Stop reading right now if you are expecting a traditional post about training camp. One filled with only sunshine, smiles and Christian clichés.
This post is something better…it’s the raw, powerful and emotional truth about what happened in my life at my World Race training camp. It’s a bit long. I challenge you to read all of it.
After a quick summary of the week I am going to open up and be vulnerable with 2 pretty personal stories. Some people might have different emotions when reading them, perhaps even feel a little uncomfortable, but I am sharing them with yall to show how the Lord changed my life for the better over the last 8 days.
Training camp was held at an incredibly beautiful retreat center in the mountains of the Tennessee/Georgia border. Around 250 young people gathered to go through camp together, all of us launching in January on our trips.
My ‘C squad’ consists of 45 amazing people but because we all switched over to form this new additional squad we were all basically new to each other, unlike the other squads. Over the next 8 days the bonds were formed while:
- Sleeping in our tents every night. Just a sleeping bag between me and the cold ground.
- Every meal had one platter. 7 other people. Eat with your hands!
- Early week seminars from guest speakers.
- Amazing praise and worship.
- Hours of prayer and healing.
- 7 AM squad yoga sessions.
- Half our bags were ‘lost’ one night and sharing tents/clothes.
- Packing/Unpacking our tents and bags almost every day.
- Late nights of smores around the fire pit.
- Man-sessions one afternoon of carrying each other crippled and blind up mountains.
- Squad wars and dance parties.
- Growing closer to the Lord, and to each other.
Towards the end of the week our squad was split into 7 smaller teams. These teams are the people I will be with every single day, and I had the incredible honor of being chosen as a Team Leader. Below is a picture of Team Courageous Love…an amazing group of people and part of my new family!
The main theme from my week is, God’s plan is greater than my plans. His plan for my route, my team and my year is greater than any I can conjure… I can’t wait to see what he has in store for me!
Now to the powerful stuff.
Here is story number 1: Freedom
I had pre-marital sex with my girlfriend nearly four years ago. I always thought I would wait until my wife in marriage, but I have let that sin affect me ever since. Not a week hasn’t gone by since that I haven’t ask God for forgiveness, and I have been lugging around an emotional ‘ball and chain’.
I had never accepted God’s forgiveness and felt so much shame/guilt that one day I would have to explain to my wife why I couldn’t wait patiently for her.
At training camp I shared this with a small group of guys and when they prayed for me I felt the chain break free as I finally felt forgiven for the first time. I felt his unconditional love and the FREEDOM it brings!
Later in the week as I had my eyes closed in praise and worship someone came and whispered in my ear, ‘God wants me to tell you that you are pure again. He has wiped your impurities clean. He loves you.’ I still don’t know who came and told me that but he/she was truly a messenger of the Lord. God has forgiven me and I know my future wife out there has forgiven me as well!
I share this story to encourage you that no SIN, no matter what you believe, is too big for the LORD. Jesus died on the cross for each and every sin, continuing to let them affect you years down the road is exactly what the devil wants.
I haven’t felt this free and loved in years! A week ago I hid this sin in shame, but now I can tell the whole world because I can also tell of the freedom His forgiveness brings!
Story number 2: Suit Up
Wednesday night we did some prayer where we closed our eyes and prayed for an unknown person who put a hand on our shoulder. When I did this, my friend Arden spoke to me about a vision God gave him of me suited up in his armor and out in the field fighting for him.
The next night we had an incredible time of worship and singing, during which I could barely breathe because I felt the Holy Spirit moving through me.
As I prayed and worshiped I felt the Armor of God literally being strapped on to my body. From the Helmet of Salvation to the Sword of the Spirit….only once it was all on I felt so heavy I had to fall to my knees. I continued lower until my head was also on the ground…and then I began to weep like a child. I cried like I haven’t cried in years.
I heard God telling me that even with his armor I have to be 100% committed to his plan these coming 11 months, not the plans I have for the mission trip.
Yet even after this I could not move. I then felt my squad mates laying hands on my back and praying for me. I felt at least 10-12 sets of hands on my back, although later they told me it was only 4 people actually touching my back with many others touching their shoulders.
They covered me in prayer and love as I heard the Lord tell me that his plans for me included all 44 other people on my squad. They will be with my every step of the way and he needs me to be there every moment for my new brothers and sisters. Without my new family the works to come in 2014 would not be possible.
After the last person released their hands from me I felt every weight on my body release and felt as light and free as I have ever felt in my life! Just one more task the Lord said…’Daniel, share what just happened on stage. Others need to hear the message of wearing my armor and following my plan.’
Despite my internal battling I ended up getting up on stage and asking the Holy Spirit to give me the words I needed to share. I still don’t know exactly what I said but I hope the Lord used my message of being a warrior for Christ every day, and for our squads, to impact other World Racers leaving in January. We must be willing to fight for the unloved, the forgotten, the unfed, the orphans and the widows!
Are you still buckled up? Was this blog post not what you expected??
My World Race Training Camp was not what I expected…it was infinitely better. I can’t wait to continue to grow closer to the Lord and my squad as we prepare for the work he will do through us around the world next year.
I no longer hold any shame or guilt inside of me, but instead with freedom ringing strap on the Armor of God every morning prepared to fight for him.
