I came to Project Searchlight (PSL) with an empty plate.
It was like I had just eaten a massive spiritual feast on the World Race.
But I woke up the next morning hungry for breakfast, for spiritual food from the God who used to feel so close…
Back to that in a minute.
It’s hard to know what to do after the World Race; it’s hard to put into words how it completely alters who you are and shakes up your world.
So Adventures in Missions gives us a chance to solidify those lessons for a week at their headquarters in Gainesville, GA. I kind of thought, “Well, I know what I’m doing after the Race. I have a plan. Why PSL?”
But something tugged my heart (and I wanted to see L Squad), so I went. If you can make it work in your schedule, even for a few days, go!
Here’s why:
1. You get to see your friends! The ONLY place you’re going to connect with SO many people from your squad in one place! Morning dance parties, sleepovers, reminiscing, sweet quality time with your tribe.
2. Don’t know what to do after the World Race? AIM has given you some options and ideas, but maybe you can’t make a decision yet. Maybe you’re waiting for clarity. Maybe you have a dream but you’re scared to go after it. Or maybe you’re just so shaken up after the Race that you can’t even adult. (What is income? How do I laundry? Totally normal.)
At PSL, there are options and practical advice to get you started. Even better, there will be people who understand.
3. So, you know what you’re doing next. HOW are you going to do it? I already knew what my plans were for the next few months after my Race. Sweet.
But PSL showed me examples of people who make the World Race lifestyle… an actual LIFESTYLE. I am ready to live a life where I question myself and others:
“What makes you come alive?”
“What is God doing in front me at the grocery store, and how can I be a part of that?”
“Who can I disciple— intentionally, like Jesus?”
“How can I share Jesus’ love TODAY?”
“How do I make community a thing for me in this new place?”
“What desires has God put deeply in my heart?”
4. Remember how training camp prepared you for the World Race? PSL is like training camp for LIFE.
Things like coaching, prophetic ministry, one-on-ones, & breakout teachings on literally everything: there are almost too many opportunities to learn from people who are DOING the thing! This is hard to explain, guys, but if you want some sweet examples of how to live a truly epic Kingdom life, go to PSL.
5. Solidify how you’ve changed. It’s weird being back in the same place we were 13 months ago. Something about an old place brings back memories. And thank you, Jesus, that I am not the same person I was 13 months ago. Those changes need to be solidified into my identity.
In the USA, I can be the same person I was in Rwanda, Cambodia, Macedonia, and Costa Rica. In those places, God uncovered who I was born to be! And I walked in it. At home, I think I forgot some of that truth. But that’s still me. And I can be that me, anywhere.
6. ACTIVATE. There is a huge revival happening in our generation. All the stuff you saw around the world: the healing, freedom, Acts church, community, worship… all that stuff is happening in America, too.
You could just go back to living a kind of safe and predictable life in America and sort of be involved in missions… or you could live missionally.
You could keep praying for 10 minutes in the morning… or you could wake up realising the Holy Spirit talks to you every second of every day.
You could see that lady and feel bad… or you could go pray healing over her and see her accept the love of Christ.
Get activated in your spiritual gifts and get ready to walk it out in the rest of your life!
7. Get love. Need a reminder of how the Father loves you? Needing an encounter with the Holy Spirit? Having trouble connecting with Jesus in your old environment? Shake it up. Get to Gainesville. He can meet you at home. He will definitely meet you here?
8. AWESOME. WORSHIP.
9. Get fed.
After the feast of the World Race, it can be easy to neglect our spiritual diet. Like we go back to this world of all the ideas of what I “should” do or be. Society, media, and social networks advertise a false sense of community and identity. A place where there seems to be no space in my life for God’s presence.
We go from a big family dinner to a drive-through diet of Netflix binging, laziness, materialism, convenient friends, fast and reliable WiFi connection… but no human connection.
Sometimes at the fast food stand of home we even order more sinister things like binge drinking, anxiety, unhealthy relationships, depression, or addictive behaviours…
And after a couple days of this stuff, we get bloated.
But somehow, we’re still hungry!
WHY?! Because none of it is actually nutritious.
It tastes good, but it’s empty.
We forget what it feels like to walk in our spiritual identity, to feed on the spiritual nourishment from the Father. Every. Day.
And that’s okay. Transition can be awkward and hard. Sometimes we can eat a few spiritual french fries.
So I came to PSL with that empty plate…
And it felt like I got handed a big ol’ healthy pile of soul food. And then they showed me how to grow the veggies, water them, feed myself, and then feed others.
And so I’m FULL.
I know how to stay that way. All the stuff I tasted on the World Race was just the beginning! There’s so much more.
So… are you hungry?
