Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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Training camp. I don’t even know where to begin. I was planning on doing a few different blogs about it, but now I kind of just want to get it all out in one. I’ll do my best to describe it, but TC was a little too intense to describe in one sitting. If you want more information, you can e-mail me. Or ask me in person. And I will think about giving you more information about it.
 

Okay. Here we go.

I have two words to describe TC. “Oh baby.” I’m going to split it up it into categories for you.

God work.

God WORKED this week. Our God is a healer, a comforter, a friend, a protector, a peacemaker, a victor, and many other things. Most of all, he is a FATHER. I saw him in all of these roles and many more. I know you’re thinking, “come on Liz, you have been studying the Bible for years, didn’t you already know that about God?” Yeah, I know. But there is always more to learn and see about God. He reveals himself in new ways all the time. And that is what happened. He healed and comforted. He showed himself as Abba. I don’t think I can even put it into words. He poured out his spirit. For real.

Prayer works.

Okay ya’ll. I know you are also thinking, “Liz, didn’t you also know that prayer works?” Yes, I did, but for some reason it still blows my mind when God answers prayers. Especially the seemingly insignificant ones. Most of you know that I am really shy. I am really good at being alone-I am way introverted. It takes a lot to get to know me because I am a really private person. So I prayed A LOT that I would be more outgoing than usual and would be able to be more open with my squadmates and teammates. And it totally worked. I was way more outgoing with them, even if it didn’t seem like it to them. I was shocked.

Ministry. Baby girl.

Okay so our ministry time was absolutely amazing. I am not going to tell the entire story because I am sure one of my other teammates will tell it in their blogs. And I want to keep this blog short. But the part that is most special to me is this.

We went to eat at a pizza place and met this amazing family. We got to talk with them for a while. They were visiting from Florida and had the two most precious boys I have ever seen. They ended up encouraging us more than we encouraged them. I love it when God uses people in ways they could never even imagine. That couple has no idea how much they meant to us that day. We prayed for each other after lunch. It wasn’t us praying for them or them praying for us. It was all of us crying out to God together. We were unified in the Spirit. As we were leaving, they literally emptied their pockets for us. They gave us EVERYTHING they had. It was a humbling experience for strangers to give up all they had to further the kingdom. And to give it to us. It reminds me of the story in Luke 21:1-4 about the widow who gives everything.

“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'”

Luke 21:1-4

The widow in the story gives everything she has in service to the Lord. She offers it all up to God, even if that means sacrificing basic necessities. She is truly living for God. She is living radically. She is giving with her heart and it is worth so much more because she really means it. That couple that gave us money gave with their hearts. I pray that God will bless them and their family abundantly. They are living radically.

Okay. I’ll write another blog introducing you to my team soonish. They kind of rock. (Love ya’ll LinC 10:10!!!) For now I’ll leave you with a prayer from Augustine of Hippo.

“Grant to us your servants that we may have, to our God, a heart of flame; to our neighbours, a heart of love; and to ourselves, a heart of steel.”

-Augustine of Hippo