I can now say, "Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt!", but it would be such a shame if that is all I was looking to get out of it, because our experience this last weekend was so much more than that! There is such purpose to what
CRI is doing to prepare the church to 'go out into all the world', and Disaster First Aid preparedness, though thorough and very beneficial, is just a portion of what
CRI does, and it just scratches the surface of what they are all about. Our instructor Tracey White, who works at Freedom River Outreach in Tacoma, WA is a retired EMT who also trains for
YWAM Kona, with credentials as long as your arm. He poured into us and gave us 'hands-on' training that was so valuable. In fact, he made it clear that, although condensed, what we received was more than even some Fire and Rescue teams get over a much longer space of time and training. The course itself dealt with the whole person, spirit, soul and body; starting with the emphasis on praying and the 'hand of God' as key elements.
I anticipated that our weekend as a whole was going to be spiritually rich as well, and I was not disappointed! The ministry that went forth through worship, prayer and the laying on of hands was deep to say the least. There was such a feeling of camaraderie through the team of people that make up
CRI, as well as with the classmates that came from several states and even France to participate. I was personally ministered to, and was equipped with more tools to go out and serve others. I can say without a doubt that I will pursue further training with
CRI and future deployments to work along side this blessed and growing ministry. God is bringing the church together and raising up His army to be strong and ready in the days to come!
