I have sat down so many times in front of my computer to write a blog that captures the essence of Training Camp for the World Race. Every time I come back to one word: wild.
Training Camp was wild in the most wonderful, challenging, playful, ridiculous, and growing ways.
I don’t think I realized how wild it would be to live out of a 70 liter backpack for a year: what it would be like to pack, and repack my life, daily. Also, the many different scenarios Training Camp would throw at our Squad to prepare us for the potential challenges we could face on the World Race.
Every night before dinner the leadership would gather us together and read our ‘scenario’ for the evening.
For example, one night they stole half of our Squad’s backpacks. As a community, we had to figure out how to care for each other with what we had in the remaining packs because the rest were ‘lost in luggage at the airport’.
The next night, we slept in a mock airport to simulate the experience of long layovers between countries. It was eerily similar- complete with gate signs, noises, and concrete floors. Let’s just say I learned that I will always bring my sleeping pad if there are any chances of a long layovers.
The scenarios continued, from an overnight camping trip- where we slept on tarps in the woods as a Squad, to an all-night prayer vigil- handing off from group to group throughout the night.
I reached a point in between the sleeping scenarios, teaching sessions, sporadic weather, early morning workouts, convicting self-reflection, and Squad activities where I said, ‘This is one of the hardest things I have ever done.’ Yet, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Why?
Because I learned what it means to brave uncomfortable spaces the Lord has for me. Literal uncomfortable sleeping spaces, but also the uncomfortable places in my heart. The places where insecurity, shame, and performance have taken root in my identity. The places that Jesus has already proclaimed freedom over- and I just needed to reach out and claim that wild freedom given to me by the grace of King Jesus.
Why is it wild?
It is wild that I am so loved by God that He gave His Beloved son for my freedom. I love how this verse talks about this freedom:
“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:6-7)
This is truth I have known, but came to understand in new ways at Training Camp. That, even when I struggle against believing ‘you are not enough’ or that ‘you need to prove that you are worth it’ the truth is through Christ I am no longer a slave. More than that, we cannot give ourselves the power to deny Christ’s incredible work through ‘not enough-ness’.
Jesus wants us to live in the freedom of His grace and love, not our own or society’s barometer of ‘enough-ness’. That is wild.
The Lord wants me to know this truth and to share it with His People. HE is in the process of preparing me for this epic, life-changing, wild experience call the World Race.
I came to realize at Training Camp that this year is going to be hard, but that I wanted it and that the Lord wants it for me. So much so, that I am willing to fight for it every day.The World Race is God’s call for me to brave uncomfortable places- both in the world and in my life.
That is why I keep coming back to this word: ‘wild’.
Wild, is the way Jesus called His disciples to live. He asked them to leave their nets, their families, their comfort, and to follow Him. Jesus asked His disciples to abandon- and quite honestly- with little knowledge of what they were about to get themselves into.
There is a lot of abandon in following the call of the World Race. I am leaving my family, friends, comfort, and job to follow Him. I’m trading my comfy bed for a sleeping pad, my closet for a backpack, and my bedroom for a 2-person tent. In a lot of ways, I still have no idea what I have fully gotten myself into.
And do you want to know the wildest part?
When Jesus asked the 12 disciples to abandon, He used them to change the world.
Through this choice of wild abandon- Jesus will use us to change to world. He promised that to His disciples and to us that through His Word:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
Jesus promised His disciples, in their abandon, that they would do great works through the Holy Spirit. That promise is for me, for us, if we chose to follow Jesus on this wild journey- and for my present, that is the World Race.
Now that I have returned from Training Camp, people have asked me, ‘So did you find everything out? All the details?’ I laugh inwardly, thinking, ‘No!’ In traveling to 11 countries in 11 months, it is not possible to comprehend or know all the details. But isn’t that the point? The disciples had no idea the incredible things they would see and do in abandoning and following Jesus.
There are many more stories of freedom, laughter, frustration, humility, and friendship that I would love to share about Training Camp. Please reach out to me if you want to know more, but for now I will leave it as this:
It was WILD.
(below are a few pictures from Training Camp)
(This is my 2-person tent that will be my home for the next year.)
(Our Squad’s campsite for Training Camp. We are so in-tents…ha!)
