feedback From ABOB Boot camp
“(This weekend’s experience) brought a sense of wholeness. Not Arrival, but wholeness. The picture of my Father taking the hill with me, dirty, bruised, yelling, powerful… the truth that my heavenly Father is not afraid of my messes, my mistakes, and my journey that is less than perfect! That is wholeness to embrace.” -Stan Torvik, BASIC Alumni, February 2018
“This weekend stripped off my layers of rational protection and made me come face to face with my heavenly Father. He spoke to me in a new way and helped me to understand that he has been rescuing and speaking to me all along. For the first time in my 40 year faith walk, I felt that He is the lover of my soul and that I am his beloved son. This weekend changed what I knew in my head to be true and changed it to what I knew in my heart to be true. — JOEL N., ABOB BASIC Attendee, October 2017
“I have grown so much closer to God in the last 4 days than I have in the previous 5 years since I was saved. This was my second boot camp… I suspect there are more in my future. This is a journey that will last the balance of my life and one I am happy to be on.” –Leroy
“I have long glimpsed the path shown this weekend. But I used averted vision, not wanting to look too closely. Because of fear… But now that path has been fully revealed. And I recognized that my lack of faith is a choice. God does not drop faith on our shoulders like a robe to be worn, shown and admired. It is a harness we choose to take up. It is an action we choose to take. And I can no longer refuse to act.”
-Anonymous“Oh where to begin and how to put into words. It is amazing how much I forgot, but now each time God reveals more and deeper things and everything takes root a little deeper.” -Sean
“(Boot Camp) was not what I expected and at this moment I cannot describe it. All I can say is that I know I won’t be the same. God is real and he is here for us in ways we can only feel and know by letting go of all and looking to him. I can go back home and am now able to deal with areas that Satan has had a foothold for so long… the battle will be there always, but to know through it all that in the end I will be free from it all.” –Rob
“I think (this has) given me the tools that I need to take this home and heal my heart with God’s love. Thank you for the work and helping me to realize what my (work) needs to be. Please pray for me as I work on my heart and become what God created me to be!” -Jim
“This experience has given me a perspective that I did not even know I was missing… I initially came to the band of brothers to validate myself and to score points with my wife. I did not know that I would get armed with the true raw story of freedom that God had for me.” -Anonymous
“Before ABOB I did not understand the things that stirred my heart and what it meant. Now I can see why I am affected by certain things in the world and what I am supposed to do about it.” –Anonymous
“I am amazed how God continues to come for me. Living out of identity is exciting and quite a surprise to be the complete opposite of what I believed. God is wild and draws us up into adventure just as He promises. I am beginning to see it clearly.”
-Scott“Praise you Father for this game changing weekend. I’m looking forward to our adventure Lord.” –M.
“My eyes were open to the glory of God. I didn’t realize I had misplaced him this whole time. It helped me reconnect and believe again in the power of Christ. The words of wisdom and the tools given are a necessary step towards being a whole-hearted man. I really needed this jumpstart to a new journey, a new adventure, not just in life but within my soul.” –Anonymous
“Although I had read the books and knew the words I had no expectations for the weekend. It would be another retreat to confess my sins to God, recommit myself to trying to live a good life and not to sin. I would meet a few men and leave on Sunday and go back to my life of silent struggle. THANK THE LORD I WAS WRONG! From the first meeting I had a sense that Boot Camp would be different.”
–Anonymous“This weekend has been one of the most significant in my whole life.” –Anonymous
“This has been an awesome experience. I have been telling my wife for years now that something was missing in my life – I just didn’t feel like a man. I really appreciate the honest & from the heart testimonies from (you men). It hit me like a brick that you are just like me & that I’m not alone in my struggles. I feel now like there is hope & that I know how to approach God to meet my needs.” –Anonymous
“Fantastic Retreat!” –Anonymous
“It has meant everything to me. Having gone through the book (Wild at Heart) several times, it did not have near the impact that these 3 ½ days have. I met God in a whole new way. I am ready and eager to take up the new role that He has given me – to engage in the battle.” –Anonymous
“Thank you again for all you did to facilitate such a life changing event.” –Anonymous
“I lost my life. I have always wanted life. God said ‘I come to give you life abundantly.’ I had resigned to awaiting death. Not in a mean grumbling way. Just quietly gave up. I was tired of a life with no meaning, no purpose. I had the things, the position & for the past 20 years have been called a “leader,” a man of God. I have, and do, love God with all that I am, but felt so beat up after 23+ years of service. I don’t mind battle scars. I don’t mind the challenges, but I had forgotten what I was fighting for. This week has brought back purpose! This has put me back in the story! I now have my eyes open to see that the story never ended when I gave up. It was just another part of the story!”
