When I was preparing for training camp, I thought that it was just going through the logistics of World Race. I was not prepared for the Holy Spirit to enter in the way it did. I was not prepared for 18 strangers to become my family in a week. I was not prepared to be undone in front of my mentors and leaders; that I was meeting for the first time.
What God did, I was not prepared for.
You want to hear about it….
Grab your popcorn, because it’s a good one.
This week , God gave me four testimonies that have changed my life. I hope it changes yours too. (Rev. 19:10)
1. Get up the Mountain: It was Monday morning and our squad was gearing up to go on our hike. Halfway through our hike up Mt. Yonah, I twisted my ankle. I was shocked, nervous, and frustrated. It hurt so bad that I didn’t think I could make it to the top. Going back down would mean that I failed, and I didn’t want to fail. I sat in the middle of the mountain crying and my ankle throbbing. My mentor made me sit down and some of my squadmates started praying over my leg (never experienced anything like that before). Before they started praying, my mentor told me to ask the Lord what He wanted me to do. I got so nervous , because when was the last time I stopped and asked the Lord what He wanted me to do? Furthermore, when was the last time I listened for the answer?
As I began to pray, I asked the Lord to tell me what to do. As me and my squadmates are praying, I kept thinking about the scripture Nehemiah 6:3. While Nehemiah was building up the walls, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem sent for him and asked him to come meet them on the plain of Ono. Nehemiah told them he was not coming down because he had important work to do. I knew at that moment, I couldn’t go back down because I had important work to do. My squadmate gave me his hiking stick and another squadmate took my pack and guess what….I made it to the top of the mountain!
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Forgiveness: A lot of my life, I have been looking at what people have done to me. I spent a lot of training camp learning what I was doing to myself. I have harbored a lot of bondage, hurt, and loneliness in the past 10 years, which never gave me true freedom in Christ. Not only did I lay down my unforgiveness for people who hurt me, but I laid down my unforgiveness for myself.
I am forgiven and I am free!
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He Keeps on Getting Better: While we were in worship one day, we sang a song called “Keep on Getting Better” By Maverick City Music. It is one of my favorite songs, because it’s what I was playing when my grandfather had fallen ill with Covid and double pneumonia. I was reminded that no matter the outcome, the Lord is still good!
While we were singing, the worship leader began to explain the meaning behind the song. She said, it’s not that God has never been good and he got better, but the more we experience Him, the more his goodness and glory is unveiled.
Fast forward to the last night of training camp. My squad split up to reflect on the week. As I sat in the corner praying and thanking the Lord for the week, I started to get nervous about telling my family about training camp. I was nervous about their response. Then I realized their response seemed small to the revelation I received from the Lord.
God is doing amazing things, and all He needs is my “yes!” He is going to save multitudes with that “yes.” While I am praying for healing in Guatemala, the Lord will be healing at home . While I am praying for depression to cease in South Africa, depression will be ceasing at home. God is bigger and better than we can ever imagine and the more we give Him our “yes” the better He gets!
And my grandpa….He is alive and healthy!
4. I am made new: Being completely undone in front of people that I was meeting for the first time was uncomfortable. But in that week, the Lord was refining me and making me new. The Holy Spirit was in training camp and it would be foolish of me to leave the same way I came….so I didn’t.
For years, I had been thinking about getting baptized again. I prayed about it and training camp seemed like the perfect time to do it. I knew at the end of the week, I wanted to be lost in Jesus and be available to Him. I made that commitment by getting baptized. When I entered the pool, a reel of the past 4 years started to play in my mind. I got excited because the Lord was about to wash all that bondage away. When I came up from the water, refreshment and refinement covered me and I was so excited to be FREE!
These are just bullet points of what I experienced, I cannot tell it all what the Lord did for me. What I can say is: Praise the Lord for training camp! Praise the Lord for freedom!
Thank you for reading!
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Sweet Ericka! Wow! This is truly beautiful….you have expressed yourself so well! The Holy Spirit was moving mightily in training camp and you were so wise to reach out with your “yes” and grab everything He had for you. YOU ARE FREE! Hallelujah! We can’t wait to continue this amazing journey with you! Love you!
Ericka, Thank you for sharing these updates! So awesome to hear about God moving in your life during this journey! We continue to pray for you!