As I sit down to begin to express my experience at training camp, I am struggling to find appropriate words.
I guess the start of this adventure is a good place to start.
October 14, 2015, I entered the Sacramento Airport with an excitement in my skin. Each time I walk into the airport and check in for a flight I have booked weeks before, I am met with a new opportunity. There is a piece of my DNA that comes alive when I walk into an airport and prepare to board a plane.
This plane I was about to board, the pilot would fly me to a state I had yet to view.
I found a semi-comfortable seat and journaled in my newly purchased journal.
This was the beginning of an adventure; the start of a journey I knew little detail about.
I was about to meet 30 something individuals that were merely faces on social media. We had conversed and interacted online, but I knew very little about the very hearts I was about to meet and spend 10 days with.
I boarded my red-eye flight with anticipation, speculation, curiosity, fear and wonder. I was jumping in; I was about to camp in the woods of north Georgia having no authentic camping experience previously. Talk about adventure.
I arrived having had little shut eye, and was grumpy from lack of rest.
Three things were on my mind at 6:45am: nap, an outlet and coffee. After these things were fulfilled, I would be more myself and ready to meet my fellow adventurers.
An hour later I found myself searching for different seating and began to meet my fellow mates. We were all tired, overwhelmed, under caffeinated and full of mixed excitement and emotions. Hours later, we were occupying seat & floor space of the atrium of the Atlanta airport; our shuttle came and we were on our way to Adventures in Missions in Gainesville.
In the hours and days to follow, I was in the constant company of 35+strangers, who within days became family. Our camp site was situated in the woods, tent neighbors were just a few footsteps away, our “living room” consisted of a few worn and broken plastic chairs strides from our sleeping beds. This would be the close, intimate, no privacy home for the following days.
I recall saying I was not looking forward to the lack of alone time; in hindsight though, the lack of alone time brought us together and the ease of going into my room & shutting the door was absent. I was forced into 24/7 community, and I reaped a great reward.
In the span of less than 10 days lifelong friendships was formed.
Perhaps it’s possessing a united heart to pursue Papa & bring his hope, salvation and good news to areas of the world that have been forgotten or ignored.
Perhaps it’s the mutual thread of adventure that is woven into our DNA.
Perhaps it’s the humor that brings us together laughing.
Perhaps it is a combination of factors that bind us together in commonality.
But I know this for certain, Papa God has called us his sons and daughters and we responded to that call for more of him. We responded to a call to leave our comfort and safety. We responded to his heart that cries to his sons and daughters.
One very significant moment for me came in the midst of a two-day hike. My family had just completed an 18 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. We were sitting in silence to hear from Holy Spirit. For a good amount of that hour, he spoke to me this phrase over and over and over.
You belong here.
I had come into these 10 days wondering if this was truly where I belonged.
Did I have a place here?
Did I fit in with these radical hearts?
You belong here.
Comparison had tried to convince me otherwise.
You belong here.
You belong here.
This needed to be settled.
You belong here.
Okay, Holy Spirit, I believe what you say is true. Speak it into my soul as many times as I need to hear it until I believe it.
You belong here.
He then showed me, I was not the only one whom needed to hear this.
After the hour of silent listening to Holy Spirit, we shared with a partner of our experience. We then had opportunity to share of our partner’s experience if it resonated inside. Remember, I felt strongly Holy Spirit wanted to settle this with more than just me. So, my partner shares what Holy Spirit spoke to me and in that hour, I felt settled. I settled the final questions in my heart.
I belong here.
Of course, comparison still tried to get the best of me, and it still does even now. But it has been settled so deep in my bones that this is what I was made for. I was made to be in community with these sons & daughters. It’s in our DNA that we are together for such a time as this.
Holy Spirit moved in ways I am only beginning to process; Papa’s love met us in new intimacy; Holy Spirit brought new freedom; we came together for a common goal and person- Jesus be made known. It’s not about us. It’s about him.
Warrior hearts, we are force to be reckoned with.
These are the courageous, brave, joyful, redeemed, authentic and transformed sons & daughters. Together with Holy Spirit residing and leading us, we will bring the KINGDOM to the places of the 10/40 region others don’t dare go. It’s a dangerous, unknown world to us, yet we know where our hope and freedom resides. It’s in this one name- JESUS.
These are the hearts who are not bound by fear, but constantly reminded of our true identity.
We will be challenged, we will be pushed; we will cry, we will laugh, we will see victory.
We are willing to lay this thing called life down, for a cause greater than our own.
We are willing to come to the end of our weakness to find his strength in vast power.
I am inspired and challenged to pursue Papa more. I am challenged to do what I normally would not do. I am challenged to believe what I thought impossible before.
Will you pray for us? These next 2 months before we launch in January are vital.
I am finding it difficult to be in my “normal” life again; but there is purpose in it. Otherwise it would not be this way.
Thank you for all your prayers. The power of prayer is strong, it is necessary and it is powerful.
Thank you.
My Expedition squad (F)amily
