Before I leave on the World Race Gap Year, there’s this training camp that all racers have to go to. This training was 10 days and it was at Gainesville Georgia. And at this training camp, there were three squads (C squad, D squad, and E squad) adding up to about 150 men and women of God that are ready to be used to rock this world with the Holy Spirit. And these men and women are from the ages of 18-22 years old, from all kinds of different denominations, and from all over the United States (and a few other countries as well). So before I even write about what the heck happened during training camp, go ahead and try to visualize this reality……
As our car pulled onto the property, God was already saing hello. It didn’t take God anytime to welcome us to training camp, it was literally as we pulled in. And it’s not like God got there when we got there. . . God has already been there. God’s been there before I even knew what the World Race was. . . He’s been moving all up in this place for quite some time, and my time has finally come to be a part of what He’s doing through Adventures in Missions. So, here we go.
Here’s the meat of what should be known about training camp. . .
– God is present… Very present
– Worship is insanely amazing
– The community looks quite similar to that in the book of Acts (at least for my squad… Aka, C squad!)
– Real people with real problems are welcome
– Your faith and beliefs will be challenged and stretched
– Learning to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us and speak to us without us limiting Him
– Preparation for ministry and cultural differences as we go on the field
Thats a lot of meat eh? That’s because there’s a lot that goes on during training camp, and for good reason. We have a limitless God, let’s not limit what He wants to do in us, through us, and for us. . . So, to help paint an even more detailed picture of what went down during training camp, lemme recap a little bit of each point.
– God is present
Lets just say that chains were broken, lives were changed, and healings took place (spiritual and physical). It’s one of those things that you can just sense that He’s around you. And see that He’s around you.
– Worship
Worship time… More like workout time! Half the time I was out of breath from worshipping so hard! People were free to worship however they feel led to. For me, that consisted of a lot of jumping and dancing and arm raising. It’s amazing to see 150 like minded people all worshipping God together. We hungry!
– Community
Dang. The community that was at training camp was amazing. We all genuinely and sincerely love and care about each other. We are hungry for growth and for truth to penetrate our hearts. We talk and we listen. We see and we act. Especially for each squad, there was an even deeper sense of love and obedience to each other. These brothers and sisters are absolutely the coolest people in my life and we have gotten to know each other so much better. It truly feels like we’ve known each other for longer than what we really have. We are imperfect people with a perfect God inside of us and calling us to be THE Church, and I believe that’s why the community is as awesome as it is. Go C Squad!!!!
– Real people, Real problems
This is a safe place, and a place to allow God to shine some light on the darkest of dark. In order to grow and walk with Christ freely, we have to get to the crappiest parts of our past and of our chains. And in that, God will use His people, His Word, and His Spirit to truly set us free. There’s no need for fake when God wants the real you to rise up and be the man or woman He’s calling you to be.
– Faith
You have a strong faith in Christ? You sure?… Well, this faith is about to be challenged and tested. And hopefully from that, the intentions are to have our faith grow. Whether it’s by opening up during worship, sessions or small group talks, or just the exhaustion that camp brings to the table, it will take our faith and grow us as men and women of God.
– Holy Spirit
The Spirit is moving and wanting to move in us. We are encouraged and challeneged to truly step out in obedience and faith to listen to what He is doing and saying. This is one thing that is emphasized during camp… That is, listen to what He is saying and allow Him to change you. Allow the Spirit to be limitless in His power with you and be open to new experiences that maybe some or a lot of us have never dealt with before. He’s willing to do a lot more in us if we just listen.
– Missions preparation
We learn about missions on the field and different cultures by having our meals just like they eat their meals, different sessions and learning activities, field scenarios, the way we eat, sleep, and use the restroom, and more. We’re going out all over the world to be the light and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be as equipped as possible and learn how to go about certain situations. And in that, all the while having a Christ like attitude and mindset during the good times and the not so good times.
So, that’s a pretty good overall view of training camp for World Race Gap Year. It’s an amazing and exhausting 10 days that I truly don’t have enough words for to accurately describe what it was like. The culture and atmosphere of that place is insanely awesome and its like nothing I’ve ever experienced… There’s a reason for that, and I believe it’s because God says hello right when you arrive, and He never says goodbye. He’s there the whole time and if there are willing hearts, there will be hearts that are wrecked and rocked and all of the above! So if anyone is curious. . . Yes, I had a great time. And yes, I have A LOT to process of what the heck just happened. And yes, I’ve never seen so much God in so many people. So after being at training camp, I can assure you that this army isn’t just rising up. . . This army is sprinting full steam ahead and there ain’t no power on earth or in hell that’s gonna slow this unstoppable force down!!!!
