Training camp was almost half over and I was completely over it. I was tired and cold and ready to be done. This was not the experience I was looking for. And it was a good thing it wasn’t.
I spent the day just doing what we were supposed to. Then by dinner I was ready to eat and call it a night, but I new we had one more session before we could sleep. The session was on the Holy Spirit and healing. The speaker asked for someone to come up who had need for healing. I was not fast enough. My legs had been killing me all week and I was desperate. Being so tired didn’t help. I didn’t pay much attention to the rest ofd the session.
After the teaching, the instructor asked for people to break up into groups and be open to what the spirit might do. I was not in the mood. My skepticism was at its peak. I felt God could do whatever he wanted, but i guess he wasn’t in the mood tonight. At that moment, Joe, our Squad Mentor asked if he could pray over me. I reluctantly agreed. He knew about my pain and had been praying for me through the week. He began to pray healing over my legs.
Shortly after starting, he stopped and said The Spirit told him to pray for my skepticism. I had not mentioned it. He began praying for my faith to be made new. He then leaned over to his wife and asked her to sing a psalm. When I heard what it was, the dam broke. Psalm 51;10 – “Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Little did he know, that was the verse I put up on my mirror when I applied for the World Race.
At that moment God told me to focus on my spirit first and my body second. Taking that perspective changed the rest of the week for me. Granted, I didn’t get my legs healed, I didn’t see grand images that others needed at that moment. But I began to open myself to the awesome wonders that God could work through the Holy Spirit.
I was rejuvenated. I still had yet to get any sleep, but was awake and ready for what God wanted to show me the rest of the week.
The teachings shifted more to logistical talks on what we would need to know. Assigning roles to squad/team members and eventually being assigned our teams. We had more bonding time as a squad and got to know each other. We got real and honest. I had no objection to being on a team with any of my Squad Mates, but the team we were assigned was an awesome fit.
On the second to last day we were assigned our teams. I had prayed since the Atlanta Airport to be on a team with Derek Gill. He was easy to talk with, a great encourager, and I drew strength from him on the hike, even if he didn’t realize it. I got just that.
Team SOZO(greek for saved)
Derek Gill (Team Leader)
Sarah Gill
Dillon Seeley (Team Treasurer)
Justin Athanaseas
Rachel Krause
Ash(ley) Owens
Linda Swier
After the week had come to a close, I had been broken and changed. I felt empowered to continue on the path I was on. I know it will be hard. Times will get rough, just like the first half of TC. But, as a team we will be able to lift each other up in times of need and remind each other of the purpose to why we are out in the world. With all of this I can answer the call “Whom shall I send?” I WILL GO!
There were so many small details of camp I would have loved to share, but it would have taken forever to share it all. I decided to share the pieces crucial to the story of my change at TC. Without this story, Training Camp would have been just a week of camping and singing and no change. Thank you for following my 3 part TC blog. I hope it helped shed light on my experience. Feel free to ask any questions if you have them.
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