I recently just got back from my 10 day training camp for The World Race!! I tried to write this blog to sum up 5 things I really took away from camp!
Giving up comforts isn’t always that bad!
I didn’t know how many gross things and habits could become normal!! Taking bucket showers, using only port-a-potties, eating with our hands, replacing showers with baby wipes when I was too tired, being okay with swatting flies 24/7, accepting the smell of everyone’s B.O., and just being a sweaty mess. These things became a way to live and it honestly wasn’t too awful once it became a habit!
People are different!
There are so many ways to worship & talk to our Lord!! We learned about 7 different pathways to seek God in.
– Aesthetic Pathway: using art and history to seek Him.
– Activist Pathway: experiencing God in service through evangelism or social justice.
– Experiential Pathway: feeling God through emotions and where you are then, typically associated with worship.
– Contemplative Pathway: focus on God with solitude and interior thoughts.
– Student Pathway: know God by studying His word and learning more about Him.
– Relational Pathway: have intimacy with God by being in groups and discussion.
– Naturalist Pathway: experience God in nature.
I always feel like I hear the Lord clearly in nature and having discussions with others. We went through activities of all of these pathways, and I really loved how I could hear God differently through each one, and I could see how people hear God in a different way.
There’s more to Christianity than I thought.
I was introduced to many things that I didn’t really get to know growing up. When you go to the same church your whole life, sometimes you don’t get exposed to certain areas and ideas. My first reaction to this was to run. I had a major breakdown and it made me question some of my specific beliefs. I prayed and asked the Lord to reveal what He wanted me to feel and believe. Later, I talked to some of the staff and they cleared so much up. I just felt an overwhelming feeling of peace. I felt God was telling me and confirming to me that this is where I belong and I am following His path. I really grew in my faith these past 10 days. For example, I realized I really love worship, and I feel super connected to the Lord then. I realized it’s okay to jump around and dance in worship because that’s how joyful the Lord makes me feel. I think Adventures in Missions did a great job on trying to make our faith our own and creating that true intimacy with God.
Every Christian should preach and tell their stories, not just pastors, evangelists, and missionaries.
-Romans 1:16
Are we more embarrassed of our past? Or more thankful for God’s grace?
Our stories matter! No matter how “boring” or “broken” you think they sound. For some of our sessions and activities, they had us write our own sermon and “her story,” our story in 3rd person, and it was one of the most helpful activities I’ve ever done!
God will use you & He is waiting to use you to spread what He does in your life!
– The Great Commission
It’s not about you, it’s about God!
“Make disciples” and “teach them to obey everything I have commanded”
I am ready for the World Race.
I am ready for the smiling orphan girl
the weak homeless man who longs for someone to treat him like a human
playing with as many animals as I can
worshipping the Lord in many different ways
playing games with the street kids
taking in incredible sights that people dream of seeing
being a human jungle gym
experiencing someone’s first encounter with Jesus
praying over churches, families, women & men.
I am ready for the tears
the physical & emotional pain
having to leave people I just met & dearly love
sleepovers in airports and 20 hour travel days
having a yelling match with my teammate
planting seeds and hoping & praying it will grow because I’ll never see it
missing my family and friends more than anything
disappointments of many shapes and sizes
missing the comforts of Mason, Ohio
eating food that makes me nauseous, and saying it’s the best meal I’ve ever had
giant bugs crawling along the floor next to my sleeping pad
doubting God’s plan and if He’s even listening to me.
I am ready for all these things. God has called me upon the nations to spread His gospel. He has given me the tools of His wisdom and a loving community to aid me on my journey.
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I am so close to launch!! 7 WEEKS!! I can’t wait to be back with my friends and start my race! Please continue to pray for me as I prepare, fundraise, and say goodbyes to loved ones. If you would want to talk and get more info from me, please contact me! I am always ready to talk about my passion! I am really searching for financial support. I am a little over $8,000, and I need to hit my goal of $10,000 by August 22nd, only one month! If you feel called to support me in this, please hit that little donate button on my blog home page! I would extremely appreciate that! I am also selling t-shirts that help as well! I will be posting about those on my blog page soon.
Thank you to all my supporters! God has given me you guys to help me get where I am now, and I’m really thankful that God has set this plan for me. I’ll be sure to update soon!
