What an incredible two weeks it has been! Training camp has been a blast. The teaching has been really solid and has also challenged my faith. The community of believers here is absolutely incredible and just hard to convey in words how special it is. The leadership team has been amazing in how they love and care for us. The fellow racers I am surrounded by truly love the Lord and I am challenged by them. I cannot wait to grow together as a family.
Day to day, we have a worship and teaching time followed by a squad debrief in the morning. Then, we eat lunch and the afternoon may be filled with more teaching, washing your laundry by hand in a bucket, or training for a variety of different things. After dinner, we gather with our squads, have worship time, or have free time to hang out. We stay pretty busy and are fed a lot of information which helps me sleep well in my tent. One of the biggest things is getting used to bucket showering only every a couple of days. Some of you may be confused on what that means but it is exactly what it sounds like. You fill a Lowes bucket with tap water and use it to clean yourself.
I will probably being saying squad and team a lot so I want to explain the meanings. The squad is all 34 racers, 6 team leaders, and squad mentors while the team is the smaller group of 5 or six racers with one team leader.
The biggest thing God has been teaching me recently is that I do not know it all and that I need to rely on Him for discernment and wisdom. The teachings have brought up a lot of questions in me that I really just do not know how to answer. God has been teaching me to trust Him and seek out His Word for the answers. Please pray that I continue to rely on the Lord and His Word to find who He truly is.
My purpose statement is this, “I seek to glorify God by enjoying who He is and pointing others to Him in every aspect of my life.”
The bucket washing of self and clothes makes you understand how people in a country with water issues have to deal with everyday life. So much teaching/learning in these functions.
amazing
Hi Nate! I’m Josh Ockrin’s mom and am praying for you and your team as well! Thanks for sharing your insight into how you’re continuing to learn about how to trust God in the “not knowing”. It’s an area that I also am learning in how to surrender to Him – and fully trust Him!
Praying for you all!
I am so very proud of you Nate! I appreciate you keeping in touch! Reading your updates always makes me very happy, and I look forward to hearing more about how God is using you! You are continually in our thoughts and prayer Nate. Go do big things for Christ!
Nate, this is exactly the type of adventure you were created for! Just think, before you were even born, on the other side of the world, God picked you for this moment! When I think about the miracle your life is I cry. What a humbling thing to reflect upon that the Lord would allow Dad and I to be a part of it. I miss you, and love you lots!
Nate!! Wow, wonderful words on the first few weeks of training camp! I LOVE your purpose statement. That will be something that you come back to often on the hard days ahead!! Praying for you and the squad regularly!!
Your purpose statement says so much! Nate, keep seeking, enjoying, and pointing. Those verbs are packed with godly, purposeful intention! Keep walking worthy, hand in hand with your Maker! As your mom said, you were created for this!
Love that you are seeking discernment and wisdom from God.
Just this morning I watched a Charles Stanley message on “wisdom”.
https://www.intouch.org/watch/sermons/acquiring-wisdom
I will be praying that you will stick to applying your purpose statement Nate! Hope you get a bucket shower tonight haha!
Praying for you as you press into the Lord. He is near and will provide exactly what you need 🙂 Thanks for sharing!