There are so many ways I can think of to describe my week of training camp: challenging, growth, eye-opening, exciting, and uncomfortable. There was a point during a teaching session on night two thinking, "Lord, I did not sign up for this" to which he gently reminded me, yes I did.

This is going to be a year of firsts for me. Before training camp, I had never been camping, hiking, or backpacking. I have also never been on a mission trip (so lets go on one for 11 months!). I knew going into this it would be hard at times but I had laughed it off and said I was along for the adventure and up for anything. Being put in a place of so many new things and reality slowly sinking in, I realized I didn't know if I could go through with this commitment. I mean how crazy am I? Was I really prepared for all these new things? Could I really trust the Lord with all this change?

All week we had worship service every morning followed by teachings and then team building in the evenings. After day 2 I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it, but I decided to give it my all and pour into what the Lord was showing me. God showed me I had become comfortable and complacent in my life and walk with him. Things were easy and nothing required too much from me. I didn't want to face the hard questions I had been asking the Lord deep in my heart because I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answers.

All week I kept running to the Lord. I was asking him the same questions over and over, but not sitting and listening for his still, small voice. We had the opportunity to practice listening prayer during one of the teachings. It was during this time the Lord showed me my questions don't scare him, no question is too big for him, and if I want to grow I need to be willing to live in the uncomfortable. He also showed me that even in the uncomfortable, he is with me and will remind me of his faithfulness. My favorite verse is Numbers 23:19 "God is not man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" What a beautiful reminder that God is faithful through it all. With the reminder that the Lord is faithful, I (re)committed my "YES" to the Lord to follow him on the 11 month journey and to live in the uncomfortable as I grow in him.