After 10 days of life at the World Race Training Camp, I sit coffee in hand trying to frame together all the experiences and thoughts swirling around my mind, so I can accurately portray all that happened to me in days that felt like years. Amidst all the sweat, intimate community, and constant bombardment of information about the next year’s missionary service, one thing rings true from it all:
God lavishly LOVES me. It’s who I am, and sharing that love is my life’s purpose.
We arrived, about 300 people in all, at the Atlanta airport. Packing the large atrium, with loaded backpacks, new faces, and all our squad colors resembling a giant bag of skittles, I met the brothers and sisters on my squad for the first time. A couple hours later, we were bussed from Atlanta to the Adventures in Missions headquarters located about an hour drive away in the dense forest and humidity of North Georgia. When I got there, I notified my parents of my safety and then unplugged myself from the outside world of politics, news, social media, and entertainment. I was here for the Lord, not escape.
At the camp itself, we grew in love with Christ, grew closer in community, and grew more confident in who Christ calls us. Each day we had different sleeping scenarios that other past racers have faced. One example was a noisy, cold, fluorescent lighted airport we had to sleep in with whatever was in our carry-on. Another scenario had us divide all our gear in two separate piles, resulting in the “airport losing half of our luggage” so everyone had to share tents, and everything else that they were in need of. Keep in mind, we all met the day before and boy did we grow close fast haha!
Food each day represented a different culture. From India, where the left hand is dirty and women’s head had to be covered, to Africa, where men hold hands and the women sit on the ground away from the men as they eat (which was a bit awkward at first, but I also found it very humbling). We all got a single tray of food for 8 people and just like they do in Africa, we ate lentils, rice, veggies and other meat with only our hands.
All the scenarios– from sleeping arrangements where 10 fully grown men were packed into a single HOT humid tent to the food we ate– served a purpose to prepare us for what life might be like as we face culture shock every month for a year. Most of all, to show us just how much we have to depend on Christ in every situation, and how to do without.
During the day we learned lesson after lesson from speakers and AIM staff. At the beginning of the week we received ministry and healing from the Holy Spirit through the leaders, mentors, and coaches. Then at the end we began to minister to each other in the overflow of what God had given us. We learned about how to function as the church was meant to. All of us with our different gifts were serving one another in love, with gentleness and humility, and unity of the Holy Spirit.
God spoke to me about my gifts especially this week. He showed me how I was given them for a reason and that I need to bring unity in the church by using them. The biggest word that I am, and will be growing into is IDENTITY. I am beginning to understand that the “who I am” is actually “whose I am.” So thank you for following me on this journey and taking the time to read through my thoughts and take a gaze at my heart. I promise you, the reader, to be vulnerable and authentic as I embark on this crazy journey. I desire to share with you how God blew up the little box that I tried to fit Him in.
So I want you to take a moment and palm the top of your head with your hand, like you would a basketball…
Then remove it, while maintaining its new shape and hold it in front of you.
Then say, “God…you are bigger than this…”
Welcome to my life.
In 6 weeks I will launch and start this global ministry in Cambodia with sons and daughters of God.
During this week we bonded like I have never seen before, I sometimes briefly forget their names, don’t even know most of their favorite colors or remember where they are from. But I know them on a deeper level than nearly every person I have ever met…and we still have a year left to serve Christ together around the world!
They split the squad of 37 people into teams of 6 and 7 and we spread out to serve around the country next on our route. This is my first team I will be serving with in the city in Cambodia!
We got to go into town towards the end of training and make a memory as a team, we decided to get matching bracelets from Rahab’s Rope, a small business that supports anti-human trafficking ministry in India. (Check them out: http://www.rahabsrope.com/)
Here is my team in full “dance-off” attire as we performed the Traditional Maori Haka
These are the men on my squad I have the honor to serve with. We got to hike 12 miles of the Appalachian Trail on Blood Mountain, GA. Here we are at Preacher’s Rock.
