I came back from Ireland and the Awakening full yet exhausted only to jump feet first into my next training camp. 9 Leaders and 38 students who leave tomorrow have come to Georgia to prepare to change the world. Brazil, Thailand, India, Swaziland and Kenya will never be the same I assure you.
Real Life camp is so different than World Race camp. Not just because Real Life is geared for 18-22 year olds and the difference that brings, but also just the feel of things, the fact that they leave from camp and go directly to the field (World Racers go home for 6-8 weeks before they launch) but also just because camp is shorter. Participants are only here 5 days.
That being said, it’s amazing what you can accomplish in five days of preparation. One distinguishing event that’s unique to Real Life is an overnight outreach in downtown Atlanta. While we do everything reasonable to maintain safety the reality is: the unknown of going out into an unfamiliar city with nothing other than the charge to be Jesus to people can be an incredible growing experience.
And you know what? It works every time. It’s unbelievable what happens out on the streets meeting the homeless and other night walkers. We’ve had groups literally baptize people on the streets with a cup of water asked for at a nearby bar, we’ve seen the places people sleep (assuming the police don’t move them along for soliciting), what they eat and don’t eat, and heard their stories (sane or not) just as a way to acknowledge them as a person.
The theme of this camp that the Lord gave us was this: liberty. Freedom for us, for teams, for people overseas – everything we’ve said and promoted has gone back to a belief that we are men and women of courage. Liberty will come when we decide to let it come. We are not cowards and we are not afraid…and you know what? The battles we’ve fought this week have been just those: fear and insecurity.
It took us a few days to break through that wall, but last night it broke. I keep saying this but “courage is not the absence of fear”. So often we thing courageous people don’t feel afraid and that’s simply not the case. Courageous people decide. They choose. They aren’t victims and they aren’t cowards.
These world-changers leave tomorrow for the nations and I believe the best for them and about them. They are the ones who have to walk this out and I have the greatest of hopes that they will experience true freedom and take it with them. Isaiah 61 says “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me to … set the captives free…!”
Pray for these guys as they go. You can follow their stories on http://www.adventures.org
