Omega Training Week 1 Update
The Omega interns arrived in person for the first time on Monday, May 27th, at Kristen’s house. As they arrived, many saw Anthony and Luis playing soccer and a whiteboard in front of her house reading “Welcome to Omegastan.” Soon after, three ladies wearing international clothing exited the garage and spoke in funny accents, welcoming us to Omegastan and saying, “Our plane will be landing soon.” This was our first taste of training with Kristen; we experienced customs, TSA, money exchange, theft, and working as a team in the space of one house, which had been transformed into an international airport. After Corrin’s opening devotional, we closed the night in prayer in anticipation of the weeks of training to come.
The next day, we learned more about Chad, Colonial Heights’ Lead Pastor, and Jerry, the Family Discipleship Pastor, and their walks with Christ. They taught us more about The Timothy Project and Omega, our goals, and the purpose of our task this summer. We gained a deeper understanding of Omega and the origin of its name from Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” This verse stresses the importance of our task in joining God at work around the world.
On Wednesday, we met with Josh, who serves with Radical, which is an organization that equips Christians to be on mission. He spoke about the unfinished task of reaching the unreached people groups (UPGs) in the red zones where people do not know about Jesus. After recognizing the challenges people face daily to spread the gospel, we grew in appreciating the freedom we have to worship Jesus. Then, we joined the church staff in a cross-cultural activity called Barnga, which uses a simple card game to teach lessons about miscommunication, adaptability, and contextualization. For the record, Rena and her partner won!
The highlight of Thursday was an activity officially called The Silent Carwash, which we dubbed Wet and Sweat! This involved a very intense competition to see which team of four could wash the most cars without talking (yet still communicating) for 90 minutes. Although the Green Team, comprised of Abi, Anthony, Lydia, and Rena, won, all of us were delighted to serve the church staff with a free car wash and build our abilities to effectively work together as a team.
That day, we also shared a meal with Sam, the collegiate ministry director from the Mississippi Baptist Union, where he charged us to focus on unity, teamwork, and accountability. As an example of teamwork, half of the Omega interns received a covert invitation to a secret house church later that night. They were responsible for informing their housemate of this special gathering and following the instructions to prevent the Omegastan police from disrupting a unique night of worship in the dark with only a flashlight.
This week, although tiring, has gone by so quickly, with many lessons learned, fellowship with church staff, and team bonding. We have been blessed as a team in many ways and appreciate how God has provided us with amazing people to train us. Here are a few of the interns’ favorite parts or lessons of the week:
Abi: “I really enjoyed getting to know the team in person and the many activities that we’ve shared. It was cool to see how God has brought each one of us together for a purpose.”
Lauren: “I’ve enjoyed all of the talks we’ve had with the church staff and the people willing to have lunch with us. We’ve had the pleasure of hearing the powerful testimonies and fellowship. The teachings we’ve learned have made me more engaged and thoughtful.”
Luis: “The activities that have made me reflect on missionary work, evangelism, and loving my brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Gibson: “Getting to know all of the team and developing deep connections with each of them. I learned so much from Josh and Sam and enjoyed sharing a meal with them as they told us about their work to serve God.”
Thank you for praying and supporting us,
Team Omega
