My time at CGA has been going well so far and I am honored to be apart of God’s plan for my life here in Gainesville, GA!! God sometimes has a funny way of doing things to stretch out of comfort zones. This week in my Discipleship in Missions track was very interesting to say of the least.
First of all, I found out we are doing some more training for long-term missions at World Race training camp on October 11th-18th. Yes, I am doing training camp again because we are going to be training with some AIM long-term missionaries and going through some of sessions I did at training camp 2 years ago. There’s something I found out about going to training camp which in my mind I was like Oh God not again. Support Raising for training camp! UGH!! I am already raising support for CGA and I did this for the World Race. Why God Why? We have to raise $2,000 as a group which is $250 per person by October 11th.
Our missions team of six started to brainstorm ideas and we were denied by doing concessions at the local high school football game. Our track leader Kellie had us to go and do some listening prayer to God. After twenty minutes of doing some listening prayer one of my friends in the class Ryan told us the Lord said go ask Seth Barnes for Support. For those who don’t know who Seth Barnes is he is the founder of Adventures in Missions picture him as Pastor Steven Furtick is to Elevation Church. So Ryan goes into Seth Barnes office and he gets support for training camp. We debrief the situation and everything in class and then Ryan says Seth will consider supporting a couple more people who ask him for support. So Stephanie goes into Seth’s office and she receives support from Seth. Then she says he will consider someone else who goes in there and ask him for support.
Then the tug from God comes to me to go into Seth Barnes office and ask him for support. I’m sitting halfway on my seat after praying to God hearing from him go ask Seth for support. I’m saying God he’s the founder of AIM and all God Comon Now really!! UGH! He’s the last person I would ask for support for missions. The lie of a title of someone and my pride started to kick in!
As the lie started to kick in, a couple of my friends in the class started to say things to encourage me. Heather said, it looks like Blake is going to do it! I’m shaking halfway out of my seat and Ryan says you’re halfway out of your seat, go and do it! I take a swig of coffee for some heavenly energy and I go into Seth’s office and ask for support for training camp.
I am telling Seth about supporting me for training camp and the peace from God came over me during this time for stepping out of my comfort zone and asking Seth. I only talked to Seth for a minute about support and then he asked my what God is teaching me right now? I told him that God wants me to set aside my pride and depend on Him for everything including the book I am writing this semester at CGA. He says that’s great Blake! This turns into a normal conversation about the book, life, and he supports me for missions.
God taught me people with earthly titles are people also who have struggles, like having conversations, fun, and live normal lives like I do. God wants us to ask for the impossible because God can do anything!
Seth Barnes Founder of Adventures in Missions a person just like you and I are!
Photo by Sean Smith from Kingdom Journeys
