So believe it or not, friends & family who thought I dropped off the planet, I am half-way through training camp…and still alive! It’s hard to believe that I have been gone for less than a week when I look at all the Lord has done in the past 6 days.
I’m going to be honest, I feel a little bit like I’m at some crazy mix of boot camp, Survivor, & the set of LOST right now. Between the mandated work-outs, being thrown into living situations with complete strangers, the scarce and unique foods, (not to mention this weird blonde chick walking around saying “CHA-lie” and “my BAY-bee”…oh wait, just kidding), it’s hard not to feel like my life isn’t a bit like a T.V. show.
This week I have been pushed to my limits in more ways than I ever thought possible…spiritually, physically, mentally, & emotionally. I have never hiked so much, never sweat so much, never been this exhausted, never felt such physical hunger, never been this filthy. And with that, I have never encountered the Lord so intimately, never felt such close community, never seen such transparency in people, never experienced such freedom, never seen a group of people so thirsty for the Lord, never been so absolutely-beyond-a-doubt-hallelujah-thank-you-Jesus SURE of what I am supposed to do with my life in this next year through the World Race. Really, to try and put it all into words would do it injustice, unless I was a gifted writer or could sit down with you for hours over a cup of coffee. Instead, I’ll just share a quick story of one of the most memorable times thus-far at camp:
Last night I went to the bathroom….IN THE WOODS.
I’m talking nothing but a shovel, a roll of TP, and some friendly forest foliage. For real.
Now I know this may be TMI for most of my readers, but I wanted you to know how much God has been stretching me this week! At 3 o’clock on Tuesday, our leaders told us that we had 30 minutes to pack up our things, 2 people per backpack, and prepare for an indefinite campout…without tents of course. You see, part of going on the World Race is not always knowing what is coming, and preparing yourself to be flexible if sudden changes in plans occur. So all 39 of R-Squad squeezed into 20 packs, grabbed some supplies, hiked for 45 minutes through the woods, canoed across a lake, and found ourselves at our designated campsite. Where there was, of course, no bathroom.
We cooked over the fire, built our own shelter, bathed in the lake, shouted praises & songs & prayers to the heavens, slept under the stars, and awoke to find out that you really can live simpler. That the Race, though it may mean having to sleep outside and bathe in rivers and use the restroom behind a tree, is worth it for the KINGDOM that is burgeoning within ourselves and that will bubble over into the nations.
So even though I am not a hiking girl, not a camping girl, not a cook-over-a-fire girl, and DEFINITELY not a go-to-the-bathroom-in-the-woods girl, I am SO EXCITED about this next year because of the passion the Lord has ignited in my heart for the orphans, the widows, the prostitutes, the trafficked, the dying, the prisoners, and those who have yet to hear of the inexpressible joy & freedom that Jesus offers. Along with that, I know that God has already set in motion the great changes and transformations He is going to work in my heart and life through the challenges the Race is going to present.
It has been a trying week, a challenging week, (and I know there is more to come) but also a week of some of the most intimate, precious times I have had with my Father. I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Peace and blessings, I’m off to dinner…pray for my intestines…it’s India night!
P.S. Can anyone at home mail me some cherry pie? Or a Dr. Pepper? Or Chilosos? Kthanks
Oh and mom, I apologize for the laundry I will be bringing home…you’ll be able to smell me coming from outside of Shreveport for sure.
Hiking to our campsite.
Cooking chicken over the fire 🙂
Our shelter in the woods
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push([‘_setAccount’, ‘UA-17791925-1’]);
_gaq.push([‘_trackPageview’]);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement(‘script’); ga.type = ‘text/javascript’; ga.async = true;
ga.src = (‘https:’ == document.location.protocol ? ‘https://ssl’ : ‘http://www’) + ‘.google-analytics.com/ga.js’;
var s = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
