Wow. If training camp could be summed up in such an inadequate word, it would definitely be that one. I came with certain expectations of what God would do on this trip, that I didn’t even realize I had. I expected to meet awesome people, have a great time, and watch God move. What I wasn’t prepared for was the magnitude at which God was going to rock us, even before we left the country.
I expected to be stretched challenged, and to grow in the Lord. All of these things have happened, as we have practiced eating smaller portions of certain ethnic foods, eating with our hands in some cases, and writing sermons. I’m not the most comfortable person with speaking or writing sermons; but just as the motto on the shirt for this summer says, “The Easiest Thing to Do is Nothing.” It’s easier to say no, I can’t do this, I’m inadequate. But with all my list of expectations, I never expected this to be easy. In fact, I didn’t want it to be easy. I’m not going on vacation, I’m going because the Lord has called me to go, and if the things the Lord has done in training camp are any indication of what’s going to happen on the field, we are going to consistently get our minds blown by God.
My goal for this trip, is to grow in the Lord so much that my expectations are the unexpected. That the supernatural becomes so natural, that moving in the power and authority of the Lord becomes so second nature, that there is no fear response. We saw God move in a powerful way a few nights ago, when we were asked to pray for a word for complete strangers, so much so that the person asking for the word had their eyes closed, and had no knowledge of who the person standing in front of them was. And God showed up and His spirit moved in such a powerful way. People began to encourage and prophesy over one another, and it was a beautiful thing to watch the body of Christ BE the body of Christ, and move in Spiritual gifts.
The Uganda team is truly an inspiration to me, and I eagerly await the Lord’s work through us in the lives of the Ugandans we encounter on this two month expedition. And no matter what happens, I pray that we leave the fear response far behind. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
