This blog was super difficult for me to write. I have been home from training camp for three days and I have written and rewritten this blog four times. As I write this blog, I am sipping some ice cold sweet tea from Chick-Fil-A and snacking on some waffle fries. Why is this important you ask? Well, this exact meal is what got me through training camp. Training camp was very hard. Lots of things happened, like lit dance parties, wearing the same outfit for 3 days, sinus infections, sleeping 3 to a tent, bucket showers, sweating constantly, exotic foods, radical worship, and amazing community. But a lot of things also didn’t happen, like personal hygiene, sleep, hand washing, and real toilets. There’s a lot to tell about training camp. I wish I could tell it all but this blog would turn into a book. So, I am just going to share 5 things that I learned.
1. It is okay to be uncomfortable.
I like to think of myself as a clean person. I like clean clothes and showers. Training camp had neither of those things. Georgia is hot, very hot. Hot weather means being sweaty, all the time. I learned it’s okay to be sweaty. It’s okay to have red Georgia dirt EVERYWHERE. It’s okay to wear the same outfit for three days in a row. I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone with the lack of hygiene that occurred at training camp, but I learned the joy that you can have being dirty. When all your teammates haven’t showered in four days, you get to all share buffs (a type of headband), deodorant and give each other hugs because no one else will. It’s a great way to all grow close through love and smell.
2. Crying is great.
Since the first night of training camp, I cried everyday. I cried for so many reasons. I cried because I was frustrated, happy, sad, amazed by God, tired, and sometimes I am not even sure why I cried. I am not an emotional person, my friends and family can all attest to that, but training camp brought out the soft side of Bri Stump and the only one who could do that was God. A quote from one of our sessions that has stuck with me is this, “Emotions are a roadmap to the soul. They show what is going on in our hearts. Emotions are a gateway to the Lord.” I feel like our society has put a bad name on being emotional. I would be the first to admit that I had fallen into the identity of pretending not to have any emotions and never cry, but I was just lying to myself. Emotions are beautiful. It is how humans connect with each other. I can’t tell you how many teammates I cried with and how close that brought us together. Crying is great.
3. Worship is radical.
Standing in a room surrounded by sisters and brothers in Christ who are so in love with Jesus is amazing! What is even better is worshiping among them. The band at training camp was phenomenal! For those hours that we worshiped each day, everyone forgot that they were hot or sweaty or how bad the room smelled. It was just you and Jesus. You could look around at people crying, dancing and shouting for the Lord. Two lines from two songs that we sung have continued to stick with me and I want to share them with you. The first line is from the song, “Since your love” by United Pursuit and it says, “Since your love got a hold of me, I am a new creation. I am forever changed.” I love this. I love it because once we are saved by God’s grace and love we are new. The old has gone and the new has come. Our mistakes and sins are forgiven and our identity is in Christ Jesus and not our past. The other line is from the song, “From the Head to the Heart” by United Pursuit. It says, “There is no shame in looking like a fool. When I give you what I can’t keep. I take a hold of you.” I love this. Whenever we would sing this, you could look around and see everyone with the biggest smiles on their faces and just dancing for Jesus. There is no shame in looking like a fool for God. When we let go of the images that we try and put out and when we let go of trying to please everyone or seeking approval of others, we get to grab onto God and do radical things for Him. I challenge you to look up those songs if you have time because they are so powerful.
4. Sickness isn’t all bad.
You may be reading that and going, “Whoa, what?” Yes, sickness is not fun, but I learned a lot while being sick at training camp. I got a sinus infection, fever, dehydration, heat exhaustion and a migraine all at the same time. Yes, I was very miserable but I got to experience a lot. The whole day I was sick I spent with the Lord seeking and listening to Him. I had been crazy go-go-go before training camp and I had pushed God to the side. This was an opportunity for me to slow down and have no other distractions. I also got to experience community and care from my teammates. I had teammates asking me left and right how I was doing and what they could do to help me. I had them praying over me and caring for me. I had them running down to our campsite and getting random things for me because I couldn’t walk. I learned vulnerability and how to let others help. I am a very independent person. I don’t like to bother others with my issues. Well, I had a wake up call from one of my teammates. She got mad that I didn’t tell anyone that I was sick because they wanted to help, care for and be praying for me. I learned the value of community and how to admit weakness.
5. The World Race is going to ROCK.
Training camp was super hard and I wish never to repeat it. I am thankful for the experience and what I learned. It was no walk in the park, but I got to experience God in new ways, become okay with being uncomfortable, learn more flexibility, grow in community, meet my rock star teammates, have amazing conversations with people, sleep under the stars, try new foods and so much more. Over the 10 days of training camp, I met the sweetest people who are going to be my family for the next year and they make me even more excited for this adventure!
This is my team of lovely ladies that I will spending the first three months in Guatemala with! (:
Thank you to everyone you has been praying for me and my team. We need your prayers. Thank you to everyone who has financially donated towards my trip. I appreciate it so much. I am over half way supported!!! I still have a ways to go, though. I have a deadline coming up at the end of July and I need to be at $10,000. I am so close to that, so please consider financially supporting me to help me reach my goal!
Until next time…..
Expecting Great Things from God,
BRi Stump
