As my plane landed in Atlanta, GA on August 8th, a wide range of emotions was stirred up: excitement, uncertainty, and, admittedly, fear. It finally hit me that this would be my first of many plane rides over the next year taking me further and further away from home. The goodbyes exchanged before I left for training camp suddenly held significantly more weight. Doubts ran through my mind as I began to process what it would look like to travel around the world for 11 months when just the next 11 days seemed so uncertain. I began to feel unworthy and wonder what I had really signed up for.
Thankfully, the God of all comfort, the God who knows every thought running through my mind, the God who is not afraid of my doubts and fears, met me right where I was. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I met three amazing people who became my best friends in no time. This was the first of many answered prayers, as I had been asking God specifically for a couple deep friendships within my squad. I continued to be reminded of God’s sovereignty and provision when I arrived on the Adventures in Missions campus in Gainesville, GA and met the rest of my squad. Within our group of 20 people, there is so much diversity, but ultimately, so much unity. As the first week progressed, our squad of 20 was further divided into four teams of 5. Our time on the mission field will be spent predominantly within our smaller teams, and I could not have asked for a better group of people to do life with. I am so excited to see what the Lord will do through team “AMAZEd by You” as we continue to lean into all that He has prepared in advance for us to do (the first letter of each of our names spells the word “AMAZE”!!). I constantly felt seen, challenged, and encouraged by my peers and the team of inter-generational leaders that so selflessly devote their time to investing in us and equipping us for a lifetime of ministry.
At this point, you may be wondering what 11 days in the wilderness of Georgia looked like. It quickly became the norm to sleep in tents, sweat constantly, shower with buckets, try unfamiliar foods, drink instant coffee, and sit through session upon session receiving an overwhelming amount of information. My “alone time” often consisted of setting aside 10 minutes to put my headphones in and read my bible with 20 other people around me. Although the experience stretched and challenged me, I was able to learn and grow so much in such a short amount of time.
In order to sum up what I learned in the most succinct way possible, I will give you 2 main takeaways from the teachings:
- Through learning about various people groups and cultures, I discovered so much more about the nature of God. The bible says that people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will worship the Lord. Our God is not just the God of America or Israel or Africa (etc.), but He is the God of the ENTIRE universe. He cares deeply about the heart of every person on the earth, and, through His son Jesus, He breaks down all cultural, religious, and socioeconomic barriers to allow us to enter into relationship with Him. I feel extremely blessed to not only be loved by the God who numbered the stars and put them in place, but also to be able to share this good news among the nations!
- Contrary to what I have thought in the past, I experienced deeper revelation that my relationship with the Father is not about trying with all my might to love Him more. I have spent so much of my time trying to earn the love that God so freely gives. By allowing myself to receive this truth, I am able to live out of the overflow of that abundant love. “Such love has no fear, because perfect love drives out fear. We love because He FIRST LOVED US.” (1 John 4:18-19) YOU WERE BORN TO BE LOVED!!
After coming home from training camp, I feel so excited for what lies ahead! I have taken some time to rest and process all the information I received. The next 5 weeks will consist of emotional/spiritual preparation for my trip, continued fundraising, and investment in the relationships I have built in my current community. These are all things I would greatly appreciate prayer for leading up to my launch date of October 3rd!
