The Kingdom Dream – Training Camp Recap

So should I start with the bucket showers? Or meeting my new BFFs? Training camp… what an experience. I feel like God did nothing but just drop knowledge bomb after knowledge bomb on me and left me speechless. Just keeping it real here, I don’t even know where to start.

I had the pleasure of meeting 4 of the 6 other girls on our team at the airport. Coming into contact with all of them for the first time was like eating Chick-fil-A for the first time in a week – a rushing feeling of contentment and joy (no, I’m not exaggerating that). It definitely helped that we had been texting and snapping and liking each others posts for the past month, but still our whole team had instant chemistry #PTL.

Once we got to AIM in Gainesville, Training Camp was full speed ahead starting with dinner, worship, session, and team time! Everyday was packed full of exploding truths of Jesus, unbelievably delicious and cultural family style meals, and TONS of laughter. A basic day looked like waking up around 6:45, team time then breakfast, worship, then some sort of team builder/activator or session, lunch, more sessions, a team builder or free time, dinner, and then more worship and session! And of course when you could fit it in or wanted to fit it in, bucket showers!!! Worst thing ever. Ok, it really wasn’t that bad, but my heart goes out to the Africa, India, and Thailand/Cambodia teams who have to endure these things every time they shower. If you don’t know what a bucket shower is, it is essentially a big bucket full of water and a smaller bucket that you fill the water with and pour over your self. The struggle was too real. Maddie, Cindy, and I woke up at 6:00 on the first morning of camp and it took us about an hour to get situated and go through the motions of a bucket shower… but we laughed through the whole thing!

Our schedule was JAM packed for sure, but I think I learned more in these 3 days than I did during my senior year of high school. Of course, the things I learned were very different, but you are bound to pay better attention to the things you want to learn rather than the topics forced. That right there might just be one of my biggest take aways from the Training Camp – that I found a desire to learn more about Jesus and spreading his love. Thankfully and ironically enough, I was in a place that did just that for me for 3 days and even for the next 3 months! We probably heard close to 10 sessions ranging from how to pray to children’s ministry to hearing God’s voice. Of these, my most favorite session was our last one when Sam (the Passport Director) spoke on the Kingdom. AIM defines experiencing the Kingdom as when missions, community, and intimacy come together. The second Sam said this, I automatically thought of Julia and Derren and all my homies back in the QC. There is no doubt that we experience the Kingdom daily; I am a firm believer of that. We take what we love and the Gospel and we bring it together. That right there, that’s the dream; to bring the Kingdom and live a Kingdom life right here on Earth. Can you say #boujee?? If I can live that life, I most definitely am! We are walking pieces of Heaven on Earth, so why not spread that while we can – I mean as Christians isn’t that part of what we’re called to do?

We even got feel this while we were traveling. Sitting in the Atlanta airport for 13 hours made for some creative thought and “ideating” in helping the time go by. A girl from another team started playing the piano that sat to the side in the atrium and Maddie broke out her guitar, so before we knew it 25+ girls were participating in a spontaneous worship session! People started humming along to songs they knew, taking videos, and one little girl even helped played the piano. It was definitely my favorite 20 minutes of the 36 hours of travel we endured… besides the time it took me to eat my Turkish ice cream! Don’t get me wrong though, I loved traveling! International flights had me feeling first class when I was economy.

Well I am writing this from what could possibly be my new favorite coffee shop for the next 3 months, but that is unlikely since this is only stop #2 of I don’t even know how many (you guys, there are literally coffee shops everywhere). We’ve been in the city for almost 2 days now and I think I am in  L O V E. The city is beautiful, the coffee is amazing, and my instagram aesthetic is about to be on fleeeeek. Until next time!!!