Tomorrow I venture to Georgia where I will become one with the wilderness! With my tent, headlamp, bible and the rest of my 35lb pack, I will be completely in my element as well as completely vulnerable. This journey has already been life changing so I am interested and nervous to see the life altering amazingness that is going to explode at training camp the next 10 days.
What is training camp you may ask? Honestly, I am not 100% sure myself. I do know that we will officially meet our other team members and grow together in Christ. I also realized I will be without a shower for 10 days…unless I want to do a cold bucket shower. The cold and I do not mix so I’ll stick with the baby wipes.
This all may sound crazy. Not showering, sleeping in a tent, praising God in the forest, etc., but it is something I love to do, maybe not the not showering part. My heart is in the outdoors. It is where my soul feels closest to God, and why not, it is his marvelous creation. Every tree, every droplet of water praises him. The peace and serenity that the breeze brings is of God. Every sunrise, with it’s kiss of warmth, fills you with his holiness.
The next 10 days will equip me with the knowledge and strength I need to travel to the 11 countries. I am both nervous and excited. My head scrambles with thoughts of, “what if my team doesn’t like me?! What if there is no bathroom?! What if I forget pants?!” I know all of these are lies and just my nerves. I am thankful that God allows me to separate lies from truth in these situations because it is extremely easy to think you aren’t worthy or good enough.
Good Enough. Man, I never feel good enough to be doing this amazing mission trip. My mind asks, “don’t you have to be a really good Christian or a saint to do something like this?” But the truth is, God calls the unequipped. No person God ever used to carry his message has been a saint. Moses was a drunk, David was an adulterer, and Paul was a murderer, just to name a few. We are human and we are not perfect. I am not perfect and I never will be, however I will strive to serve my God in every way I can.
Tomorrow morning I embark on the beginning of it all. The road that lies ahead is challenging and rewarding. The most amazing part of it all is I get to do it hand in hand with Jesus.
Here is a picture of me with my pack 🙂
