Training camp…
Some of you may have noticed that I have deleted and
rewritten the “training camp” blog. While I don’t see myself as the next
Tolstoy, I couldn’t handle the thought of my favorite high school English
teacher reading a blog of that caliber. (Shout out to Ms. Barron… why did you
give Jordan and me so many detentions? Also… did I use the correct pronoun just
now?)
Back to training camp.
I was asked to write a blog while under the
influence of sleep deprivation, starvation, and hypnosis [*i was advised to indicate this was a joke. joke*] from Jonathan Helser’s
melodic choruses (He was good… check him out at jonathanhelser.com). All
hyperbole aside, I did want to rewrite this blog because it did not do justice
to my training camp experience. Honestly, I came into camp with low
expectations of the people I would meet and the activities we would take part
in. Training camp is a time to meet fellow travelers, worship, and prepare physically, mentally,
and spiritually for the next 11 months. It was great to see so many genuine and
excited people focused on furthering God’s Kingdom. Training camp also functioned
as a way to form teams within our 50+ person squad. Luckily, I was put on the
best team the World Race has ever created: Chad, Casey, Heather, Keri, Kyle, Sarah,
and Tom. Each person brings something unique and powerful to the table. These traits
we posses as a team will be used towards our ultimate goal, “Fiercely chase after
God”. This will require boldness, humility, endurance, love, patience, faith,
and joy and I am proud to say that those I am surrounded with can more than
make up for my inadequacies. Also props to Jacob and Jenny, the staff squad
leaders, they are going to be an invaluable resource.
After
the 8 days were over it felt like I had spent a month in the woods of White,
GA. This was a product of the numerous activities we were able to take part in
every day, including listening to sermons, ultimate Frisbee, sleeping on the
ground, two hour worship sessions (was about 1 hour per song) with live music
from Helser, swimming across a lake with a log over my head, hanging by the
campfire, euchre, ministry in the ATL airport, more worship, canoeing to an
island and setting up camp for 50 people to sleep for the night….
The
last day they had us grade our training camp experience based on a four star
scale, I gave it a four. This was a great way to begin our journey over the
next 11 months that I feel is destined to be a five star experience!
