I have a lot I could reflect on and share from the last month. But THIS post is just about training camp.
So at Adventures In Missions in Gainesville, GA, they conduct several Training Camps throughout the year.
If you scroll down to my blog from October 2017, you can find some details about what all MY training camp entailed.
Summary:
It’s a mixture of camping, tryyyin’ scenarios, discomfort, worship with music, team building, cultural info, experiencing God in new ways, and of course a lot of movement of the Holy Spirit!
^^^(Here is another team leader Andrea, over a night we got to sleep inside, her and I went on the world race in 2018)
People come from all differnt backgrounds, Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal & Non-Denominational, recently saved, and pastors kids. They all know who Jesus is to some degree, but there is an opportunity at training camp to get a deeper knowing of how much we are Loved By God.
Most everyone who goes on the World Race or any of the missions programs/trips that AIM offers is because they want MORE. But we don’t always know exactly what that “more” is or what it looks like. But most of us are not content with where we are at. We want to live with purpose and look more like Jesus. Getting out of our comfort zones and ministering to broken people is a great way to walk like Jesus…. and we will do that, but it starts with us.
Training camp is A great place to be made more aware of some baggage and let go of it before Going to be a light in dark and hurting places.
Jesus said….”I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)
So at training camp this year, I witnessed several people from my squad get physically healed of injury/pain. And some people got to witness the miraculous for the first time! Many people wept and sobbed every worship session before the Lord because He was healing deep things in their hearts. Many people walked through forgiveness and surrender, inner healing and deliverance. And many people, because of Gods love, made commitments to take more Risk in ther life with the LORD.
My squad: (January 2020 Expedition) was only 1 of 4.
(Photo cred: lauren Munsen, bottom center)
One of the huge Blessings about this squad, is though they have come from differnt theologies and places in the u.s.a., they all had a BIG “YES” in their spirit. A YES for unity and working things out, and most importantly a YES for MORE OF GOD, no matter how that plays out.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14
I am so excited to serve along side this bold and already unified, group of people.
There were several times at training camp where I thought “I am leading them?!… God, they have more to show me”
But I know God has asked me to be here for a reason in this season.
And that is why we need the body, right. We certainly can’t do anything without God at the center, but we also need members of the body to fully function and build one another up.
Unless Jsus is the builder, man labors in vein.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-20
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” ~ James 5:6
Prayer points:
I am actually going to be a Team Leader, on the field (Australia, Indonesia, India, Nepal) with them for 4 months. With an opportunity for me to fly back out to them for Debriefs.
I dunno where God will have me after that, I may go back out again, I may go some place long term, I may start something up state side. I dont know. But it’s going to be good.
- Pray for the best leadership (team leders) to be put with the teams they would mutually benefit from the most.
- Pray for me to get my priority straight in these next 2 months leading up to launch.
- Pray for me to let go more of my self and have a deeper trust in the Lord. Especially in areas of finance. God said he would provide!
- Ask for a deeper understanding and balance in serving the squad/my team. As well as making sure to take my own Sabbath with the Lord.
- Pray that I would act quickly when God shows me something, rather than ponder.
- Ask that God would show me and people on our squad how to best guard our hearts. And let us not forget to put on the Armor of God Daily.
Our battle is not against flesh and blood. But against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
This verse has become much more real and deep to me than it ever had been.
