Training camp is over, wow. I got back this past Saturday evening, and over the past few days I’ve had to process everything that happened. The training staff put together many teachings, camping, hiking, and sleeping scenarios. This all to prepare myself and the other 42 young missionaries on my squad,”X Squad”, for the epic year ahead of us!
I’ll be honest, the ten days of training camp felt more like twenty, and it was HARD…both physically and spiritually. There were three training sessions with teaching/preaching most days, and between those sessions were cultural meals, group discussions, team-building, a timed 2-mile hike with a full hiking pack…and let’s not forget the dance-off! The topics of teaching included the church, worship, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, emotions, womanhood, evangelism, church-planting, teaching, VBS, hearing God’s voice, shame, relationships, and more.
Steps of obedience release the power of God in your life, and God shows me that truth more and more as I obediently step into the World Race. Each day at camp, God pressed into the corners of my heart more and more. Of the many topics of teaching, there was one that God really used to tug on my heart. Sharing with you all that I most struggled with this is hard for me, but I know I’ll be working on this for a long time, and can use your prayers!
The topic that really GOT ME was emotions. I’d never heard anyone teach about emotions before, aside from that Disney movie, Inside Out and the “medulla oblongata” scene from The Waterboy. The speaker gave emotions this description; “Emotions are a road map to the soul….” Emotions are also something that high “Thinkers” like myself tend to struggle with. Even my Meyers-Briggs personality test says so (INTP). For those of you who know me well, you know that I am not a person who wears emotions on my sleeve. I’m an internal processor and have the ability to recognize the emotion in my head, but press it down, and only show on the outside the most “logical” emotion for the circumstance I am in. There are two exception to this; If I’m given a gift, or if I’m supposed to laugh at something… Unfortunately, my facial expressions are sure to give me away in those situations!
What God really pressed into my heart this week was that the difficulty with emotions lies in not allowing myself to be vulnerable. Learning how to let emotions in when they come, and learning how to surrender them to the truth of Christ is something God has shown me to be a work in progress in my life. Being vulnerable trusting others with your emotions is what make relationships go deep and what make people the closest of friends. Before committing to the World Race, I only worried how this difficulty in vulnerability effected my desired romantic relationships(or lack thereof), but now I realize that this next year, my team has to be emotionally vulnerable with each other in order to do effective ministry together, and it kind of scares me. The level of emotions at training camp was high, and my squad-mates seem so genuine in their love and trust for one another…within only ten days of meeting each other!
It’s a scary prayer, but this year, I want to learn how to be more vulnerable with my emotions, and I hope to share with you all what God teaches me about it throughout this journey.
So that’s the spiritual work of God at training camp, now here is the physical! Here are 12 physical and situational realities that set in at training camp. Enjoy.
1. During the 2 mile hike with my full pack, I realized that I want to bring as little as possible in my pack because I have to carry it everywhere…
2. During every other moment of the day I realized I want to bring as much as possible in my pack because life without certain things like a fluffy towel seems doable, but sad…
3. There are a lot of mosquitoes in Georgia, and a lot more overseas…
4. I looked in a mirror 3 times in 10 days, and that number is sure to go down on the Race…
5. I should probably try to stop swatting and jumping whenever gnats are nearby
6. Fried crickets are a thing I will not be eating…or any fried insects.
7. My headlamp is more of a bike lamp and I look like inspector gadget when I wear it
8. Gastrointestinal problems are a guarantee, and that makes me sad…
9. Bucket shower; def. “washing” with a bucket full of cold water in a curtained off area. Not actually feeling clear afterwards but mentally feeling better about the state of your hygiene.
10. The name of Jesus is powerful, because I wouldn’t ever choose to live out of a backpack 😉 JESUS.IS.THE.POINT.
11. Everything will not be exciting…many things will NOT be comfortable.
12.There are 6 weeks until our squad launches from Atlanta!
THANK YOU to all of you who are praying and supporting my journey! I am so overwhelmed by the grace God has shown me through all of you! Through 6/24…this Sunday, all donations will be MATCHED/DOUBLED! Please, if you would prayerfully consider supporting my next step with Jesus, and making Him famous, that would be amazing! Love you all, thank you!
Meet my team! ^^^^
