Hi faithful supporters/friends/loved ones!
2018 is nearly a month gone and I hope each of you are having a blessed year so far. Like the few years before this I began my year by facilitating a World Race Fusion training camp.
In 2019 the name will be transitioning to World Race Unscripted to better describe the journey people will experience. However, I also feel this will be my last year as a Squad Mentor, so this truly is the last WR Fusion journey.
This year lead us to a training camp in Medellin, Colombia. We could have gone anywhere in the world, and yet over 12 months ago when I sat in Gainesville, GA and stared at a world map I felt God leading us to begin this experience in a country once known for drug cartels and violence.
From January 10th-26th we prepared, trained, listened, activated, worshiped and let God lead us through an amazing training camp. Considering it was the first one in South America ever it went pretty smoothly.
The squad is small this year, 15 world racers and 4 Squad leaders who will stay with them for the first half the year. They are young but hungry and full of passion. I can’t imagine the men and women they’ll be in December after all they’ll go though this year. It’s going to be amazing!
This year’s journey is once again one without much structure and we’re asking the squad to ‘Listen to God and do what He says’. A simple concept but loaded with opportunity and challenges. As they live out the mindset that life=ministry and ministry=life they’ll wrestle plenty with if they are doing ‘enough’….but my hope is that they love the person God puts right in front of them daily.
Since training camp I’ve traveled the windy roads and joined a team just outside a small city of Salento. The guys are camping out at an eco farm and I’m sleeping in the hostel. We’re hiking some beautiful hills, getting to know backpackers from all over the world and sharing what Christ has done in our life, befriending a local restaurant owner and getting to know his family.
This morning I sat on a bench and looked over mountains with clouds rolling into the surrounding valley. I was reminded how often God just wants US but instead we try to give him our performance. Today is a sweet reminder of resting in the fact His love is unconditional and can’t be earned while I’m here in Colombia.
Over the next few days I’ll be traveling south at some point (Ya overnight buses in South America!) and joining the whole squad. We’ll travel down into Ecuador and I’ll run a few days of debrief before heading back to America.
In total my time in South America will be a loaded 31 days. Running a training camp and debrief in one trip can be taxing, but it makes me that much more thankful for the trainers/staff who helped make it happen.
The last WR Fusion has begun and I believe God has more in store for it than we can possibly dream.