“As always when God is involved, words are insufficient to describe this experience…so much insight and revelations…so many answers.”
“Thanks be to God. I am empowered. I am free!!!”
“Thank you God! Thank you guys!”
“I know now that my journey started long ago. This weekend helped to show me that…”
“I arrived knowing I was in a bitter fight for my life and my soul. I was shown that I was blocking out God’s love for me. The enemy had blindfolded me, spun me in circles, and was preparing to push me off a cliff. Because of the love Christ bestowed and the ABOB, I was able to let Christ back into my life, and to fight back in the battle for my life. I leave equipped and ready…ready for a mission and for the rescue of the rest of my life. -Thank You!”
“This has been a time of breakthrough for me. The approach you guys take is refreshing. To have time alone with God with direction is great.”
“I feel like a man for the first time in my life. I have never felt the love from other men that has been revealed to me this weekend. The Lord has inserted some missing puzzle pieces that have given me understanding to the places that the enemy has had strongholds in my life…. God bless you guys for all the lives that you are changing through Jesus Christ.”
“It was only this weekend that the realization was shared that if I was made in the image of God and that if He has stirred peoples hearts to fight, then my desire to fight must also be placed in me by God. Furthermore, He wants me to fight; to fight for something bigger than myself. God is not only affirming my desires but He is affirming that I am from God and that he is in me. I may not have the muscles of a brawler, but I have the heart of a warrior, and all my life I have been looking for the right fight. Thanks.”
“I thought I was struggling and that I was addressing my problems walking into this boot camp. What ensued was beyond my expectations. I thought I was standing on two legs, but God took me out at the knees. Through the words spoken by these men, by these examples in real life and in movies, I was shown that what I thought was my manhood was not manhood at all. It was not the manhood that God created. Wounds exposed, agreements revealed, I will step from this place a new man in His image.”
“The evidence (of God here) is in the successes that have been recorded here. Lives changed. Men set free. Hope restored. Faith revealed & deepened. Friendships & brotherhood born from this crucible of God’s refining which will last & produce great fruit for the Kingdom.”
“This experience has given me direction and enlightenment to go forward on my path with God. The Band of Brothers are wonderful guides and mentors.”
“I can honestly say that (ABOB BASIC) was ‘TheBest’ retreat I have been on! I went to Boot Camp knowing there was so much more than I was experiencing and came away validated by the only One that could validate me from the beginning!!!!”
“It is a very liberating experience to have a new understanding of the Gospel…I believe I will never be the same.”
“It was an awesome weekend for me. You guys did awesome!”
“Wild at Heart’s message is one that has been impacting my life for many years. I have been part of studies on it and I have led studies on it. But spending an intensive weekend focused on this message has allowed God to speak to me in many ways that He has not done before. He has challenged me this weekend and brought many things to light that I was only vaguely aware of, and He started me on the road to healing and strength. Thank you for the work you did to put this together.”
“This weekend gave me many great questions and the knowledge that I have the power, through Him, to be the man I have always wanted to be. We are in a battle. I am the man in the arena and I will fight the good fight.”
“I used to say ‘God show me…_________.’ Now I am confident to hear his voice, and I say instead ‘God tell me…___________.’”
“My profuse and overwhelming thanks for such a marvelous weekend! I am still basking in the afterglow. I spoke to my son about setting time aside to make the next camp. I am hoping that you will have to go to a lottery to handle the demand. Or increase the number of camps.”
“I cannot express what my life has been like since. Everyone I come into contact with is hearing, seeing, and feeling the repercussions of the weekend! I AM A BLESSED MAN!! I Love you guys and look forward to our stories bleeding into one another’s again!!”
“This is not a retreat, it is a guided journey to reclaim the Gospel. It is a journey deftly led by fellow sojourners who are simply further down the road… Indescribable, challenging tough, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
“God spoke to me in depth and in ways that I have never experienced before. I realized literal pages of information about me that I had not taken time to realize on my own. My heart was revealed and exposed and I have welcomed God to repair what I did not know was broken. I have never spent such a concentrated period of time with the Father and have been convicted of all this is possible with Him. I am leaving inspired, awakened, and aware of all that is intended for me and all that is possible with God!”
