Team Quake

I don’t even really know where to begin.  I’d love to give you all the details from Training Camp, paint pictures of the incredible community, I wish you could hear the sounds of us worshiping the Lord together.  But nothing I say could begin to do it justice.  I’d love to tell you about each of the 53 squadmates I’ll be traveling with.  Tell you what makes them laugh and cry, which ones will finish your meal when you can’t (thanks, Ben!), who can see right into my heart.  But I’ll just tell you that somehow 50 some strangers fell in love with each other and became a family this week.

 

I can tell you about the strange meals we ate.  Ramen noodles for breakfast to prepare for Asia and Ugali (plain cornmeal and water) eaten with our fingers for both breakfast and lunch (and the women sat on the ground, while the men ate at the tables) on Africa day.  I could tell you about the portajohns (that we will probably be desperate for somewhere in Africa when all we have is a hole in the ground.) 

 

We prepared physically, emotionally and spiritually.  We spoke truth and life to each other.  And I experienced freedom in Christ like never before.

 

But one of the highlights of training was being placed on our small teams.  These people will be my family in every way.  Our team was placed together during the very first team building activity and, while other groups were switched around several times, our group stayed exactly the same.  So it is my great pleasure to introduce you to TEAM QUAKE!

 

Kelly, Jill, Shiloh, Christi, Jacob and Ian

 

I can’t tell you how quickly I fell in love with these friends.  We are incredibly different, but somehow, when we come together, we not only fit, but we are better than by ourselves.  I can’t wait to travel the world together, challenge each other, encourage each other and speak life over each other.  Please check out their blogs as well and get to know them!  (Links on the left.)  They will be a huge part of my journey next year!

 

 After much discussion and prayer, we decided to call ourselves Team Quake.  We have all had our lives and faith completely shaken up and wanted to remember what the Lord has done in us during training.  But even more than that, we are prepared to go shake up the world.  To have an impact much like an earthquake that rattles the ground and sends ripples and aftershocks for miles.  And we believe that as we go, the gates of hell will be shaken by God’s power in us and Satan himself will tremble and quake at His presence.

 

So there are a few ramblings and thoughts from training camp.  Stay tuned for much more as I spend the next 7 weeks preparing to go.  I fly to LAX on September 27th and head to the Philippines at 2am on September 28th!  47 days and counting!!

 

 

(Thanks to several of my teammates for some of these photos!)