I was fortunate enough to be able to go to training camp this past week down in Gainesville, GA at the Adventures in Missions base, and oh goodness was it quite the experience. It was a week full of love and joy not only for the Lord, but for each other. Despite meeting my squad of 29 for the first time in person, it felt like I have known them for years. The amount of trust and love I already have for these people astounds me, and I know the Lord is going to do great things through us all this year. Of the 29 people in my squad, there are 24 women and 5 men, all ranging from 21 years old to their young 30’s, from all over the country. It’s quite a mixed bag, but the beauty is that we’re all here for the same reason; to go and make disciples and to show God’s love to all people through our gifts and the fruits of the Spirit.

Training camp itself felt like a mix between a summer camp and a conference, with worship in the morning, roughly 4 hours of conferences during the day, and team building at night. Some of the highlights were hiking up Yonah Mountain (which in itself was a really tough hike), sharing tents in the muggy Georgia weather as our counselors “lost” half of our luggage, the last night of worship which included singing “From Now On” from The Greatest Showman, all the amazing conferences learning about the Holy Spirit, Squad Wars on the last day of camp which included me mercilessly trying to beat someone to death with a pool noodle, and me getting baptized!

I was baptized when I was somewhere between the age of 12 and 15, but I did not really know what a relationship with God really was, and my faith really dwindled in college and the first couple years after graduating. However, since coming back to God and finally understanding what a relationship with Him really is, I have felt pulled to get baptized again, almost like renewing wedding vows and recommitting myself to Him. It was a beautiful experience being baptized by my mentor and coach Keith, and my teammate Jack. I’ve tried living for myself and it has been brutal to be honest; I’m ready to die to myself and live for God, no matter how uncomfortable that may be at times. Matthew 16:25 says “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” I am ready to do what I can to live for Christ, and to show people the love and grace that the Father has for them; the same love and grace that He gave me.

So that was training camp in a nutshell. I would like to thank my mentors, coaches, leaders, and all the staff who did such an incredible job hosting all of us! Thanks for following along with my journey!

God bless,

Colton