Today I sit in front of my computer that has been tucked away for 11 days while I lived off the grid in the woods of North Georgia. I struggle to write my thoughts about training camp because there simply are to many! God has done so much. He has spoken so much, showed up so greatly, healed so deeply and exceeded any expectation I went to training camp with. I’d love to share every intimate detail of how God worked in my heart but for now I will share with you some truths that I learned in my 11 days of missionary bootcamp.
- Beauty has nothing to do with make up. I would say I understood this truth going into training camp until God showed me a new level. I spent 11 days with bucket showers, smelly chacos, sweaty clothes, no coffee, porta potties, and no time for make up. God showed me beauty has nothing to do with the makeup on your face ( I quickly gave up), the polish on your toes (of which I had none), or the product in your hair (again, nada). If beauty was these things I would have walked out of training camp feeling insignificant to my core. Instead I walked out in confidence because I was shown beauty comes from Him. Beauty is found in the dirt and the trees and the rolling hills of North Georgia. Beauty is the sound of voices in tune or out worshiping their creator. Beauty is in the diversity that makes up the body of Christ. Beauty is found in the precious souls of the people that make up a community of believers that know how to serve well. Beauty is knowing your identity is founded in Christ.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14
- Community is one of the sweetest joys on earth. C.S. Lewis said, “Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire.” I remember reading that quote some months ago and having an ache in my heart for that kind of community. I remember praying that the Lord would provide me a community of believers that would pour into me and challenge me to grow. I stood in the woods during yet another sleeping scenario and realized God had answered my prayer. Standing around a campfire with our arms in the air I worshiped with not 1 but 49 people who are now my family. I have a home in this community of believers that, like me, are crazy enough to give up the comfort of home to build the kingdom around the world. God, thank you for answering my prayer in abundance!
- Eating crickets aren’t as bad as you would think…. Each day at training camp had a theme of a new country or continent. We experienced the cultural norms from food, customs, and dress and were expected to live by them. This meant eating mystery meat on Asia day, not using plates or utensils on Africa day, never touching a piece of food with you left hand on India day (try it, it’s much harder than it sounds!). It meant making sure our ankles weren’t showing, despite the Georgia heat, because ankles are seen as seductive in other countries. Oh and yes, it even meant eating crickets for breakfast.. I am grateful, however, that It also meant lots of laughter, corny jokes, community building, and shared wet wipes.
- When you’re tired, bored, stressed, or are like me and want to introvert, choose to press in. That is when we do the most growing. When you physically don’t think you can anymore thats an invitation to take control of your thoughts and accomplish the task at hand. Training camp provided many opportunities to put this new wisdom to practice. We had many sleeping scenarios that made our tent and bucket shower feel like a luxury. We slept in a loud airport simulation with 70+ racers, we took shifts through the night to constantly lift our squad in prayer and worship our Father, we crammed to many people into to small a tent to experience community living, we also roughed it (as if sleeping in tents and bathing in buckets wasn’t roughing it enough) deep in the woods making shelter for the squad and cooking food over a fire. Each time we could have drawn back and missed what God was doing. Instead we pushed in and built stronger relationships in the uncomfortable and tiring parts of training camp. We pushed ourselves physically with every 7am workout that made us wonder if we were on an episode of survivor or the bigger loser. We tackled our timed fitness hike that became more of a sprint while carrying our 40 pound pack on our backs. When we wanted to give up we grabbed each other by the hand and pushed through to the finish line. By doing so we realized we are much stronger than we knew and even stronger together. God does amazing things in us when we come to the end of ourselves. When we throw our pride down, grab the hand of a brother or sister in Christ, and press in! In our normal everyday lives this often looks like coming home after a long day and numbing ourselves with tv or social media. I challenge you to press into the Lord instead. Spend time getting to know him and press into the tired and uncomfortable and see how greatly you will grow.
- God is in the waiting. He wants residence not visitation rights. I put these two together though they are probably the most important nuggets I got from training camp. I learned that God isn’t just standing at the finish line waiting for us to make it to Him. No. He is in the waiting when it seems like nothing is happening. He is in the sorrow when life knocks us down. He is in the joy when all we can do is smile. He is in EVERY season and EVERY circumstance. He is because He doesn’t want visitation rights in our hearts. To just be with us on weekends and holidays. He wants residence! To live in our lives and in our hearts every step of the way. He wants to walk through every minute of life with us and grow us to become more like Him. He wants to have intimacy with us as we let go of shame and hurt that has taken up space He wants to fill with His loving presence. He wants you. Every part. The good, the bad, and the ugly places of our hearts. If you haven’t given Him residence in your life yet, pray that He would fill your life and give your heart to Him to heal. He is a trust worthy Father. (Romans 10:9-10)
Again, I cant express all that is on my heart or that the Lord showed me these past 2 weeks. It is going take me longer than a day to process the download of emotions, knowledge, and challenge that training camp brought. But what I can tell you is that my God is a God who pursues. A Father who comforts, corrects, instructs, and loves. He convicts our hearts not condemns it. He never shames us and our identity is found in Him. He challenges us to go deeper and grow stronger but He never asks us to without Him. He is a constant companion. He requires you to give Him your baggage, your hurts, and your insecurities. I found this process is painful but the freedom that He gives in return is worth every tear! He truly is close to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18) and He puts us together in working order. The more we pursue Him the more we find out who we are, our giftings, our talents, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our purpose.
There are 6 short weeks until my squad launches to India. Please keep us in your prayers as we spend these last few weeks fundraising, pouring into family and friends, and preparing for the life altering experience the mission field will no doubt be.
This is just the beginning.