“I do not feel the sadness in my life and heart any more.”
“You have made me a warrior which deep down I always knew. It was just re-affirmed w/ you, the Alamo Band of Brothers, and God. Thank you for a new life and a new beginning.”
“I am grateful and thankful for the opportunity. You guys have truly inspired me with the issues in men that you so boldly address and war against. I am proud to be apart of an event that inspires men to be righteous. I am proud to be part of a band of brothers that desire to combat fear and wounds of our past openly in the fashion that isn’t religious or psychological but is based on the gospel and Jesus! Keep on keeping on!”
“Thanks for not being ashamed! Thanks for being men of God. Thanks of standing up for righteousness. Thanks for caring and living out your calling!”
“I have found strength and conviction to get into this fight for a relationship with my heavenly Father and to reclaim my new heart. See you all on the beach.”
“Fight like a warrior for the Kingdom of God. Don’t be a slave to the enemy…he will kill you. God will set us free if we give Him our heart. There is no better feeling in the world than to know we are free and God loves us all. This weekend gave me clarity about the man I am and the man I want to be.”
“I have been longing for the knowledge of what was missing in my walk with Christ. I knew only that I did not feel I was fulfilling the true role He has for me on this earth. Throughout the weekend He spoke clearly to me and empowered me to move forward into the Real Story of this life. Men coming alive, awakening me for His glory. Thank you for guiding me through this gateway into the stadium. I can now say, “Hey coach, put me in.” Thank you.”
“The second time around was just, if not more, enlightening as the first time. It revealed more … than it did the first time. My conviction to carry this journey forward throughout my entire life is much greater. Your growth as a group has spoken to me this weekend. It is obvious that God is at work in you all…and in spite of you all.”
“A very worthwhile weekend spent with men gathered together for a greater purpose in their lives…There is much work to be done with hurdles sure to come, but I truly look forward to what the future will bring as I develop into the man God has made me to be.”
“This was a much needed time for me – with a friend who cared and men blessed by God to pass this message on to me. Now that I’ve started, I want to keep this process in my heart going. I realize now more than ever how important it is for me to stay in fellowship with this group of men who cared – threw me over their shoulder & brought me here. All of the time & effort & prayers you guys have put into this, has given me greater insight into my mission – focuses it sharply on my heart and my relationship with my Father – God. Thank you.”
“Before I came, God had been working in my life and turning some ideas and feelings in my life that He knew would prepare me for this weekend. You hear of this larger story, but I never really knew what exactly that looked like in a day-to-day life. This weekend, God opened my eyes to the larger story by stirring the desire and passions of my warrior heart which has not been seen because of the “serious I got it all together” pose (I was) convinced I needed to have. And as I am writing this, it is crazy, because God is showing me more about my story that I had been able to formulate yet. God has struck chords of passion and excitement that are outward signs of the inward freedom that God is in process of freeing me into this new life. This weekend has made me ask a lot of tough questions that I would never have asked because I didn’t see any problems. God has spoken to me in ways that before this weekend I would have written off as a form of my imagination. My eyes have been opened to the many lies and ways that the evil one works and uses to destroy us and make us try to go at this thing alone. I am so blessed to have been exposed and brought into this amazing community of men at such a young age. Through this weekend… I know God is preparing big things for me and a life of joy, purpose, passion, adventure, excellence, and life. Thank you Alamo Band of Brothers my fellow warriors!”
“This time has been indescribable in many ways. After having found the Lord over 20 years ago, I found myself lost in my salvation (so to speak). Where had my joy, heart, calling, and identity gone? I have been given many of the answers during this journey. Now, what to do with it? I have been re-planted in fresh soil it seems. My calling was re-clarified. Having come from a childhood with no father, God is calling me to introduce other youth to the real Heavenly Father. I also struggled with the issue of God giving me a new identity while the enemy whispered in my ear that you guys are just quacks. I asked God to show HIMSELF. While fishing, as I felt drawn to do most of the time here, I asked God again what my identity was. God told me.., “—————— ————”, as tears streamed down my face. I am still processing. Praise God for this time. I hope it is the beginning of a long story of victory and allowing God’s grace to set many free through good works ordained by God.”
