Hey there! Long time no talk. Let me tell you what I’ve been up to! These past couple weeks have been a bit crazy. For 10 days I went to Training Camp in Gainesville, Georgia and I’ve been putting off blogging about it. Why? Well I just couldn’t imagine being able to put into words what happened at Training Camp. For those who don’t know Training Camp is a time where I got to meet my squad, my team, and also got trained and equipped for what I’ll be doing for the 11 months while I’m on the World Race. Now that’s the easy and simple explanation, now comes the hard part: actually explaining what happened. Bear with me, I’m going to do my best to put it into words.
The day is June 6th, 2017 and I wake up knowing it is going to be a special day. A million thoughts race through my head as I realize the day is finally coming, the day that I head to Training Camp. I’d watched so many videos on it and was up the previous night not being able to sleep because of the excitement. In just a couple short hours I would be picked up by some of my squad mates and the trip to Georgia would begin! The morning dragged on as I did some final packing and then the waiting started… What seemed like an eternity later finally the van pulled up and the journey began. I had no idea that when I came back in the same van 11 days later, things would be a bit different. On the road trip we have great conversations of what movies we like, our favorite colors, and about every single icebreaker question you can think of. I will always stand by the fact that road trips make things more fun, and this trip was no exception! The car ride was a blast, but that’s not what you’re here to hear about.
I arrived at Training Camp on June 7th around 4:30 and man the excitement was racing. If you can remember what it felt like when you were on your way to church camp it was a similar feeling, except x 10,000. (Sorry for the one upping) I got out of the car and checked in. Now it was official. It wasn’t some dream or some random video I was watching on Youtube, it was MY Training Camp. As I made my way back to the campsite where I would be sleeping for most of the 10 days I began to be bombarded by names and introductions. Then around 8:00 the kick-off began. It was the typical “welcome to camp” welcoming, but then worship began. And as I began to sing the second verse of King of My Heart by John Mark McMillan I could tell this week was going to be special. Worship was different. Everyone around me was pouring out their hearts to Jesus and I realized that that’s what the week was going to be about. Not only worshipping my Heavenly Father, but just learning about who he is. What was his character like? What was he trying to tell me through scripture? What did he want me to do while I was on the World Race?
Then the teachings began and I was excited for what I was going to learn and hear from the speakers, or at least that’s how it might have appeared. See my inner dialogue was a bit different. Although I was excited to meet my squad and for the experience Training Camp would hold, I was also very nervous. I was nervous because I had begun to have my doubts a couple days before Training Camp. My mind was running in a million different directions wondering what would happen if I disagreed with the teachings? What if I got to Training Camp and heard the speakers skew the Gospel. What if I got taught things that were against what I had grown up believing? Although these may seem like strange thoughts, I began to worry. I’m someone who doesn’t worry often, but these thoughts began to encompass everything I could think about Training Camp. I had no idea what I would do if I disagreed with a teaching or the entire basis of the World Race wasn’t focused on Jesus. What if I was misinformed? What if. What if. What if…. I think you get the point. I had a lot of questions. Then to seemingly confirm the doubts already existing in mind the director of the World Race, Bill Swan, opened the very first session with the statement “You may not agree with what we teach. We may say things that seem strange or that are out of your own theological bubble.” My inner monologue at this point is screaming. “Oh great, Ian look what you got yourself into. You’re not going to agree with these teachings and you’re not going to be able to tell anyone that you don’t agree with it. You’re stuck.” Then Bill followed his previous statement with, “But that’s ok. Ask questions. If there’s something you don’t agree with, tell us. Ask one of your trainers, or squad mentors. We want to help you understand where we’re coming from and why we teach the things we do.” It was comforting to know that at least I would be able to tell someone about how I disagreed with what I was being taught. But also not comforting to my already doubtful mind because it was being confirmed that I wouldn’t agree with the teachings.
