World Race Training Camp (noun): 10 amazingly fun and challenging days of preparation for the World Race where walls are torn down, chains are broken, spiritual growth happens, freedom is walk in, grace is extended, wounds are healed, identity is found, comfort zones are pushed, and community is built. It’s place where you are free to be unashamedly who you are, a place that challenges you and changes you, and a place where God speaks truth and life into his children. It’s a place where the showers are in the form of buckets and you laugh until your sides hurt. The definition of clean is quickly redefined and you learn to really appreciate air conditioning and indoor plumbing. It’s a place where nothing is mine and everything is ours and where being a cool kid at the lunch table means you have peanut butter and cliff bars to share 😉 It’s 10 days of the LORD remolding and refining His children and these past 2 weeks, it was a place where 28 strangers became one family.
Training camp was also 10 days of the LORD doing some much-needed work on my own heart and pushing me out of my preferred comfort zone. Here are a few of the things the LORD spoke to me this week.
1. There is strength to be found in weakness and vulnerability. Those of you that know me pretty well know this to be very true: I hate being vulnerable with people. Like I can think of about 450 things I would rather do than sit down with someone and really open up to them about my struggles, my pain, my past, and all the other ish in my life. But the LORD in His goodness and mercy has completely shifted my mindset on being real and vulnerable with people these past 2 weeks. Some of my favorite moments from training camp were the times that I got to sit down with girls on my team and share with my them struggles. They didn’t respond with judgment or harsh words, but rather with truth and love and often with, “Hey, me too!” God taught me that there is so much freedom that comes from voicing my struggles to others. It allows others to speak truth into areas where the enemy is speaking lies and breaks the enemies ability to isolate me and make me feel like I am the only one dealing with whatever it is I am going through. There is much power to be found in a community of believers that are real and vulnerable with each other and I am thankful that God has provided a community like that for the Race!
2. My identity is found in Christ and because of that, I am enough.
- I am a daughter of the risen King (John 1:12)
- I am redeemed (Colossians 1:13-14)
- I am covered by grace (Ephesians 2:8)
- I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10)
- I do not have to have it all together all the time (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
- I am not my past mistakes (Ephesians 1:3-8)
- I am not my insecurities (Philippians 4:6-9)
- I do not have to live out of a place of shame but rather I get to live out of freedom (Romans 8:31-39)
- It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20)
3. Trusting God is a decision I must make daily.
I came to camp thinking that I was fully trusting God and that I was content with where He was leading me. I was excited to spend a year of my life over seas, fighting to make his name known to those who have not yet heard. I thought that there wasn’t anything that I could possibly want more than that. But the more I said, “I trust you God and the plans you have for me,” the more the enemy said, “Do you really Hallie? Let’s test that.” And oh boy he did.
Something God spoke to me each night during worship was simply “Hallie, trust me today.” These past 2 weeks, I realized that I haven’t been trusting God with all areas of my life, just the ones that were easiest to surrender. I have been holding onto to things that I still want and have been bitter towards God when I realized that I couldn’t have those things right now. God revealed to me that trusting in Him is not just a one-time thing, but a decision I must make daily. Some days it’s easier to make that decision than others and I know that will continue to be true throughout the rest of my life. Even when it’s hard to, I know that trusting Him will always be much better than trusting in myself. I set myself up for success when I trust in Him completely because He is the only One who never fails. I have decided let go of all that I am holding onto and run to the arms of my Jesus, trusting that He will lead me, take care of me, and work all things according to his perfect plan on his perfect time. It’s a challenging decision but one that has already brought so much freedom into my life!
4. Nik Ripken says it best: I don’t just want to live for Jesus. I want to live with Jesus
I don’t want to just know about God. I want to know God. I want intimacy with Him. I want a deep relationship with Him. I want to be so consumed with Him that He overflows onto the people around me. I want Him to be glorified in all that I say and do. I don’t want this next year to be a year of me chasing after Him but rather of me walking hand in hand with Him. I just want Jesus. And from that I want others to want Him to. I want others to live with Him, to experience intimacy with Him, to walk in the freedom He extends. But I cannot lead people where I haven’t been myself. These past 2 weeks, I realized that I haven’t been walking with Jesus as closely as I need be. The Holy Spirit majorly slapped me in the face and reminded me that I am about to step into the darkest continent in the world. Pursuing Jesus half way isn’t going to cut it anymore. Jesus is calling me to be a warrior and as a warrior, I need to be all in and really live out the words spoken by Paul in Philippians 3:13-14. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
God has taught me so much through my 10 days at training camp and I can honestly say that I am not the same person that I was at the beginning of it. I want to say a big THANK YOU so everyone who has been supporting me and who made it possible for me to go to training camp. I literally cannot do this without all of y’alls prayers and support and I am continually thankful for each of you! Also, in case you haven’t heard, my official Launch date is September 5th! Let the countdown begin!! J
Here are some ways you can be praying for my team and I as we prepare to leave in 6 short weeks
- Pray that God would continue to provide all that we need to we can ALL launch together
- Pray that God would make us hungry and thirsty for Him and that we would be relentlessly pursuing Him as we prepare to leave
- Pray that God would prepare that hearts of the people we are going to meet in China
- Pray for safe travels as we all head to Atlanta, GA for Launch
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog y’all!