“This was a great opportunity for me to bring tough questions to God. I didn’t necessarily get the “answers”, but it has given me a renewed passion to pursue him & fight the battle for my heart. I have been given a renewed desire to find my identity in Him and to seek the name He has given me I feel like I have a clearer vision of who God has called me to be as a man, father, son, husband, & friend, and I realized that I have not been fighting the battle that He has called me to. I had reached a point in my faith where I felt like I was faking it as a Christian man and that there was not much else to be discovered about the Christian faith – I was very loved by God & very complacent in pursuing him… & didn’t believe all of God’s promises. I am excited to begin discovering Him again & finding out what it looks like to be a true warrior for Christ. Thanks to all the men who made it happen.”
“This boot camp was such an eye opening and heart renewing event. I have had an awakening of my heart & soul to God in ways I could not have imagined and truly believe that this is a turning point and defining moment in my life. After years of complacency and passivity, I have been inspired to become a warrior for Christ. I look forward to the future as I know that God will continue to reveal my true identity in Him.”
“I thank God for blessing me to this Boot Camp which was very intense and allowed me to open my heart and allow God to tenderly forgive and put the sins in the past and focus on the future. God has helped my broken heart and set me free. God has helped me find my identity and purpose in life. I am ready for my adventure and I know God will watch over me. I believe I am a true warrior like our Lord Jesus and now have the courage and heart to fight. I thank God for blessing me where I am today and will be forever grateful to all the great men that had a role in this boot camp. I look forward to offering my strength to my wife and children in leading them to Christ and for them to be in the place that I am now.”
“Dear Jesus…thank you for setting me free in a way I have never been freed. Thank you for how you used these men of yours to hear your Good News in a way I’ve never heard before. Thank you for answering so many prayers I’ve been praying for a long time. Thank you for helping me see that even though I am a sinner and depraved, I am good because I am created in your image and because I believe in you. Thank you for giving methe courage to surrender completely to you for the first time. Thank you that you showed me that one reason you died on the cross is because you gave me your heart.
I love you, Jesus.
P.S. And thank you for providing a way for me to help other men whose hearts have been broken through my invitation to join me on this weekend.”
“I could not have asked for a more impactful and spiritually awakening event. From the moment I arrived to the moment I drove away, I was presented with opportunities to present my story, hear other’s stories, open my relationship with God, and witness an enormous amount of change in myself and others. As I leave the ranch, I feel renewed, reenergized, prepared and ready to battle.”
“In the history of my relationship with God, I have never felt so aware, so in tune with, and excited about my relationship with God as well as myself.”
“Thanks for a wonderful fulfilled weekend!! Words cannot explain the experience. I know I have much to do, but through God, all things are possible. It is refreshing to know God is still working through men like you…Alamo Band of Brothers!! Thanks to you all.”
“Freedom. It is through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are free. Free to follow Him in this life and into eternity. Thanks to the ABOB for living into your calling to boldly and courageously proclaim the way, the truth, and the life that is our inheritance from our Father.”
“This is “big stuff” and I appreciate the foundation, the “dock” to start this journey. It gives purpose and mission to help understand the why, the deep need, and the gift. Thank you.”
“I came looking for God’s answer to my question. He did not answer my question, but answered His question for me. God was present, God spoke, God is great, and God made me for His glory.”
“I have removed the bondage of lies and attack and put on the armor of the Lord. This time has allowed me to do that. Psalm 16:7-10”
“You have filled three or so pieces of my puzzle I could not find. My intellect has always loved and known God’s presence, but not until you helped reveal and heal my wounds that my true heart is revealed.”
“My professional training and experience has been structured around a conservative, well thought through planned approach to life. This weekend, I wrote down, “What passion has God put in me?”. He has shown me that even in my 50’s, He has a great adventure he wants me to be a part of.”
“Questions were posed, points were made in a light and perspective I have never experienced before. I feel challenged in a way that truly speaks to me. It feels like there is still a lot to figure out and revelations are yet to be revealed, but it’s a journey and an adventure I greatly look forward to.”
“After two boot camps, I found myself in Jesus Christ. My strength has been given through my true identity. My glory is found in speaking into other men and being told by them the things they are doing to advance the kingdom.”
“I spent the first 11 years after college working a lot, finding my wife, and starting a family. I tried to be a good Christian leader in my church and as a husband and father. But I realized this weekend, I was not taking care of me. This retreat has been so great because this weekend I have learned so much about my heart. But it doesn’t have to end here. Thank you for showing this all to me and re-opening my heart to these things that have been there all along.”
Consider Enrolling in our Next Men’s Boot Camp.