P.C: Samantha Hotchkiss
First off, I apologize for this being my first blog… I’ve always had a fear of sharing any part of my story, but here goes to believing in God and being faithful. Also, thank you for reading and following along! Here’s my FIRST blog post about my experience at training camp this past week:
Share. Joy. Beautiful. Unity.
These were the words spoken over me both before and during my time at training camp. Before I officially signed up for the race, Jesus put on my heart to share– my story, my life, and give my all. Being vulnerable is really difficult for me, as I try to keep everything about me private and keep others around me at a distance. But Jesus has really been pushing me to move beyond my own boundaries, going so far as to share a part of my story with my teammates (more on them in another post) on the third day of camp.
As for the words joy and beautiful, these specific words were spoken over me during an evening worship session. I’m not exactly sure what the Lord is trying to convey to me through these words. However, I do have a speculation that He’s trying to tell me to be joyful with my “beautiful” self by learning to first love myself completely, so that I can go forth and love others as He loves and sees me.
Last but not least, the word unity was both witnessed and brought forth, both amongst my squad and the other squads. Squads are essentially comprised of the people I will be traveling with from country to country, mine being Route 1, with an October 2017 launch date. Our camp included my squad (A squad) and two other smaller squads (B squad and C squad). When it came to task-driven activities that were based on the number of members in the squad, the smaller squads were able to finish faster because of their mere size, while my squad, being the biggest squad had to keep working at it. But in the midst of the chaos of accomplishing these tasks, the other squads that had finished first, came and helped us, taking on what they had already done at no obligation. It was there and then that I learned what it meant to be a true body/community/family of Christ. And it is with this spirit and mindset I pray that we continue to have as we go out into the field.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
