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Wow….a lot of things are changing in my life……
Almost a month ago I was leaving to go to Georgia for a week long training camp to prepare me for the world race. WOW, what an experience. It was a mix of very hard and growing circumstances which blossomed into an amazing culmination of God's presence and strangers who turned into friends and friends who turned into family!
We were in the middle of Georgia camping and ruffing it for a week. We had to eat different culture's food each day (which totally pushed me out of my element). This is what I had to eat for breakfast on day 1:
I almost wimped out and didn't eat it, but then saw girls from my squad eating it and knew I had to do it. So I prayed and asked God for strength and gulped the fish heads down! Once I got over the mental aspect of it, it actually kinda tasted like chicken noodle soup!
Each day we had to wake up and have all of our stuff packed up by 7 am. We then exercised for a half an hour. Each day was a mix of training by being put in circumstances and conditions outside of our comfort zone. One day 55 of us had to sleep on a broken down school bus with all of our gear. It was really crammed packed. Another time we had to cross over a lake and camp out on an island with just our sleeping bags. We had to build our own fire and cook food which thankfully was provided for us.
Each day was also so life and spiritually filling. God met me in amazing ways! It was such a blessed week where I went in knowing no one and left having an amazing family!
Training camp was also a time where the World Race selected our teammates that we will have. We went through many team building exercises and challenges. They observed people to see who would work good together and then prayed a lot for wisdom and direction about who should be with each other on a team. I was blessed with six awesome teammates. Are team is called "Kingdom Come!
Training camp was growing, it was hard, but it was so spiritually reviving and such a blessed time where I met so many great friends who like I said before…are already true family!
I'm so thankful to be going on this great adventure with such great friends and family in Christ!
Here is our whole squad who I will be traveling with to each country!
After training camp I had to come back to reality and get through my last week of seminary!!! It was crazy, but God got me through it and I graduated!!! It was such an amazing and blessed day! My family came in from out of town and my awesome Dad and amazing Aunt Nicole and Uncle Darren threw me an amazing graduation party. It was a day of celebrating with friends and family, but most of all it was a day of reclamation! It was the first time in my whole life that I can remember that my whole family was together. I grew up with my parents never being married so I have always had holidays and celebrations with each side of the family. But on my graduation my Mom's side of the family came together with my Dad's side of the family and celebrated me! It was truly a day that I will never forget!
Here is a picture of all my parents and I celebrating graduation together!
* I must admit I was pretty nervous for this day. This was the first time my Mom and Dad have seen each other since I was in the 8th grade. It was the first time ever that I can ever remember that my whole family was together. A great friend and older brother/father figure from the seminary named Glenn Black told me that in him praying for me for this day that the Lord gave him the word that it was going to be a day of "Reclamation." It was a day of healing, of celebration, and an amazement of love that God showed me through so many friends and family! God not only reclaimed ground in my life with my parents and I, but reclaimed ground between my parents lives and whole family in a way that only He truly could! I was truly blessed more than I could have imagined, Ephesians 3:20 style!
* I guess the premise of this blog is that "With God All Things are Possible" No matter how bad or difficult a situation may seem that you are in, know that God has a plan and that there is always a way out. I never would have thought my whole family could be together like they were on my graduation, but it happened!!! God's plan is always bigger than our circumstances and with God all things are truly possible!
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power (Love) that is at work within us" – Ephesians 3:20
* I now am preparing to leave for an 11 month long adventure with new friends who are family and old friends who are family supporting me, encouraging me, and believing in me. I can't express how much it means to me to have all of your support, love, and encouragement. I believe that God will use your prayers, yours messages, and your friendships to get me through the hard times on this trip and also the hard times in this life! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for who you are and all that you do…I say that to all of you!
I am now leaving in about two weeks which will be on my birthday July 1st to fly to Washington D.C! I will then be in D.C. for abour four days of meetings and training. I will then be off to Ireland for our first country on July 5th or so. I will have my cell phone up until then so please feel free to call or text me before I leave! God Bless you all and thanks for being a part of my life! (440)376-6355
* I will end with this song. It's called "come away" by Jesus Culture. Listen to it as if God is singing it to you! Every time I hear it I am reminded that God has better plans for us than we do for ourselves. It makes me think of Ephesians 3:20 and makes remember that God has amazing things planned for me. I especially need to remember that when things don't work out the way that I wanted them to or when something hard and difficult happens.
Listen to this song as God singing it over your life. * I never thought of God's plan as being Wild, being Great, and being Full of Him!
* Remember that "With God All Things are Truly Possible"….*Believe* – God has a plan for you! – Jeremiah 29:11
Close your eyes and listen to the words of this song as if God was truly singing them to you!
Trust, believe, and Hope!
Thank you and God Bless you all,
Ryan Otto
