Training |ˈtrāni ng |
noun
the action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behavior : in-service training for staff.
Camp 1 |kamp|
noun
1 a place with temporary accommodations of huts, tents, or other structures, typically used by soldiers, refugees, prisoners, or travelers : the enemy camp | a detention camp.
• a recreational institution providing facilities for outdoor activities, sports, crafts, and other special interests and typically featuring rustic overnight accommodations : a summer camp for children | drama camp.
• temporary overnight lodging out of doors, typically in tents : we made camp at a bend in the creek | we pitched camp at a fine spot.
We all have our own ideas of what a training camp would be. You expect your living situation to be different than at home. You expect to learn something. Be trained in something. To gather knowledge or experiences that prepare you for some sort of task or endeavor that you are going to take.
Obviously, World Race training camp was no different. But somehow it still was.
There’s another whole culture within the Adventures in Missions world that set the stage for this week in Georgia, and subsequently my 11 months on the race. Sure, all of us have been to camps or seminars or school or something in which we don’t really know anyone and have to meet new people. But in this case, it was different.
How many times have you met a new group of people, about 150 of them, who are taking 11 months out of their lives to go into the world and minister to the “least of these?”
How many times has every single person that is leading you started in the exact same place you are in?
How many times have you been told you were loved by multiple people you had known for less than 24 hours? And for the first time in your life done the same thing?
How many times has the same person consistently helped in the kitchen to prepare your meals, but also been the speaker during a session?
I feel so blessed to be involved in this community. What an amazing place where people are really real and God is really at work. It’s not uncommon to walk through the buildings or down the paths and see people praying for one another. We are divided into squads and the colors of our nametags clearer declare which squad is ours (they are fostering a little friendly competition between us!), but people still want to create relationships with other squads- people who they may only see two more times.
At this very moment a guy is sitting at the piano singing a praise song; all on his own. This has been happening all week- sometimes people join in and sometimes they don’t. People are blogging, writing, talking, singing praying. I see this all from my seat right now.
The body of Christ has a new definition for me now. The kingdom of God has a new definition for me now. At this moment I can’t sum it up into a few words or sentences, but I can tell you what I see.
To quote a past world racer, I can see a group of people who are the ones wanting to tell the story of God’s power and love, not just hear about it.
Morning in northern Georgia
