Wake on up from your slumber: The AWAKEning

As my friend and I decided regarding the Awakening… it’s extrovert heaven or on the flip side: introvert ___, well you fill in the blank 😉

That being said, it’s basically a conference where a few World Race squads, who are at different months on their race, get together and mingle and trade stories and attend teaching and worship sessions for a few days in a country that each of the squads travel to on their route. The staff pours into us, but mainly we pour into ourselves. We are all placed on ministry teams of our own deciding and each team serves the entire body in various ways during the week and organizes/ runs different activities for the group. The ministry teams are: evangelism, worship, hospitality, storytelling, and intercession. It’s a way the leaders of AIM (Adventures in Missions) empower us as racers to take ownership of our race and use our spiritual gifts and wisdom to help the body as a whole. And, let me tell you, it is beautiful.

I honestly just THRIVED at the Awakening in Chiangmai, Thailand. It was only 3 days and it flew by with all the sessions, activities, worship and meal times to mingle. I just love meeting new people and hearing their stories and gleaning wisdom from racers who are farther ahead than us (months 7&9; we are month 4) who have learned some valuable lessons from the Lord and grown in ways we haven’t yet. I wish it didn’t have to end so soon. It was great how they encouraged us to intermingle and not stay attached to our own squadmates because it allowed me to meet soo many amazing people on fire for Christ with such unique stories and beautiful hearts. In just 2 days, I felt like I met some people I connected to so deeply that we could potentially be lifelong friends. That’s crazy, right?!! But that’s how my Lord works! He always outdoes Himself and exceeds our human-sized expectations.

To summarize what occurred in this 3 day span, we listened to speakers talk on prayer (for physical healing, listening prayer: for yourself with the Lord, and intercessional prayer: on behalf of others), evangelism, and just drop-the-mike wisdom from one of the original starters of the World Race Andrew Shearman.  We had worship sessions and a games event where the ministry teams competed against each other. Imagine: people racing down the room with cotton balls adhered to their noses via ointment and trying to get said cotton ball off without hands, people passing an orange down the line without using their hands, and brave souls ingesting disgusting bugs in an eating contest. Oh, and, did I mention that it was the New Year Water Festival all week? So, that entails getting SOAKED with water (sometimes ice cold water) by people with hoses, water guns, or buckets of water repeatedly as you walk or ride down the streets. I even participated and dumped buckets of water on passerby with some of the locals one day! Soo fun!

All in all, it was an AMAZING conference and I never wanted it to end. Can I be honest? I kinda wish I could’ve mixed and matched with some squads and created new teams based off that… just kidding, I love you team Beloved Daughters and my dear F SQUAD ??
F Squad, Best Squad!!!

But, really, it was such a gift from the Lord to cross paths with other racers on the same journey as us but a little ahead and just sit and chat with them and be poured into by them and by leadership. I’m so grateful to Adventures in Missions and the Awakening team (led by the lovely Amie Beth) for making this experience possible!!!