It’s been two weeks since I returned from Training Camp now, and looking back, if I had to describe it in three words, I would say it has been a Fun, Challenging, and Transformative experience.
Meeting my Squad-mates and the WR staff has made the trip much more real, and there was a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air as we shared stories of how we came to the Race, what we hope to see on the Race, lived and ate meals together, and tackled the challenging tasks that the Staff had prepared for us together.
The X-Squad 😀
After the whole experience, I think three things I learned especially stood out to me.
Firstly is the fact that we are “being Christ” wherever we go. Michael Hindes, director of the World Race, spoke to us and said we are “modern versions of Christ”. When people want to see Jesus, the closest thing to Jesus they can see isus. When God answers prayers, He chooses, in many cases, to use us. This is such a powerful idea to me because it compels me to not only pray, but to allow God to use me to respond to the needs around me. When we give that person a hug or encouraging word or simply carry their bags, it is Jesus giving them a hug or word or a hand. Wherever we go, God wants to use us to bring His Kingdom to people, by us living as His Kingdom subjects. I’m really excited to see how His Kingdom is going to break loose wherever we go.
Secondly is the lesson of hearing His Voice. God is a Person who is actively involved in our lives and speaking to us. A friend once told me the 5C’s of listening to God’s Voice: Consulting scripture, consulting other believers, consulting the Spirit, common sense, and circumstances. At training camp, we discussed a way of hearing His Voice by His Spirit: through words or pictures He may be imprinting on our hearts. God is still actively speaking to us today, and how valuable it is to hear what He is speaking to us right now.
Thirdly is the lesson of Unity. I never realized how important it is to be bonded in unity and love as a team. But when we are, we are empowered to do so many things. When I was at Training Camp, things that would be hard to do alone seemed to be fun and almost easy because we were doing them together as a team. We learned to appreciate each other’s gifts and to see what we do have instead of what we don’t. What one person has can supply what is lacking in another. There were sometimes when I would think, that person is so much more compassionate than me, or I wish I were as lively as that person. But what I’ve realized is that those are special gifts God gave to those people to share with all of us. Instead, I should say, “Thank God for putting someone with so much compassion in our group, to bless us with their compassion and to help us grow in compassion too.” Colossians 3:14 says, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
I’m sure that this is just the beginning of learning these lessons. I can’t wait to deepen my understanding of “being Christ”, of hearing His Voice, and of Unity, as I go on the trip!
