2010? I jumped from spending two months discipling women, working at waffle
house and learning about God with my college ministry in Panama
City Florida and headed to the
woods of Georgia
for Training Camp for the World Race. I
followed my directions through a lot of winding turns, over a bunch of hills
and then suddenly the trees break, I see a big world race sign, 3 women jump up
with smiles on their faces to greet me, and I drive rite on past. I drove another minute, turned around, and
went strait back towards the highway. I
had no intention of going home! I just knew I needed to meet with Jesus before
I began, what I assumed would be, a very intense week. I pulled into McDonalds, found a booth, journaled,
prayed, got in the Word, and remembered that this is where God wants me- to
spend a year with nothing familiar to me but Him by my side.
I’m glad I spent that 45 minutes
with God because Training Camp has been way above and beyond anything I expected
it to be… I guess that’s why they spend the first day teaching you not to have
expectations about the next year. Since
the first semester that I became a Christian I have been praying that God would
send me out into the world to be His. I
promised I would go anywhere, anytime, with anyone- I just wanted to be used by
God and I knew my heart was broken for the nations.
Now I’m
leaving in just 2 months for 11 unknown countries for a full 11 months with a
group of random strangers. So what in the world have I been doing this week to
train? Well I got paralyzed in a plane crash and carried to safety on someone’s
back (as a bonding/training exercise), I’ve worshipped in the woods to How He
Loves, and the Rocky Theme Song and I’ve eaten food from Africa, Asia and
Europe. I’ve also heard talks and
testimonies that have rocked my world, and my heart, and made me incredibly
excited to spend the year in such close community with these people and the
Holy Spirit. And I’ve heard sobering stories and seen a man hold in the palm of
his hands the shoes of a girl rescued from the sex slave industry.
Two
experiences here have impacted me more deeply than the others. Our third night we went camping, and after
dinner people busted out a guitar and a violin and we started to sing Worship
songs. As people started coming forward
and being vulnerable and sharing things in front of the group the men suddenly
decided to surround the women in a tight, hot, sweaty, awesome circle and just
speak love over us. To encouraged us,
promised to love us and keep us safe and affirmed and reminded us that we are special,
beautiful adored daughters of God. I
have spent my college years with incredible, loving, Godly men, but last night
strangers became brothers and sisters and loved each other in the way God
created them to- after only knowing each other for 72 hours.
The other
involved the testimony of a staff woman here. After she shared I went to talk to
her about some struggles of mine and have her pray for me. The words she spoke to me have changed my
entire outlook on the trip. These 11
months are not about my strengths. This
experience is about me being weak and God being strong. It’s about letting people help me, love me
and carry me while I admit the truth about who I am, embrace it, and live to
honor people, serve them and love God as much as I possibly can!
Well… that’s the first 4 days of the World Race… I can’t
wait for the next 11 months!!
