Hi friends! I know it’s been a while but since I can’t go back in time, I’ll start with where I am right now! When I first signed up for the WR last year, I WAS planning to leave in July of this year, but God definitely had other plans for me. I am now leaving in January 2016 (yes, in less than two months!) on 4th generation B squad! Long story short, the main reason I pushed back to the Jan16 route had to do with my work situation. I do firmly believe God used work as the reason for me to stay a little longer but once I deferred from July15 to Jan16, I have had nothing but peace that this is exactly where God wants me to be. And since I’m leaving in January instead of July that means my ‘route’ or the specific countries I’ll be traveling to have changed as well. And those countries are….Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Nepal, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia!!
Fast forward to two weeks ago, I was just getting back from ‘training camp’ where I spent 10 days in Gainesville, GA with the rest of B squad learning more about life on the world race! Now how do I describe training camp? It was an intense and wonderful and exhausting and freeing experience. By every logic, I should have been tired and irritable and just wanting to stop, yet what I actually felt was peace and excitement and joy being with my squad and beginning this incredible journey.
I can hardly think about how to relate the entire experience in a few words but here are a couple of big things I have taken away from world race training camp:
#1 – I didn’t realize until about half way through TC just how much negative self-talk I have had in the past few years – mostly related to not feeling worthy or feeling like a fraud ready to be exposed at any minute. After thinking about it some more since leaving TC, I have realized how much it had been affecting every aspect of my life for so long. These negative thoughts and feelings about myself had just become ‘normal’ and expected. I’m not even sure what finally shook me out of it – but it was like the flip of a switch – I no longer feel as self conscious or unworthy to be a part of the team or that I don’t have something to contribute. I felt in that moment and still feel now this supernatural boldness and empowerment that I can’t even really describe or explain very well other than it was definitely not from my own strength but God’s truth and power deep in my soul.
#2 – This whole WR thing is so much more than a ‘mission trip’. Yes, that is the best way to describe it quickly….but it is truly a journey…and for me hopefully the start of a journey for the rest of my life. We are more than short term missionaries, we are BRINGING GOD’S KINGDOM wherever we go. It is not at all about us as individuals, it is GOD using us to do HIS work to bring HIS kingdom. We just said yes and are expectant and open for GOD to do what only HE can do.
I ask you today to help me BRING HIS KINGDOM to the nations!! If you would like to partner with me financially in this journey, please use the “support me” link on the left side of this blog. As I process more of what happened at TC, I’m excited to share more of what God is doing in my heart and mind as I prepare to leave in Jan! Thanks for reading! –Pamela
(In the picture: top-BSquad2016, bottom-team Hope Ignited!)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
