Training Camp. I really don’t know where to begin. Like my teammate Tyler Burke I’ve re-started this post a few times, both typed out and in my own head. However, I’m going to try to give you some insight into what God has shown me through training camp and how He has made these things known to me.
Spoiler Alert: When the Holy Spirit gets involved, your life changes. It just does.
Honestly, that’s what happened for me. I was excited about finally meeting these 27 other people I’d been anticipating meeting since being accepted on the race (literally it’s been months), and they proved to be even more than what I could gather from scouring their Facebook profiles and Instagrams — Trust me everyone creeps when they’re gonna spend 11 months with someone they’d never met… If they don’t, they probably should! But what was cool about the whole thing went way beyond just meeting my amazing squad (M squad aka the Mighty Ducks also known for our team color: purple or our route: expedition) and my awesome team (the Joy Riders, team verse: Isaiah 60:15) who I am now deeply connected to and blessed to call my Brothers and Sisters in Christ (pictured below).
The Holy Spirit in these people, in the leadership (people like Solomon and Eric, Jeremy and Laura, Danny and Chris, Patrick, Aj and Jennifer, Deon and Bill, the Dilbecks, all the way up to Seth Barnes), and in the servant hearted people who also helped coordinate and facilitate training camp did an amazing work in my heart. I learned and experienced more fully what it means to be a son who the Father loves and is pleased with, the freedom that comes with that! Oh my, I could YELL! I’m so thankful for my time at training camp. I’m more in-tune with the Holy Spirit. I know that God not only loves and accepts me but He had a purpose and a plan for me. He wants to use me to advance his kingdom. He wants me to usher in worship where it doesn’t exist! Because the Holy Spirit is in me I can do what he’s calling me to do.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.”
Psalms 73:26 HCSB
So how did God plant these truths so deeply in me in the time I was away at training camp? I’ll just have to tell you what we did.
We had real community from day 1. We ate together, camped out under the stars in our tents, and just got to know each other. We had incredible sessions of teaching and worship. It was during times of worshipping together that I experienced so much freedom and breakthrough from the start. Has anyone ever prayed over you exactly what was going on in your heart without you telling them anything? This was going on right and left during worship, and not just to me! Tears of joy would flow! After a few days even I felt called to pray over some people!
On to the teaching. Everything centered around three guiding principles to living in the Kingdom for the King. The principles were: mission, community, and intimacy. They all intersect, and all play a part in living as we are called to live. Some teaching was super practical, and some got to being super personal. It all added up to build us up in the Kingdom of God. After being equipped, we can go out!
We also did other things to build on what it means to be a part of the Kingdom. One day the men did a man hike through the AT (Appalachian trail) for 13 miles in a day followed by a talk from an amazing teacher Deon on 5 points of Kingdom manhood. The women stayed at camp and underwent some intense teaching and physical activity as well. Each day at camp was themed with a region of the world (Asia day, Africa day, India day, Eastern European day, Travel day, the list goes on) each days theme meant food for the day matched the culture and we had to dress accordingly! Also, we had to follow certain cultural guidelines like on Africa day men held hands when walking around. Kinda new for me!
We underwent travel scenarios that forced us into deeper community, things like airport night where we all slept in a formulated airport with the lights on and announcements coming through a loudspeaker all night. Or the airport lost half of our teams bags temporarily and so we had to share everything for a night! It was awesome.
The Kingdom of God is so much bigger than we might think if we only experience it for an hour or two on a Sunday. You can find Kingdom everywhere! God’s story, His goodness and His character are all around. We can know him intimately through those things when we know where to look. Seek Him, you’ll find him. Search the scripture and you’ll know what to look for. He’s speaking to us if only we learned to listen!
“Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, to Jesus (mediator of a new covenant ), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.”
Hebrews 12:22?-?24 HCSB
One activity we did after we first were told our team (mini version of the whole squad that does life and ministry more closely together) really hit home that last point for me. We talked about music (if you know me you know I love music) and how things of the Kingdom can even be found in the “secular”. That’s not entirely new to me, but the talk helped me to connect it further. Then we were all given a water bottle and told to go off campus and give it to someone and make a music video. Point being, not the task, but following the Lord and finding and ushering in Kingdom wherever we are and whatever we are doing.
“Life is ministry and ministry is life.”
-
everyone at AIM
On the second to last day, we had squad wars (like a field day). It was super fun.
M squad partnered with L squad to try and beat I squad who was leading like the whole time. I squad still one.
The other squads mostly beat us too, but we had tons of fun. AND we ended the night in baptism! I was given the honor and privilege to baptise one of my very best friends, former accountability partner, and members of my small group, Josh Schulz!
He is on I squad headed on a different route in August. It was my first ever baptism of someone and so cool that God allowed me to take part in that with my friend. Check out his blog here:
https://joshschulz.theworldrace.org
We ended the week with re-entry into our lives before training camp. We said temporary goodbyes. It was hard. I miss those people back at camp. I’m glad I get to spend 11 months with them, but I know that re-entry next year will be exponentially harder. We were told the enemy would attack when we got back. And it’s true. But God is greater and more powerful than any obstacle or work of the enemy. I trust him to carry me through this next season, to help me love my community at home fully, to get me fully fundraised, to help me say goodbye to friends and family, to help me live fully and abundantly ushering in His Kingdom.
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God be praised!
-Daniel
