Last week, we attended WR Training Camp in Georgia. Jesus completely rocked my world and I’m struggling to verbalize it all. My best explanation:
It was an incredible time of fellowship, prayer, worship, seminary level teachings by Ron Walborn (who happens to be on the Christian and Missionary Alliance Board, Go CMA!) and studying the Word. The spiritual/emotional high was so familiar – like summers spent at Burnt Cabin Christian Camp growing up. It was a crazy week of Adventures in Missions destroying our comfort zone through strange foods (fish head soup, anyone?), crazy sleeping arrangements (like 57 people on a 44 passenger bus) and not-so-fun twists (surprise! You’re luggage got lost on the way to pretend Africa.) Then something REALLY unexpected happened…
Hold up, waitasecond, rewind. I was raised in a super conservative church (which I wouldn’t change for anything because of the biblical foundation it laid) with a theology of Cessationism AKA the belief that the gifts of the Holy Spirit (READ: prophecy, healing, speaking in tongues) mostly died with the apostles and were only for the foundation of the church. I was raised knowing that the Holy Spirit existed as the third member of the Trinity and little nothing more. A few years ago, God taught me that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and I began to open my heart to spiritual gifts. However, I was still VERY skeptical going into camp. I’d read blogs about healing, prophecy, casting out demons and the mysterious listening prayer. We arrived in Georgia COMPLETELY OKAY with walking away from The World Race if we didn’t agree with the teachings. I was on a mission to find the wolves in sheep’s clothing, the false teachers, anything not of God…but I FAILED.
I failed because AIM is not a wolf, Ron is not a false teacher and God was there and spiritual gifts are ALIVE.
In a series of lessons and practicum, I walked through past hurts, freed two people from MY prison of unforgiveness, came to know the amazing love of my Father, experienced emotional and physical healing and received prophetic confirmation that I am in the center of His will for my life. I witnessed God at work in M Squad (#allwedoiswin) and AIM Staff and TOGETHER we came to a place of beautiful brokenness.
Future Racers: Don’t go to training camp if you’re not ready for Jesus to totally transform you or if you’re content with the box you placed the Holy Spirit in. Don’t go if you can’t give up your personal space or comfort. DO go if you’re ready to experience the LORD and meet some of His most beautiful servants. DO go if you want MORE God. Oh and bring WARM CLOTHES, even this Alaskan girl got cold!
Current Racers: If you need help unloading your baggage that came up last week, check out www.celebraterecovery.com
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