The title of this blog post sounds a lot more positive than I actually was at training camp, mostly because since I was born I have gotten to live in a house with AC and running water. Yeah, you could say living out of a tent and backpack and taking ice cold bucket showers in the Georgia heat was God pretty much giving me a wake up call before the World Race actually began. He, as gentle as our Heavenly Father can, hit me on the back of the head and said “wake up, you’re my hands and feet”. At training camp He made a promise that He will not take me to places that are comfortable, He will take me to places that are important.
The first day I got there, I saw approximately 282 world changers between the ages of 18-20. These people seemed like such perfect humans upon first glace. They were praising God, reading the Bible and seemed to know all the answers. Me, being the chronic over thinker I am, began to doubt myself, should I be here? Does God want me here? What am I doing here? What if I miss my family and friends? All the lovely things the enemy puts in your head were alive and well at training camp, but what he put in my head isn’t the truth. As I got to know these people God made it obvious they weren’t perfect, but they were his sons and daughters. These were people who went through all kinds of trials and tribulations from divorced parents to gossip to sex before marriage to drugs to alcohol to self doubt to self harm. These were real people with real struggles, not some robots God created to be perfect.
God raised these young adults and me to be world changers. He spoke in each of our hearts by saying follow me, no matter what the cost is physically, financially, and emotionally. He has instructed us to go out into all nations and create disciples for Him and his kingdom. As much as all of us felt overwhelmed and scared, God continually reminded us through all the good and all the bad that He has changed us. He has raised us from the dead of our sins and helped raise us to be the sons and daughters who would help change the world.
God has raised thousands of world changers throughout all eternity, but the truth is when He raises us he promises to never leave us. He gives us the power of the Holy spirit, He gives us the knowledge from the Bible, and He gives us words to speak into the hearts of those we will meet. God is incredible and even when I don’t feel like praising, He is worthy of all praise I could ever give. He is the one who changed us from broken to whole and He is the only reason I would ever say yes to traveling the world with just a backpack, some clothes and a tent.
Thank you God for the wake up call I needed, and thank you Gap Q (my squad) for all the support in the world. Thank you to my supporters who are there for me throughout this journey. The generosity you all have given me through your support is nothing short of incredible. Thank you to all of you who took the time to read this blog.
All the love,
McKenna Flood
