I just got back from spending the last 10 days at the Training Camp (T.C.) in Gainesville, Georgia with the most amazing people. Let me just start off by thanking each and every person that was there. The amount of love, light, joy and pure authentic love for God is like nothing I have ever experienced before. I have never had a community of people I have trusted so fully and felt so utterly accepted, loved and honored. I can’t wait to spend the next year seeking God, loving people, serving and just abandoning myself. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ.
So you may ask, what exactly did we do at T.C.? Well that is a wonderful question; let me see if I can help break it down for you.
Each route on the World Race is a squad. There are 34 beautiful human beings on my squad, also known as D SQUAD! GO D SQUAD. Our color was red and man did we bring the house down with red. My squad could not have been more perfectly picked if someone tried, each and every member has gifts and talents that I can learn and grow from. They are wise, humble, compassionate, spirit, driven, loud, joyful, leaders, listeners, artists, intellectuals and so much more. These people love unconditionally and without borders. WE ARE SQUAD FREEDOM! Within the squad we have smaller teams of 6, unless you are my team and well we only have 4. My team is made up of Jewel, Victoria, Grace and myself. Scraps for Life (there is a long story about the name)! These girls are absolute rock stars!
Throughout the 10 days that we spent together: we lived out of tents, shared tents because some bags were “lost at the airport”, slept out under the stars, slept in an “airport”, shared communal tents, went to an international market, ate, worshiped, prayed through the night, laughed, cried, worked out, danced and shared the Love of Jesus together! Needless to say by the end our brains or at least mine was oozing with all the information and love that had been poured out over me. I felt like I came to camp trying to say my cup was half full but left with it overflowing in abundance.
Some of the best tips learned at T.C.
- Learn to love bucket showers
- This is a year of abandonment
- I am needed – there is no one else like me.
- Also no one else can bring to the group what I bring
- I am a disciple
- This is a year of:
- Mission, intimacy with Jesus and community
- We are the body, we are different but we are one
- Feedback is good and healthy
- Feedback hands make it all that much better (You’re welcome Tee!)
- Free people free people
- This is a year of Woman
- My leaders ceiling is my floor
- We are the church
There is so much more that I learned, but I literally can’t fit it all in one blog or multiple blogs for that matter.
I came to this training camp with expectations that God was going to move but I didn’t know how. I knew He was going to break down walls, speak to me in ways I have never listened before and just love me where I was. God opened my eyes, ears, mind and soul to a new level. I am so excited to seek Him in this waiting period. I am never going back to the way I was before. I can honestly say that Training Camp changed me spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally and I could not be more honored to have been a part of it.
A HUGE thank you to Adventures in Missions, the leadership, my Squad Mentor Megan, Squad Coaches Toni and Kerri and everyone else that supported me, loved me, and lead me to the feet of Jesus. You are my family and I couldn’t be more excited and could not do this without you.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, I would love to share more of what God did and is continuing to do in my life and the lives of those around me!
So click on the video my talented squad mate Jamilyn made to meet MY SQUAD!
