Abide in Me, and I in you

Training camp has come to an end, we finished our domestic ministry week in Florida, and we leave for Guatemala in 7 days….GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

Training camp was full of challenges to help us grow as Christ followers, scenarios and workshops to practice sharing the gospel, friendship and unity, worship, tents, bucket showers, hand-washing clothes, laughs, cries, sickness’s and healing….the list could go on. I am so excited to say that the Lord grew me in so many areas in my life, and this is just the beginning!!!
There are so many things that the Lord taught me throughout this period of time. He taught me the importance of communion and unity. How to be still in His presence. He taught me to praise and worship Him no matter how I feel. The list could go on but I want to focus on a couple of main areas that the Lord has shown me throughout training camp.

I have personally never struggled with the comparison game throughout my life. I tend to be pretty good at being confident with who I am in Christ. Until I arrived at training camp. My thoughts immediately went to “they are deeper in their faith than I am”
“I’m not feeling God right now and everyone else is, I must not be saved”
“They like her more than me, I don’t feel loveable”
As you can see, those are all lies straight from the enemy that I started to believe. It’s kind of funny how something that I very seldom struggled with all of a sudden started attacking me the most isn’t it? The enemy attacks when he knows God is at work. I’m starting a new journey and he wanted to stop me in my tracks.
One night at training camp we were worshipping and I couldn’t feel God’s presence. I thought I was doing something wrong. I thought I wasn’t right with Him. I thought my salvation was questionable. Then my dear friends came to me and started praying over me. As they were doing so, Banks (one of the leaders who is so rad and awesome and swaggy) said “you are not praising for a feeling, you’re praising the One Most High no matter how you feel”. And that is when I realised that I was comparing so much to the point of questioning my own faith. I believed the lies and it caused me to not even want to worship God because I was scared I wasn’t going to feel His presence like “everyone else was”. There is no good that comes out of comparison. It only devalues your identity in Christ and breaks down yourself and others. Comparison is the thief of Joy. This is why it is so important to abide in the Father.

“Abide” has been the theme for my team and I here at training camp. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭
Together we have learned to remain in the Father and He will remain in us. To constantly seek the kingdom and everything else will fall into place in His perfect timing. The more we abide in Him, the more we learn His character and who we are in Christ. The more we abide in Him, the more fruit we bear and the better we can show the love of Jesus to those around us!! “Abide” has now become our team name!! Now I will always have the reminder of the importance of abiding in the Father. The importance of His friendship with us. Communion with the Father is the most beautiful gift. Time with Him is precious and valuable and should not be taken for granted.

I thank the Father for teaching me this lesson during training camp. I can now better love myself and those around me and carry that to the nations!! He is so faithful and is still working in and through me every single day and this is just the beginning!! I leave for Guatemala in 7 days and I could not be more excited!! I ask that you join me in praying for my squad and I! That we would have safe travels and continue to abide in the Father everyday! Thank you for all of your support and joining in the journey! I pray the Lord blesses you abundantly!!

In Him,
Anna <3