Training camp was in a word: overwhelming.
I was overwhelmed with new foods that may or may not have tasted that great. I was overwhelmed by the love and support I felt from friends and family back home, teammates, squad-mates, the leadership team, and AIM staff. I was sometimes overwhelmed by the stench of the porta-potties… I was overwhelmed by the sound of 300 racers shouting praises to their Lord and Savior. I was overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit in my life and in the lives of those around me. Training camp was SO overwhelming, but in the best possible sense of the word.
I quickly realized that there were aspects of my life that I hadn’t completely surrendered to God. Pieces of myself that I was holding onto for dear life. He showed me that my insecurities and doubts had no place at the foot of the cross, and that the shame that I felt was not mine to bear. Jesus had nailed all of these things to the cross. I also realized that I wasn’t completely seeking God’s will in my life. I was picking and choosing features of God’s plan that I liked and throwing the rest aside. God’s first priority in our lives is not our own comfort. His goal is to form us into the image of Christ. His ways are SO much higher than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9), and I have to trust that his plan is SO much better for me than anything I could come up with myself (Romans 8:28).
Another word that comes to mind when I look back at TC: community.
Over and over again I saw racers putting other people’s needs before their own. Whether that meant giving up some of their snacks to a hungry squad-mate or offering to share their tent with someone who needed a place to sleep, everyone was willing to sacrifice for each other. I didn’t understand how I could care so much for people I had only known for a few days. There was such unity, such generosity, and such love. All of us bonding over a common goal: praising Christ Jesus and striving to look more like him every single day.
Let me introduce you guys to team Relentless! In the bottom pic from left to right is: (top row) Jesse, Tyler, Trevor, Nathan, Alex, Kevin, (bottom row) Moncho, Andrew, and Logan. These are the men I will be doing ministry with for 9 months! I’m so thankful that God placed these dudes in my life, and I am stoked to be walking beside them on the World Race!
I want to give a HUUUUGGGEEE thank you to everyone who has supported me in any way thus far on my journey. I couldn’t do it without you guys, and am so appreciative of the donations, prayers, and encouragement that I have received. I’ve already learned things about myself and about my heavenly Father that will carry me not only through this mission trip but through the rest of my life. Training camp was a stepping stone, a launching pad into something so much bigger and I cannot wait to see what God has in store.
