Christina and I are back at AIM Training Camp in Gainesville, GA. For the past few days the training has been focused on us as leaders. This year we are blessed to have a stellar leadership team of 14 people. In just the short time that we’ve been together, I’ve been amazed at how well our team seems to be clicking. Granted, half of our leadership team is made up of students that were together in Jeffreys Bay last year, but it’s the entire team that is getting along with each other, and not just that smaller group. I’ve seen them laughing together, including each other in fun activities and random conversation, and cheering each other on in team builders. Seeing how the Lord is already bonding this team together is extremely encouraging for how great The Awakening is going to be.
This next week is going to be a little nuts for Christina and me. On Monday, the 41 students that we will be leading in South Africa, get into Gainesville for their own training camp. We’ll have a great opportunity to meet them when they get in, as well as spend time with their parents for a cookout that evening. We leave Gainesville on Tuesday (my birthday!) and drive back down to my parents’ house in Marietta, where we’ll pack everything up. Early Wednesday morning we’ll leave Atlanta and drive up to Christina’s mom’s house in Washington, DC where we will leave our car to rest after a long 9000 miles. The next day, Thursday, we’ll do last minute preparation before we leave for the airport that afternoon to fly back to South Africa!
Once we get there we will hit the ground running, setting up our new apartment, preparing for the ministries the students will be involved with, and organizing all the ligistics for the students to arrive. All 41 of them land in South Africa on Sept 19th and it will be 3 months jammed packed of training, discipleship and ministry. We can’t wait to meet them on Monday and are so honored to be called to lead them for this next season.
Our final newsletter will be coming out before we leave to go back. If you haven’t received it by then, please let us know because that means that, for some reason, you’re not on our email list. We would covet your prayers for our safe return to Jeffreys Bay, as well as a smooth transition back to our “second home.” We’ll see you on the other side of the pond! Thanks for a great summer.
Let the Mayhem begin!