Then Bill started to talk. He quoted scripture. He talked again. He drew on the white board. He talked a bit more. He prayed. He told stories. He taught. He prayed again. It was over. The first session of Training Camp had finished and I was confused. I was confused because everything he said I agreed with. I was ready to pounce at the first false teaching I heard. But I didn’t hear any. This made me feel slightly better, but my already doubting mind whispered in my ear “Oh, but you just wait. That was only the first session.” I ignored the whisper and just hoped and prayed that the whisper would be wrong.
After the session we went to our campsite and I continued to meet more people on my squad. Each time I met someone I got more and more excited about the people I would be doing ministry with for 11 months. Then after making more rounds of meeting and talking it was time to go to sleep. That concluded the first day of Training Camp, and it wasn’t even a full day. The morning came quickly and from this point on Training Camp flew by. I woke up and headed to breakfast with my squad and found out today was Asia day! I learned that each day we would be “in” a country or continent and that would affect what we wore, ate, and the customs we did for the day. We ate family style off of a plate with 8 others from my squad and every time there was a meal I learned more about my squad mates. Then after breakfast we went to another worship and teaching session. My doubts began crawling back in, but again I didn’t disagree with anything that was taught. My doubts still existed, because for some reason I was clenched and ready, preparing for when I heard that one teaching that went against all I had learned growing up. At one point I was praying during the day asking the Lord to take the doubts away, but for some reason they still continued. The day pressed on with lunch where again I got to know more of my squad and still my excitement and love grew for these individuals.
Eventually the night session came and as per the previous sessions it began with worship. Worship was great as usual, but something happened during worship that changed the rest of Training Camp for me. God showed up. Now bare with me, it’s not that he hadn’t already been there the past 2 days, it’s just that he showed up in the exact way that I needed him to. As worship was going on at one point I was sitting down praying talking with the Lord. We were just having a conversation, but then I began to ask him to take the doubts away once more. They were almost subsided, but there was still something in me that wouldn’t let go of what I came into Training Camp holding onto. So as I continued to pray, he showed up. He showed up through one of my squad mates Dylan. Dylan came up to me and said “Hey so I was praying and the Lord laid this on my heart to tell you. He said to stop the doubting. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.” I looked him in the eyes as he said those words, and I knew he didn’t know the power they held. God used Dylan to put those doubts at bay. God showed up through Dylan. I thanked him and told him that’s exactly what I needed to hear. We hugged and that was it for Dylan and I’s interaction. But I sat there in awe. I had asked the Lord to get rid of the doubts and HE SHOWED UP. I hadn’t mentioned to anyone on my squad that I was having these doubts, it wasn’t like I was crossing my arms or constantly in a bad mood. There was really no way to tell what was going on in my own mind, unless you were me. But in that moment I got it. I knew the Lord had used Dylan to finally get rid of those doubts and let me hear the teachings without bias.
I resumed worship with a new outlook. I was ready Lord. I was ready to listen to what you had to say this coming week. I was ready to listen with open ears and an open heart. And that’s what happened. I listened. I learned. I was equipped. I was prepared. I was ready for more. I went to bed that night with a fire, ready for what was to come the rest of Training Camp. I felt like a boxer about to go out in the ring, not feeling any fear, but rather I was ready for the task at hand. I couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning and learn all I could. Soak up every teaching and learn everything I could about the Lord in the next week. I went to bed with a smile and woke up the next morning with that same happiness and excitement for learning.
The day was now Friday June 9th and we as a squad began the day ready for what the day held. Today we were doing what everyone was talking about coming into Training Camp. Everyone was fearful, excited, and ready to conquer it. We were going to be…..
And that concludes Part 1 of my Training Camp blog! The first several days of camp were very special as you can see the Lord showed up in a very powerful and needed way. But he didn’t stop showing up there, he continued to do so throughout the whole 10 days. I’m excited to share what else happened at Training Camp in my upcoming blogs, Part 2 will be coming out shortly! Sorry for the cliffhanger hopefully it’ll bring ya back soon;)
