the power of ‘wait’

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27: 14

Wait for the Lord. It’s a simple phrase, but one of the hardest to put into action. Action? Why would waiting require action? Wouldn’t waiting equate to stillness instead of action? Well, the kind of ‘wait’ I have experienced recently, I like to call ‘active waiting’. Waiting with anticipation, with preparation, with leaning on Holy Spirit, with worship, with tears, with (sometimes) temper tantrums and with submission. For me, it’s not a passive kind of wait; it is very much active. I believe that is why this verse inserts “be strong and take heart” in between a sandwich of “wait for the Lord”. God knows waiting is hard and it requires much diligence. 

At this point, you might be asking “Cami, what in the world have you been waiting on?” Great question! 

By month 7 of my race, I knew my time with the World Race and Adventures in Missions would extend past the 11 months I had committed to. There was a shift that took place when I stepped into leading N-squad. My ministry was first to God, second to the squad, and then third to the countries we were in. Through that shift, He began igniting so much within me; a love for discipleship, a new found passion for teaching, a joy for strategizing and planning, and a thirst for helping others discover more of God. 

During that same month, God was challenging me to dream with him and the dream in my heart was to alumni squad lead (aka lead another world race squad). Shortly after I expressed that dream to God, I got a call from Fran asking me to alumni lead for her next squad that would leave a month after my race ended. MY HEART LEAPT LIKE NEVER BEFORE!! I was so excited that God was fulfilling my dream almost days after I expressed it to him… so I thought! ***insert laughing/crying emoji***

Since that day, God has been asking me to wait. He asked me to say no to alumni leading for Fran’s next squad which was harder than one might think. I wondered why God put this big passion on my heart, asked me to dream, seemed to dangle it in front of me and then take it away. Since then there has been a number of occasions where the option was back on the table and I thought it was time to say yes but God thought it was time to wait some more. “Wait just a little bit longer. Don’t stop dreaming with me.” he would say. He was teaching me how to dream from a place of surrender; let go of what I want and hold on to Him. He was teaching me how to submit to his plans and purposes. He was teaching me how to wait. 

So, here it is. Here God is, giving me another opportunity to alumni squad lead. Here I am, saying yes and seeing that dream fulfilled. When I got the call that we were launching in January with H-squad, I heard God clearly say, “It is for this squad– for this group of people, that I asked you to wait.”  HOW POWERFUL IS THAT!? I can see now why God has asked me to wait for this. While I was waiting, God was not only preparing my squad for their race, but he was also giving me so many opportunities for me to lead and minister to people here in the good Youngstown, Ohio. I know I was here for a purpose and I know my waiting was not done in vain. 

WOW, Lord. YOU ARE SO GOOD! 

I wonder what David was waiting for when he wrote Psalm 27. I am sure it had something to do with life or death. Maybe he was waiting on his deliverance from Saul’s threats. Or maybe he was waiting on this promise that one day he would be a king. Whatever it was, he waited on something far grander than alumni squad leading. And he waited for a LONG time. A year and a half has felt never-ending so I can’t even imagine what strength that must have taken.But praise God that our waiting is not done in vain! It serves a purpose, though sometimes that purpose remains a mystery. If you are waiting for something, big or small, hold on. Be strong, take his hand and hold on. He’s got you.

So, what does this all look like? In January, I will be launching with H squad; a group of roughly 50ish young adults who are about to embark on the adventure of a life-time. Right now, we are launching internationally if it is safe to do so but are prepared for domestic work depending on COVID health and safety precautions. My commitment to them is for one year but I am trusting my involvement in their lives will reach far beyond that. During that year’s commitment, I will spend 5 months with them on the field, helping them figure out the world race and navigate the ever changing nature of it. Then I will come home and fly out to their debriefs every few months until they finish their race. I AM SO EXCITED!! (if you can’t already tell by the excessive use of caps in this blog post).

Saying yes to God almost always comes with some sort of cost. For me, this looks like quitting another job. A job that I have absolutely loved and have thrived in. This looks like saying goodbye to friends and family again and sacrificing things I want to be home for. This looks like another go at fundraising and trusting God with my finances. I know people might say I am crazy, but I am confident this is God and this is the next move he is asking me to make. 

Two weeks ago, I got to travel down to Gainesville, Georgia to meet my squad and walk with them through their training camp (yes, we all came with a negative COVID test). God showed up in BIG ways and has marked this squad, not just as H-squad, but HIS-squad. More on training camp later! 

If you are still reading this. Thank you. It speaks to your interest in not only reading lengthy blogs, but also your interest and investment in my life and my ministry. 

If you would like to stay involved with my ministry, there are a few things you can do: 

• Pray. Pray that God would go before this squad and ignite something great within them. Pray for safety within our squad and for safety over everyone we encounter. Pray for the countries we may go to, that our work would bless the ministries we serve. 
• Partner Financially. For the year commitment I have made, I am responsible to raise $8,000. This includes all travel, food, and lodging. I am confident that God will provide every single penny and I know that He will work through generous people to do that. So if you feel a tug on your heart to sow into my ministry and join in my ministry with me, click the orange donate button at the top of my blog’s home screen. 
• Subscribe. If you would like to get regular updates on what the squad is up to, what ministry we are doing, what ways you can pray, and what God is doing, subscribe to my blog! 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

Until next time! Much love.

Cam