training camp, wild and free

UPDATE BEFORE THE BLOG!! My squad got a route addition. Rather than going to Thailand for 3 months, we will be going for 2 and then heading over to MALAYSIA for 1 !! I am so excited, and I ask that you would pray over the hearts of the people in this country.

Hello, it’s me again. Right now I am sitting in a coffee shop in Covington, Georgia. I left ‘World Race’ training camp. I feel clean for the first time in 11 days. I’m no longer being attacked by bugs. I now have AC and COFFEE. Blessed is an understatement. However, the inconvenient circumstances were not the takeaway from this camp. The Lord is ALIVE. He is MOVING and there’s no stopping soon. Revival is taking place in the hearts of young adults and the Holy Spirit is breaking loose. There is so much to be said about TC, but I know I won’t be able to encompass it all. So, without further ado, here’s my attempt to share the ways the Lord moved in my heart!

I was broken for the Lord’s people these past 11 days. The Lord has given me so much grace, and thanks to His love I have become aware of it. He revealed to me that I have hurt many people by my actions and ignorance. There are times in my life where I let satan take hold of the way I view relationships. I let him lie to me. I let him have control of my words. I let him use me to tear down people I dearly loved because I was too afraid to allow God to hold my brokenness. It’s painful to look back and realize that I unintentionally sunk many friendships because of pride and fear. However, I allowed God to have the fullness of my brokenness this week. I said yes to restoration and NO to the works of the evil one. Because of this yes, He is RADICALLY revealing His love to me through community. For the first time in my life I know I am surrounded by people who truly desire the Lord, and because of that, desire to pursue a healthy friendship with me. This concept has shifted my heart; to seek first the kingdom of the Lord, and then seek to apply it to your surroundings. I saw so much of this at training camp. My squad is incredible. My TEAM is incredible(I will introduce them to you soon!!). They are fearless pursuers of Christ. Joyful children of the one true King. If I am not following the Lord with my actions, they lovingly convict me. If I am obeying Him in a beautiful way, they encourage me. I mean it when I say it feels like a piece of heaven is opening before me. Thank you, Lord, for a group of people who radically pursue love. (You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you. (Proverbs 28:13))

The Lord has also been showing me a lot about freedom. Freedom is something I have been praying over myself for about a year now, and I am beginning to see the fruit!! The leaders and serve team at Adventures in Missions have blessed me with a deeper understanding of what freedom looks like. This week at camp they sold goods such as jewelry and tee shirts. They sell the products from a company called “Keys for the Journey,” which sells key necklaces stamped with prophetic words so that you may be reminded to pray that concept over yourself daily. Alumni racers ran the snack and merch stands all week, and I had the most lovely conversations with them. When I decided I wanted a Key for the journey, I asked them to pray for a prophetic word for me. I was quite awestruck by the Lord when I received my imprinted key on the last day. The word was “Courage” (Courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation). Courage has such a large role to play in the concept of freedom. Having the divine courage to defy social standards is the very thing that launches you into freedom!! Freedom isn’t something I have to earn. It is a GIFT that I am allowed to walk in daily. Freedom is worshipping for the glory of God (without the fear of judgment). Freedom is accepting the grace the Lord graciously extends to me (without feeling guilt). Freedom is allowing the spirit of comparison to go back to hell where it came from!! Thank you, Lord, for very, VERY tangible freedom. Who the Son sets free is FREE INDEED!!

I’m so thankful for these past 11 days. I LOVE my squad. I LOVE my leadership. Thank you, Abba, for showing me the work of your hands in my life!! Thank you for allowing us to praise your name with all of our hearts, minds, and souls! Thank you for smelly tents and dirty missionaries. You’ve immensely blessed us all, and we love you.