As I got out of the car, I was instantly greeted by lots of shouts, horrahs, and hellos. I was instantly overwhelmed by the energy. I quickly saw a crowded area of tents and a whole lot of orange. My squad. The people I would be doing life with. As I scurried behind one of the trainers as he began to introduce me to squadmates, they began hugging me left and right, and were welcoming me with open arms… as if I knew these people for ages. A bit awkward that all these strangers were being so affectionate and loving towards me, I just smiled. Whew, this is going to be so interesting. Not knowing how to feel, I searched for a place to put my stuff down & set up my tent on top of the red mud of Georiga.
Q: Nancy, what was camp like?
It was good, cold, and really weird. I slept in my tiny little two person tent while it poured rain. Thank God for sleeping pads & bags. Slept under the stars & at a “Korean airport.” I was surrounded by 299 other people who I ate with, danced with, and shared a porta potty with. I bucket showered twice in 7 days (It was SO COLD guys, you wont‘ understand unless you were there), did some intense team building games, and ate cultural food everyday. AIM did a really good job in giving us a glimpse of what our life could look like next year. Not just physically, cause honestly it wasn’t THAT bad… except maybe when peoples feet began to smell… But spiritually & emotionally. There were moments I was weirded out that I would be doing ministry with these people, but also strangely comfortable.
Q: What did you learn?
1. A LOT ABOUT MYSELF. That i‘m totally going to have to stretch myself. Some thoughts that went through my head “HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO NICE AND SO GENUINE. IS THIS REAL LIFE? ARE THEY REAL? WHY DO I FEEL SO WEIRDED OUT. HOW IS EVERYONE BEST FRIENDS ALREADY? AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS THIS WAY?” I was almost shocked that these people were so… amazingly loving that I didn’t know how to respond. With confusion, and doubt, I prayed that God would take these thoughts away. Which he quickly did as I got to know my teammates!
2. I’m SO EXCITED FOR MINISTRY! My heart was broken for the orphans and women around the world. That it’s so easy to romanticize the idea of what it looks like to do good. God is so good and he can make extraordinary things happen via US (ordinary people). Going deeper into what AIM is doing around the world & how we can partake in kingdom work makes my heart beat a little faster. God is also challenging me to do ministry at home as well! (RIGHT NOW, EVERYDAY, ALL THE TIME) By being more open to people in the community I am surrounded by & the precious souls that are already around me.
3. I also realized that i‘m actually not THAT introverted. You would think that I wanted to basically kill myself by the end of the trip, but it wasn’t bad… AT ALL. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my squad mates. Although at times I was tired from dancing or initiating conversation, at the end of the day, I was surprisingly OK. & this is what I concluded: The reason I become so introverted at home is because I want time to do things I’m not able to do while with people. I want to read, catch up on the latest show, clean, or just be alone… because my time seem SO IMPORTANT. When I was at camp, I had nothing to distract me. Not my phone or things I wanted to come home to… thus, spending those precious moments with people & being fully present was so… so good for me.
4. I need more prayer in my life. One of my favorite nights at training camp was when we had a continous worship/prayer session. Where one person or more would sacrifice 30mins of our sleep to pray for the squad. Not only was it a beautiful night, but I forgot how much I enjoyed praying.
5. The trinity is beautiful.
6. I am free. & its so… freeing (lol)
7. I am SO ready for 2015.
HERE are some pictures
Our home for the week! Sorta
P-SQUAD! The family I will be traveling to each country with!
Joyous Light: My TEAM that I will be doing ministry with!
A night under the stars! Bonfires, prayers, worship, and testimonies. One of my favorite nights.
A song that I couldn’t stop singing even after camp!
I didn’t leave camp a changed person per se, but def. left desiring more for myself, the world, and in awe of how good God is.
