I have been back from training camp for about 2 weeks now and my mind is still WRecked (World Race Training Camp wrecked me). My mind is still wrecked spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I don’t think I will be able to unpack everything because there was so much that I was taught, but I will try to talk about key points.
Not only was I stretched spiritually, but I was stretched physically. Going into training camp I was prepared for some of the stuff they would throw at us, such as, sleeping in a tent for 10 days, a 2.2 mile hike in 38 minutes with our pack on, different scenarios, and bucket showers. However, it is one thing to know about the different situation, but it is another thing to participate in them. Like sleeping in a tent in 30-40 degree weather in Georgia of all places, no running water means porta potties for 10 days, hilly terrain with a 40 pound pack on your back, freezing cold water in a bucket to shower with, and sharing a tray of food with 7 other people, community style. With all that being said, I am definitely not complaining because I did it all, and I was not alone. It definitely was a stretching and humbling experience.
But wait, there is so much more. Not only did I experience those growing experiences, I also experienced spiritual growth. We had so many eye-opening teaching sessions and times to just worship. Through it all 3 things kept coming up; intimacy, community, and mission. I will try to describe these 3 words in the way that God spoke to me.
Intimacy – This one is the toughest for me because I think this is what I need to work on most. This is all about seeking Christ and truly knowing him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Let me tell you, I have been seeking him in all the wrong ways. Truly seeking him and knowing him will come with some change in the way I live now. (Keep an eye out for my next blog.) With that being said, seeking Christ in my life will take a lot of work, I do know that. I want to seek him and not stop because I know the radical things he can do. I want to be so full of Christ that I overflow!!
Community – This one took me a while to grasp, and I am still working on it. However, I do know that on night 7 the walls came down. My squad was standing around a campfire, singing songs of worship. (My squad totals 40 people + leaders, so yes, that is a lot of people.) My heart became heavy and all I knew to do was to kneel and cry. Through that time I received the embrace of two squamates. Which was perfect. Then the wildest thing happened, the men on my squad decided to serve all 27 women by washing their feet. As I was headed to get my feet washed, I got the embrace I needed. Another squamate held me and spoke so many uplifting and encouraging words right to me. Some would call this words of affirmation. But right then and there, I needed those words. For someone I had only met 7 days ago to give me such profound words of encouragement was mind blowing. Community is choosing love (agape), understanding others, communicating, building each other up both spiritually and emotionally, and grace-filled feedback.
Mission – From the time Jesus ascended into heaven we have been given a mission. Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is our CO-mission as believers in Christ. So how do we do that? We live a life filled with the love of Christ. And with that love and INTIMACY we have with Christ we go and find a way to be Christ to someone, so they can experience the love of Christ as well. Intimacy is capitalized in that last sentence because not only is it one of the 3 words but it is important to be intimate with Christ and filled with his love, so that we can go out and share that love with others.
Ohh how much just these 3 simple but profound words can be so life changing. There is so much more I learned at training camp, and I am still learning more about what was taught by reading through all the notes I took. Hopefully I will be able to incorporate what I learned not only into my life but into other blogs so that I can share with everyone.
Thank you so much for reading!!
Many blessings,
Aleesa
