things that I struggled with at training camp that now seem like second nature to me because I learned how to live them out. I remember being disgusted by the food at my training camp and feeling like I was going to starve around the world, but at this training camp I was excited to eat the exotic foods that I got to experience around the world because now there are memories attached to them. I even got excited on “Africa Day” at training camp! There are just so many little things that I didn’t even realize I needed to learn, that I learned just from experiencing life on the race that I didn’t realize I learned until I was at training camp, remembering that before the race I actually didn’t know those things. It was a strange paradox for sure. I try to remember my own heart before I went on the race and there was no hard and fast rule or way that I could have prepared my heart to go on the race, but it was wrecked so greatly and that started at training camp. Getting to see and meet people who are in that place and get to speak into them and serve them was a great blessing. It was awesome being able to watch them come in to training camp as strangers and watch them leave as a tight knit family, and watch the family process happening. It was so cool. God has some big things in store for them as they travel the world bringing his kingdom next year.
As part of the worship track at CGA we were the ones who got to lead the corporate worship times during training camp. That was a super special opportunity to be able to usher in the Holy Spirit and cover those times in intercession. We were able to lead in an example of how worship can be on the race and even have a couple of sessions for people who feel called to minister to their squads through leading. It was not only a cool thing for Adventures to have us leading, but it really created a unity among worship track. We were able to seek after the Father’s heart together and individually and really be in tune with and sensitive to what he was speaking. We were able to tangibly apply what we have been learning about worship and how it is more of a lifestyle and how to go about worship in everyday life situations rather than just a specific time dedicated worship through song in an atmosphere that was primed and ready for that. We were able to spend a ton of time covering the space in prayer and interceding for what did happen there. It was such a cool opportunity to be a part of that.
At training camp I got to hang out with so many World Race alumni. It was so great that even though some of us didn’t know each other at the beginning of the week, we felt like we knew each other because of our knowledge of a shared experience. We are a family when we walk into a room so we don’t have to question if the Lord is there. We can just hug each other and speak life to each other almost immediately after meeting because there is and expectation and an anticipation that God is going to show up. It might be messy and ugly but we all know it will be beautiful. It is an unspoken but 100% shared thing that alumni just know. Such a cool thing to experience!
I am so blessed by this community that I live in and get to be a part of on a daily basis. All of that started at my training camp and ever since I have not been the same. My heart is flourishing and my relationship with Jesus is so much deeper and crazier than I ever imagined it even could be. I am so thankful for what God is doing in my life and in the lives of those around me.
To my friends on Y, Z, A, B, or C squad… Training camp was just a taste of what the Lord has for you. Keep pressing in to what He is doing in your life, keep loving those around you as you wait patiently for Launch. Keep moving forward, no turning back. Get excited because you carry the Kingdom with you! Love you and bless you!
Much love,
-A
