The past ten days of my life have been so full. Full of games, full of laughs, full of worship, and full of conversations with the Father.
I pitched my little tent for the first time on Wednesday. I remember laying down and having this overwhelming feeling of, “What in the world have I gotten myself into?” But as the week went on, I learned so much more about the Lord, myself, and the squad. Here are some of my biggest takeaways from the week:
1. Don’t ignore the Holy Spirit!
Oh, the Spirit. I didn’t give the Holy Spirit enough credit until now. As part of God, the Holy Spirit lives in us. He prompts and leads us and gives us words to speak to others. I saw the Holy Spirit move in many ways at Training Camp. We saw prayers answered and people healed! We had visions of and for one another, and I know this is just a taste of how the Lord will move over the course of the year.
2. Unity is worth fighting for.
We spent a lot of time this week talking about squad/team unity. It reminded me of Psalm 133:1 that says ,”Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Until this week, I thought that dwelling in unity really meant just not fighting or arguing. But, unity is so much more than that. It’s sharing hopes, dreams, and priorities. It is pursuing growth with and for one another. It is speaking with kindness and giving your strengths and talents to build the kingdom together. It is sharing our stories with one another. It is rejoicing when others rejoice and weeping when they weep (Romans 12:15). It is fervently praying for one another. It’s really refreshing and beautiful.
3.Humility is crucial.
Humility just so happens to be my word for 2017!! Jesus is the ultimate model of humility. He brought himself low- down to the cross- so that we could be called higher and live with God (2 Corinthians 8:9). He put our needs before His own, and we are called to do the same. This kind of humility shines through in so many day to day moments, and my team walked this out so well over the course of the week! It shined when someone carried my chair for me. It shined when people served me food before themselves. It shined when people wore clothes that were uncomfortable or hit in order to do ministry well. And, it shined we stayed up all night praying for one another and those will meeT as we go. Humility brings the kingdom to Earth!
4. Walking in your God-given identity is a gamechanger.
This has been such a crucial part of my testimony- and it was totally reinforced this week at Training Camp! Jesus. This is Jesus. His life becomes mine. His vicotry becomes mine. His authority becomes mine. In Him, I do not have to earn love. I don’t have to strive. I don’t have to compete with anyone else! I am created in His image with gifts and talents to use for the kingdom and my destiny is to be with the Lord. And, so is yours! This will change your life!
5. Missions is a lifestyle, not a trip.
Jesus lived on mission. He ministered to everyone around him. He spoke with kindness and intentionality, ensuring that people were seen, heard, and cared for when they were with Him. We, as children of God, are called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). We should be making disciples each day! We are called to show intentional love to every barista, beautician, and mechanic we meet. We are called to serve and generously give (Galatians 5:13, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). We are called to share God’s wonderful love with everyone in our lives, whether we are abroad or in our hometowns.
