I’ve got so much to process, but this is what I know….
I just spent 10 days at training camp in Georgia for the World Race. I met my squad, learned from great teachers, trained with scenarios and team activities, gained insight into different cultures, and grew.
This is my squad below. Thirty-two crazy Jesus lovers who will be joining me on my journey. In 10 days, they became friends and family. I came to not just know them but love and appreciate them. We shared stories, laughed way too hard, had some of the deepest conversations possible, bared our souls, cried together, encouraged and prayed for one another, learned to correct one another in love, and had fun too. I’m amazed at how God pulled this all together! My introverted and reserved self wanted to take more time to warm up but I’m glad I didn’t – they’re beyond incredible.
They taught me how to better share things, how to camp well, to be more considerate, to have a positive attitude about a 35 degree bucket shower, that sharing struggles/heartaches/victories can bond people, that it’s possible to laugh about anything and everything at 2:00AM, that cuddling is best for warmth, and that love always wins. They are hungry for God and seek to love others well. I have a courageous team by my side and that will only make this next year better.
We had a lot of teachings, and they all required action that produced change in us. Some of us were super comfortable with this and some of us were not. It was amazing to watch God stretch us and to encourage others in this process.
Personally God used these teachings to help me grow in communication, gain freedom from shame, heal brokenness, and activate my faith. I learned that feedback is healthy and needed, and I’ve started to get the hang of it! God showed me that I didn’t have to hide from Him and fix myself because of shame. I could come to Him, and He would make me new. And He did just that!
He began to heal broken places in my heart that I hadn’t let Him touch yet and helped me walk through forgiveness toward people that had caused that hurt. He did a lot of activation as speakers expected us to walk out what we’d just learned too. We had a teaching on God’s power and our speaker had us pray for those of us who were sick or injured. These two gentlemen pictured below had prayed for my ankle moments before. I’d sprained it some time ago and had lost some movement with slight pain. God began to restore movement in my ankle! Then one of them asked if we would pray for his ankle since he’d injured it as well. 90% better!
I get to be a part of a community that expects God to do something, and that excites me! We get to wait and listen to God and take action. That shows me their obedience and their commitment, and it only serves to spur me on in my own.
That’s literally the tip of the iceberg… and I’m still processing.
Training camp was hard and beautiful and messy and perfect. I’m thankful for what’s hard though because of this camp! It taught me to do hard things with God and to share the struggle with my team and Him. It taught me to trust God and my team and to have fun with it. It was eye-opening and awe-inspiring. It taught me that perfect doesn’t have to look like my version of perfect.
And all of this is only a small bit of what’s going to come. These ten days are a slight reflection of our 11 months and it’s making me giddy! This means that God’s gonna change us, grow us, shape us. We’re gonna love people and Him in order to see His Kingdom come and it will be magnificent!! I am looking forward to every single second.
From my heart to yours,
Kim
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