The Sending Out into the Field, Part 3: Training Camp

             Thank you for continuing to lift up and pray over the upcoming mission work and the World Race Expedition to take place in August. Here are some current updates that have taken place over the past couple weeks:

1. On Thursday, May 13, I will be departing with a church group near Boone, NC to do mission work in New York City. It has been terrific to see this trip coming together, and I plan to post some brief updates on the blog. Please be lifting NYC up in prayer- and that the Lord will open doors for us to proclaim the Gospel. Pray that hearts are opened to receive it; and that people will come to know Jesus in the local community that we will be serving in.

2. An encouraging praise report: An evangelistic training and outreach effort that recently took place in the NYC area resulted in 16 People accepting Christ as Savior- with many beginning discipleship. Praise the Lord! Awesome to see new people join the body of Christ!

3. Things are coming together to launch to Alaska on May 31- and to participate in outdoor ministry / summer camp involvement while up there. Please pray for open doors and that campers can be encouraged and equipped with the Gospel.

4. After months of studying hard and completing Finals, my first year of graduate school at Appalachian State has come to end. I am thankful for the support, prayers, and encouragement as the semester took place. The goal is to complete the Geography and Planning Masters program in 2023; finishing it after completing the World Race.

5. Recently, Europe has announced plans to re-open most of its countries to Americans who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. This is significant news in terms of allowing the World Race Squad to start the 2021 route as planned. Furthermore, Spain (the first country that the 2021 World Race is to start) is likely to re-open to vaccinated Americans by the end of June. Please pray over this; and for any upcoming ministry that is to take place in Europe.

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              This post elaborates on a crucial piece of the World Race that is set to take place before the official August 2021 launch date: Training Camp. While Training Camp has been mentioned multiple times as an event that will take place later in the summer, I wanted to elaborate about it more and encourage you to lift this event up in prayer as it gets closer. My Training Camp dates are from July 10 – 17, 2021; taking place at the Adventures In Missions Headquarters in Gainesville, GA. This continues the blog series on upcoming mission / ministry work that is set to take place over the summer.

              Training Camp is basically an intense 8-day event where the World Race Squads meet in-person for the first time and undergo team building together. This is the time where we get to know each other in-person and begin to bond as a Squad. While we have continued to get to know each other virtually and through regular Zoom calls- the meeting in-person is something that we have looked forward to since the beginning of the year. It is also focused on discipleship and preparing the Expedition Squad for what life on the field will look like. Training Camp is packed with info sessions related to cultural phenomena that will be encountered on the field; plus expectations of what will take place while overseas. After the event takes place in July- we are expected to remain in close contact with each other as a Squad for the next 2 -4 weeks before the upcoming trip launch in August.

              However, Training Camp is going to be a very intense week. The Camp is packed full of worship sessions, exercise training, and spiritual challenges to help equip us for the trip. It is also a chance to get to “break in” our gear and camp out as a team prior to the Race. This can allow Racers to revise their packing strategy prior to departing on the World Race mission trip and get feedback from their peers. But one of the main goals for Training Camp is to be challenged as a Squad and to evaluate incoming missionaries in somewhat stressful environments. This is a crucial step to be better prepared for various situations that will emerge while on the field. Furthermore, World Race Squads are broken up into teams of 6 – 7 people apiece which may serve in different locations throughout the trip. These teams will be formed through Training Camp as leaders pray over and help facilitate who will be on each team.

              Training Camp is also a time to press in and seek the Lord- even in the busy schedule that the camp presents. This experience is likely to be very different from the slower pace of the upcoming Alaska trip (which has days of wilderness trekking planned). Even as the fast pace of Training Camp challenges us mentally and spiritually, seeking the Lord and walking this out with Him will be crucial to ensure a successful experience. My hope is that key takeaways will be brought to light and effectively processed from this experience to better prepare us for the mission field. Furthermore, it will be neat to learn about additional methods of sharing the Gospel while on the World Race; and how people in the past conducted evangelism. It will also be a time to ask questions and dive into each others’ backgrounds from the Squad as we become more united towards the common purpose of the Great Commission ahead of us.           

              If you would like to learn more about what Training Camp is like, please feel free to watch some of the videos that are posted in YouTube. Furthermore, additional info can be viewed at: https://www.worldrace.org/training-camp/. Please continue to lift the upcoming mission work in prayer- especially in New York City this week. Updates will be posted on this Blog; and I look forward to seeing what takes place in the coming months!

“As iron sharpens iron, so one parson sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27: 17

[From Proverbs 27]

The pictures below are from the February 2020 Open House (when it snowed at the Adventures In Missions Campus). Enjoy!