This is a narrative of the first day of our ATL month, our final month on the Race. We started in Riga, Latvia, knew we were supposed to go to Vilnius, Lithuania but had no idea exactly where we were going, where we would stay or who we would work with, we just knew to go. These are some of my thoughts during my crazy travel day of faith, enjoy!
“It’s 7:30, I should get up. Nope, the girls are using the bathroom to get ready for work anyway, I’ll just stay here in bed for a bit more and talk to Jesus.”
“This is my third bed in three nights, I wonder how many more I will have this month.”
“The girls just left for work, I should really get into the shower. Ok, an hour and ten minutes, I can do this. Priorities: Shower, coffee, straighten hair, eat, pack. Sounds about right. Who knows when I will have a nice bathroom with a blowdryer, a straightener and a full size mirror to myself again, right?”
“I wonder when I will have another hot shower? I wonder where I will sleep tonight?! Eh, I’m not that worried about it, strangely. Man, I have changed a lot on the Race. If this was month 2, I would be freaking out!”
“Ok, it’s 9:40, I’m out of the shower and my hair is straight, time for coffee and food, then make up my bed, pack up my stuff and book it to the bus station.”
“10:10, perfect! I can make it the bus station AND get minutes for my phone along the way.”
“Man, I’m so glad God gave me long legs. I don’t think many people could keep up with this pace. Especially with my big pack, a backpack in front, a purse on my arm and a coat over my backpack. No wonder people still take pictures of us.”
“I look like a hobo. But a kinda cute hobo. Skinnies, straightened hair and fire engine red, knock off Converse. If I am going to be homeless, at least I will be cute and homeless!”
“Why am I narrating my day? Oh yeah, I’m going to write a blog on the bus.”
“Man, I’m good. Hour and a half from bed to bus station. Month 11 squad leader ya’ll!”
“You know you’re in Europe when the only way you know you crossed a border, is you get a text message saying “Welcome to Lithuania!”
“Where are we?? The highway and woods looks a lot like Pennsylvania.”
“I just wrote 2 blogs on a bus. Guess I’m not in Africa anymore.”
“Alright, here we go… Vilnius!”
“Ok, we are off the bus…Now what??”
“Oh fantastic, rain.”
“I miss Asian rain. It’s just so warm and nice to walk in.”
“Ok, let’s go to a mall and get some wifi! Yes, wifi, warmth and food, good idea.”
“Sooooo, ALL the hostels are booked??”
“All you can find us in the city is three beds, for eight people????”
“Time to call the one phone number I have for this city. A friend of a friend. Do I know who I am calling? A name, or anything? Nope. Ok great, just checking.”
“Oh they gave me a number for a Korean pastor or something. I hope he speaks English. Oh, only a little? Ehh, that’s ok.”
“He wants us to send him an email? Check! I’m great at emails.”
“Ok Jesus, any second now I know you are going to show up and find us a place to stay tonight… any second now.”
“We could get on a bus to Poland! It leaves at 10:30pm, at least we would be warm for the night!”
“3.5 hours in CiliPica and counting. This waitress must hate us.”
“6pm… uh huh. Any second, Jesus. Any second.”
“PRAISE HIM! Korean pastor in Lithuania came through, let’s go sleep on a church floor ya’ll!
“Ugg this is a beautiful walk, even if it is raining a bit. Reminds me of home, with the pine trees and all.
“House number 22, ok we can do this. We just passed number 4!”
“Dang, is that a Jeep Liberty? Where the heck am I?”
“Oh please let that be the house, the one with smoke coming from the chimney. Please be 22, please be 22, please be 22.”
“22!! Wahoo!”
“Oh. My. Gosh. A fire in a wood burning stove! A bathroom, a little kitchen area, a floor! No rain, no cold, no bus to Poland. Bless Jesus!”
“These have to be the sweetest people ever. ‘Um hello, we are 8 missionaries from America, can we sleep on your church floor tonight?’ ‘Why yes, yes you can.’”
“Movie by the fire, great end to this day!”
“Ok Jesus, this has been one fantastic day of provision and blessing. Thanks for today, for every piece of it. Thank you for Pastor Steven and Maria. For their faithful work as your servants. For opening their house/church up to us. Please bless them and use us in Lithuania. Love you, Jesus!”
