Heyy everyone!!!! I haven’t blogged in a really long time but….. I JUST GOT BACK FROM TRAINING CAMP !!!!
Before I left, I didn’t really know what we were gonna do there, how everything was gonna happen, what to pack, etc., etc., etc. So, I met with my AMAZING friend and World Race alumni, Angie Blattner (who also happens to be the person responsible for introducing me to the World Race) !!!! She gave me lots of helpful information about the ins and outs of the race- praise Jesus!!! because I would have been sooo very lost without it- but also warned me about how difficult training camp was going to be. And man ohhhh man was she right. The entire thing is intimating in everyyyy way. To start with: you meet your entire squad of forty or fifty some people at once (mind you, these are the people I will be spending the next NINE months of my life with, who are also going to be the ONLY people I will actually know when I’m thousands of miles from home); you get introduced to all the leaders and mentors and trainers; are surrounded by five other squads, with just as many people on them; camp for ten straight days in the woods of Georgia- with all of its glorious humidity and crazy hot July temperatures; having bucket showers be the only way to clean off all the dirt and sweat that covered every inch of us; only being able to use porta potties (note: three hundred some kids using porta potties that sit in the heat all day is a LOVELY scent I will never forget); trading in a sink with soap for hand sanitizer; eating all kinds of cultural foods from across the world (the crickets were by far my favorite); sitting in sessions for HOURS non stop; trying to retain and reflect on the unreal amount of information they threw at us; getting pushed to our edge in all aspects- mentally, physically, and spiritually; and this list can go on and on!
But by the end of the ten days, NONE of it mattered… whatsoever. I have never grown so much, learned so much, and been this excited!!!!!! I am still nervous on multiple levels for the Race- especially because, before training camp, I didn’t truly grasp how long nine months is. Butttt the good news is that I have nothing to actually worry about or fear. During one of the sessions, a speaker said “When God calls you somewhere, it is the safest place you can be.” Which is soooooo so so so cool to think about!! Where ever God is calling you to go, He will be there walking along side of you and protecting you! This idea really gave me a strong push to live into that and trust in Him, especially during the race. I have no control over life, so all I can do is trust in my creator and give it all to Him.
Training camp- which I am now referring to as Boot Camp- has taught me so very much about the importance of community, a missionary life, and intimacy with God. One of the most important things I learned last week, was how freaking important and amazing the Holy Spirit is. In my eighteen years of being a Christian, I don’t think I’ve ever really been encouraged- or if I was, it went right over my head- to pursue and create a deep and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. To be honest, although I have heard about Him since before I can remember, I have never understood who the Holy Spirit is. But now that I do, I am in awe. First off, it’s amazing how God desires such an intimate relationship with us! He not only, sent His only son to die a horrible and undeserving death for OUR sin, but then, God decided that we were never EVERRRRR going to have to be alone or apart from Him. Sooooo, He gave us the Holy Spirit. He gave us a part of Himself to live inside of us. The most unreal part of it all is that there are absolutely zero requirements that people need to meet in order for the Holy Spirit to live inside of them. GUYS! This means that God- the creator of everything and everyone- will live inside of you and me forever, and will guide us, and develop a deeper and more personal relationship with us than we could possibly ever imagine. How lucky are we to have such an approachable, loving, and good God?
In Georgia, time was set aside for us to, not only, begin practicing talking to the Holy Spirit and developing an intimate relationship with Him. But also, and definitely more importantly, we practiced LISTENING to what He is telling us (**side note: Adventures in Missions did an amazing job at equipping us with skills to determine if what we hear is from God, how to connect with Him, AND SO MUCH OTHER COOL STUFF!!!!!**).
One night, a little over half way through boot camp, we had a session on forgiveness. The speaker began with the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35). I have heard this parable sooo very many times before, but it never spoke to me the way it did that night. If God can forgive us for ALL that we have done and still do to Him, then why on earth should we have the right not to forgive each other? When we look at what God has forgiven us for each and every day for thousands of years, it highlights just how merciful and gracious He is towards us. Learning this should set a fire inside of us and give us a passion to forgive one another. Forgiveness is something I have struggled with for most of my life and still do everyday. I truly think forgiving people is one of the hardest things on earth to do. To put issues into God’s hands and let Him be in control, can be, and usually is, extremely terrifying- ESPECIALLY when people have hurt you so deeply. Training camp revealed how important and NECESSARY forgiveness is. Although I definitely learned a lottt about this topic and grew in different aspects, I know that I have only scratched the surface of forgiveness… I am slightly terrified, BUT ALSO EXCITED AND READY to learn even more about it (prayers for this especially are appreciated).
I want to thank everyone who is encouraging me through this amazing journey I am about to begin (IN JUST 7 WEEKS!!!). I am blown away by the prayer and financial support that has been poured over me. I’d love to talk to anybody who is considering supporting me more in depth and cannot wait to be fully funded!!! If you feel led to support me financially or with prayers, please do. I would greatly appreciate your help to meet my goal.
XOXO,
Katie
