Where to start? Training Camp is one of those things that’s seriously just too complicated and amazing to describe. If you ask me how it went, I will most likely get wide eyed and stutter, “Um, really great!” I assume that I will again echo the same meaningful sentiment when I get back from the Race, only then it will be so much more of an understatement.
(I slept in the cabin…)
This week started with the staff (who are incredibly godly, amazing, & photogenic people by the way) shrinking our world and having us learn about ourselves, the Holy Spirit and getting free from things that hold us down. The week is finishing with them expanding our world, teaching us about other cultures, technical details of the race and outreach practice. There have been difficult and uncomfortable exercises, amazing worship, lots of teaching, really close bonding, and of course, lots of dancing. In the first full day it felt like I had been here a week and now at the end, it feels like a month. In a good way though, we’ve had so much packed into each day it’s just all run together. Thankfully I’ve been journaling and taking pictures of the food. Yep, food helps me keep track of time better than a watch. I don’t want to give away any secrets so I’ll just say the food has been interesting, delicious and I now only get half my money’s worth eaten at a restaurant. I’ve never been more excited to get a frappucino as I was yesterday on an outing with my team. (More team details coming up soon!)
I’m really going to miss all my squadmates until launch in January! I can’t believe I have only known these people for a week. We already have so much history together and I can’t wait to introduce some of them to you. Shout out T Squad!!!!!!!
That’s the summary I feel like giving for now so talk to me if you want to know more or post any questions you have and I’ll try to answer them.
A tip to any future racers who might be reading this….
The most important thing to bring to training camp:
An open mind. About a lot of things. Worship styles, the work of the Holy Spirit, your personal expectations for almost everything about the race and so much more. If you think you’re going to have a problem with anything, go back to the Bible and hold it against that, not your personal norms and experiences (and this applies to really any situation). Seriously. Read the Bible and take it literally. So often we skim over things about the early church and think that a lot of it was for that time only. Why? Why can’t we take the Bible literally? Why can’t the church look like it did back then? Why have we added so much to it? Things like membership, special clothing, Sunday School, only using certain types of music. Why do all those things have to be required for a “proper” church today? Why have we made those things the requirement instead of the Gospel? Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. Just start asking yourself questions now because it will be less work and personal drama during camp.
You have to be open and committed for this experience to have any value to you. You will get out of training camp as much as you want. This applies to lots of things, but it struck me at Catalyst a couple weeks ago too. As I was walking around the conference I saw so many different stereotypes of Christians (some more entertaining to watch than others- the metro worship leader with a Louis Vuitton laptop bag for example), and I began to wonder if Catalyst was having as huge of an impact on them as it was on me, or was it just another conference? I realized that the only thing that differentiated it from being an amazing time of growth or just another christian conference was the mindset you came with. 2 people could see all the same speakers, all the same events, and still have it affect them completely different. The only difference was how much you wanted it to affect you, how open and receptive your heart was, and how much you really wanted to learn.
Try to keep a similar mindset at Training Camp. It will be an amazing experience if you let it. (And it still might be even if you don’t.)
