On the race we (racers) call how we live “AIM culture”. It receives that name because it literally seperates us from whatever culture we once knew. Adventures in Missions spends a week, called training camp, putting a social communication order in place for the race. They explain their expectations with an overwhelming amount of detail at training camp (reiterating their expectations at launch). The ways to handle conflict is laid out step by step. Constructive feedback given strict guidelines to how many times a day and how it should be shared in a group setting. 24 hour rules are asked to be applied for anything that bothers you. Gossip, bottling up emotions, manipulation, and rude talk are completely eliminated from our lifestyle. Confusing miscommunications are mediated and talked through quickly. There is never time given for division or festering heart issues. But this is a problem for me. The way we communicate is slowly making me not want to return home. I worry that this culture will set me up to grow into a communication and lifestyle that doesn’t exists in my generation or my country anymore. I fear returning home… So my mind has begun considering just not.
Once a day my team sits down with out doing anything else and spends time encouraging each other and sharing ways each person could grow. It’s so important in “AIM culture” that it is not over until all issues and all encouragement is brought to the table. It could last five minutes or, if needed, five hours. I leave the table feeling heard, understood, loved, I know how to love better, and know exactly what I need to do to become a better Woman of God. Nothing is said out of bitterness or with intent to destroy or distort our team.
It’s a legitimate fear do you not agree? I thought so, until I skyped a family member that I love, but if I were honest our communication in the last few years has been poor. Our conversation started with funny faces and weird noises. I thought to myself this won’t be a long conversation. This family member has done work with AIM before, so it wasn’t long before “AIM culture” came out. We talked for almost four hours about things we never wanted to speak about. Family issues that left us both injured. Stories that were left half in the dark were explained and we began to make sense of the brokenness of our family together. I may not want to move home to America, but AIM culture is saving my family.
