Training Camp: July 25th, 2015 to August 4th, 2015 in Gainesville, Georgia.
If I had to choose one word to describe these past 11 days it would be WOW. Wow can be defined as expressing astonishment or admiration, and there was never a day where The Lord didn’t surprise me with His miraculous ways and there was never a moment where I didn’t feel a sense of warm approval from my Heavenly Father.
Jesus taught me extremely important lessons this past week that made a huge impact on who I am today. It changed my thoughts, my actions and my heart and it simply started by saying YES to Him. By saying YES to giving up the comfort of my own home and my cozy bed to accepting a tent or a broken down shed as my home instead. To saying YES to giving up my friends and family I’ve known my whole life so I can know the rest of my friends and family around the world. Giving up eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted with utensils to eating whatever is placed in front of me with my hands. Giving up a toilet with running water that flushes to a hole in the ground, the woods or a portapotty. Giving up my normal lifestyle here in Niagara Falls, ON so I can go overseas and spread His love to those who haven’t discovered it yet. Giving up the community I have here to join and connect with new brothers and sisters in Christ. Giving all of this up sounds pretty insane but I am at peace knowing I’m in good hands of the One who breathed and spoke life into existence; The One who created me fearlessly and wonderfully (Psalm 139:13-14). I am filled with joy because God has so much to show me that He can’t do here. I am filled with happiness because through the chaos of this journey I have the army of angels by my side every step of the way. I am filled with all of this because I have the Holy Spirit at work and ALIVE within me. And in moments of missing all of the luxury I know The Lord will humble me and I will be filled with thanksgiving by what I have. Saying YES to my Heavenly Father is the best choice I could have ever made and I will continue to say YES to Him.
But I wasn’t always like this.
At the beginning of camp I struggled. I struggled hard. I struggled so bad to the point where I thought I wanted to pack my belongings and go home. I felt this way because I had the devil constantly hovering over me telling me I was unworthy to do missions. Telling me I was alone, I was insignificant, I couldn’t be forgiven for the sins I have made and still dealt with. Satan started to take over because I let myself grow distant from Jesus Christ – the One who offers abundance of grace, love, peace and forgiveness. I grew distant of what was better and chose to go into the darkness. I felt like this for the first few days of camp until one night when I started to pack my things and thought I had completely given up, I prayed out loud about what was hurting me. I prayed to God in a way I never had before and I’ve never felt His presence so strongly.
In this moment, everything changed.
I was no longer filled with darkness, demons and discouragement. Instead the Spirit filled me with His Light, angels, and encouragement. I have never felt so free in my life, I felt like I could fly from God flicking Satan off of my back.
The Lord reminded me I wasn’t alone, I am significant, I am forgiven and that no sin is too big because His love is ALWAYS bigger. Jesus invited me back into His Light even when I started to turn my back on Him. He told me I am His daughter and He is my Heavenly Father and I belong here because I belong to Him. That I am worthy because He made me and made a purpose for me here on this earth and that purpose is to be a missionary. When I fully accepted what He told me I was shameless and was given freedom.
Wow, my Abba Father is so so good. What a good Father He is to his sons and daughters. This is why it’s so important to say YES and keep saying YES and I encourage you to say YES to what the Lord wants for you and has placed on your heart. I promise you won’t regret that simple YES because God’s love is a ripple and it’s your turn to let the wave crash over you and fill you with the overflowing of his everlasting, never failing and precious love.
Through this friendly reminder I was given my Gap D Squadmates: A squad that loves each other, loves getting crazy, and loves Jesus like crazy.
I was given Team Dunamis! Which means miraculous, mighty, power and strength This is the family God has hand picked me to minister Thailand, South Africa and Nicaragua with for 9 months. I introduce to you Mike, Katherine, Laurie, Randall and Noah. I am so excited to see the way the Spirit will continue to work in them and through them. Their hearts are so on fire for The Lord and words can’t even explain how happy I am to do life with them for 9 months and see how our strengths and weaknesses will help one another grow. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for launch in less than a month:
I was given incredible World Race Alumni leaders. Christa, Liz and Markelle.
I was given the role to be the treasurer of my team…another BIG WOW because to be honest, I’m not very good at math and I’m quite forgetful. But I am aware this is a weakness of mine and I am very aware that the Lord uses our weakness to strengthen us and those around us. I was given brothers and sisters in Christ who are on fire for The Lord and want to lay their lives down before the cross. I was given family and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I was taught that in letting go of my comfortable belongings doesn’t mean I’ll be empty in the end but be handed something better because I no longer have what I want, The Lord gives me what I need.
