Week 1

Hey friends,

I’m just going to talk a little bit about what has been happening in my life the past week, week one of training. I arrived at training camp September 2, and ever since then there has been so much that has happened already.

First of all, the Lord knew what he was doing when he put me with my squad. I’ve got some great friends already and us as a squad have been so vulnerable to each other and from that we trust each so so much. We love to discuss controversial topics and it is just so filling to the soul to see where each of us is at. I love that everyone speaks so openly and we can learn so much from each other. It really is a community like I’ve never experienced before.

Through my first week the Lord has been showing me a couple things. A good vulnerable community is important. It is just so much more life-giving if you can say what you believe or struggle with and you know people aren’t judging by you past or present beliefs. It is just so nice that the same grace that the Lord gives to you, he has open arms and wants to extend that same love and grace to others through you. Another thing he has been showing me is how much He wants to spend time with me and for me just to sit in his presence and let him speak to me. I feel the Father tell me more and more to go find a quiet place and to be with just me and him. To just spend time with Him and invite him into my everyday things, from simply walking around to worshiping him with singing.

The Lord has been working around me so much. This past friday night, 9/8/23 we had a powerful worship time where kept inviting the Holy Spirit to come and fill the room. If you were here you would definitely have said the Holy Spirit to over the room. There was so much joy in the room that words couldn’t even explain.

The next night, 9/9/23, we had a baptism night. That night was also filled with so much joy. One of my friends struggled with turret syndrome for the past 11 years. The Lords healing hand came upon Him and healed him and he hasn’t had turrets since that night.🤯 Praise the Lord! That night I got re-baptized because when i first got baptized i didn’t really know what I was doing and I didn’t change my way of living either. I actually was debating for a while now if i should get re-baptized and I was talking to the Lord before the night started that if I should get baptized, and I told Him to just show me something and give me an answer. Anyhow the night started and I was watching others get baptized, and rejoicing with them. Then someone came up to me, someone i never talked to, and they told me that I should get in. I was stunned. I knew right away that that had been from the Lord and then I got baptized. The Lord’s peace came upon like none other.

I hope you find my blogs encouraging and that they push you to be more like Jesus. All this to God’s glory.

Doug