I feel as if I have aged years since I arrived at training camp five weeks ago. It still doesn't seem real that I will be heading out on the road tomorrow. But all my crazy feelings aside. ;) Here is what me and my Life Action team have been up to in these days!
Our first week here was called Seek Week; each day, all three road teams, staff and staff families came together at the Camp and participated in passionate worship services and witnessed challenging messages from pastors in the LifeAction community. It was an incredible time of prayer, of people pouring out their hearts in praise to the Lord, and all around was evidence of much-needed heart renewal in the lives of people who are seeking to glorify the Lord. One of the brightest memories in my mind is how God used the teaching on His deep love to reassure my heart and radically refresh my perspective on why I am living. God reminded me that with Jesus' great love inside me, I need not fear man but only trust in Him, and that fears vanish when thanksgiving overflows.
Nearly every day, all of us CM's from the White, Blue and Red road teams, have had the blessing of training all together for summits and conferences. We've learned skits, songs and verses from the curriculum, reviewed safety policies, practiced lessons and come together in prayer. Our third week here, we had the privilege of teaching a 3-day kid's program at a local church. This was one of my favorite things. :) Having the opportunity to see and work with real kids after weeks of book learning excited and encouraged me beyond what I could have hoped for, and despite being very sick my first day teaching (and for the week following, actually!), it turned out to be a wonderful day of memories for me. My three fellow club teachers - Tyler, Jennifer, and Hannah- and I have also had time at the Camp here to work together on our Happy Heart City projects; we are all pumped for this year and are so excited to see how the Lord has brought us together as a group!
Besides the the CM training, my team (Red Team) has had opportunities to bond through a myriad of situations. Team competitions, shopping runs, work projects, game times and special meals together, plus a host of other random activities, have been incredibly edifying; we have a family already, and each of us is feeling so blessed to be in community with such amazing people who love the Lord wholeheartedly and love others deeply. One Sunday the entire Red Team led worship and led the kid's Sunday School classes at Bertrand Bible Church, the home church of LifeActions' director, Byron Paulus. This past Sunday we visited Harvest, the church Trent Griffith pastors. When I was 10 years old and LifeAction first visited my church, Mr. Griffith and his family traveled with the team as the head revivalist; it was definitely nostalgic and bittersweet hearing him preach again after nine years.
One of the greatest changes that the Lord has done in my heart actually came through preparing for my lesson on Salvation for the Happy Heart City kids. Putting nineteen years of sermons, prayer, reading, books, discussions with other Christians, and just life all together and trying to come up with a ten minute way to tell kids about how Jesus is the only way to be saved from sin...it boggled my mind. The Lord came through as He always does. :) After hours- well, days- of preparation, it came time for me to present it to my fellow Childrens' Ministers to receive constructive critique and encourage, and I couldn't remember any of it. I had never been more nervous in my life. I had several friends praying for me, and I couldn't do anything but ask God to give me His words. I got through the entire lesson without pause and had more gusto than I'd ever had when I practiced and more interaction than I counted on. I just remember sitting down afterwards and thinking, "What just happened." But it was so clear. It was like for a second I saw God just smiling. It was naught except His Spirit empowering me to remember and speak all that I did. He wanted me to see, to know what that feels like. I am so grateful to Him for letting it all happen so.
So here we are, about to board the bus in less than 24 hours. I don't know what to do with myself now that my bags are packed and my lessons are planned and my update is written.
Well, I guess I do. I have a few hours left before my family comes down to say goodbye for the next four months. I think God wants to talk with me for a bit.
Thank you all so much, for your love, encouragement and support. It means more to me than I can express. Love you all so very much.
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