We were in Europe for June and July. We stayed with a wonderful family from Minnesota in Kekava, Latvia in June. We worked at a Women’s home for expecting mothers. It was a very health focused, educational, green month! In July we were Unsung Heroes, meaning that we did not have a host and instead were searching Estonia for future contacts to partner with Adventures In Missions. We stayed in Tallinn, Estonia in a very fun hostel, and had one of our Squad Leader along for the month. It was a very awake, silly, productive month! Below are some new perspectives I will take away from the experiences I had these two months:
- It is very easy to fall back into a distracted life.
- “Wifi is a civil right in Estonia”, is what a sign in our hostel said. It was the closest I have been to home not only by distance, but also by how much I was able to gain access to old distraction. Snapchat, Pintrest, Facebook; they all came back into my life and slowly stole my time. It was a HUGE wake-up call that I will have to be on-guard when I return home or I’ll get lost in all the technology!
- I love castles, cobblestone roads, and coffee.
- The cities in Europe are simply beautiful!! It felt like I was in a fairy tale whenever we walked around Old Town. Castles were all around us as we tripped over the cobblestone roads drinking coffee. Each new place opens your worldview to a different perspective. These two months taught me that I should not limit what could happen in my life. Pray boldly, expect nothing, and get blown away by God’s love!
- You miss home more when you are in communication.
- These past two month I was the most home sick I have ever experienced in my life. It didn’t help that Latvia reminded me a lot of Minnesota, and in Estonia the weather was beautiful and very “fall-like”. I tried reaching out to people and catching up in hopes to appease my longing, but it just made the loneliness worse. Lesson learned: even if you CAN communicate with everyone back home 24/7, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Don’t fight the process of letting go.
- The church can be small but MIGHTY.
- It doesn’t take a massive, mega church to help the surrounding community. Our month in Estonia we attended a small church held within a coffee shop. They were smaller in numbers than any of the other churches I have been to, but they were strong in their faith, worshipping boldly, and being in His presence. The showed me what community life in a church could look like. I am excited to go home and bring these ideas with!
- Take care of your body; you only get one.
- The Lord really convicted me of this the two months in Europe. I am not a super unhealthy person, especially after getting sober which drastically changed my diet, but it hasn’t been good enough. He has put me in situations where I have had more opportunities to eat healthier and workout, which made me feel better and be able to do more in ministry. This caused me to reflect on how I want to live my life. And I want to live it the best it can be!
- There is as much bondage in first world as in third world; it is manifested in different ways.
- Pride. Materialism. Depression. Independence. Lust. These are some of the bondages you see in places that hit closer to home than you might like to admit. America is as much of a mission field as anywhere else I have been. Their basic needs may be taken care of, but they still go hungry. America and Europe need love just as much as Africa and Asia; the tactics to freedom may just look differently.
- When God tells you to do something, DO IT!
- He told me to do a very tough thing; give away all my money, and essentially my “plan B” for post-race life. It was so hard, but so rewarding to release my closed fits around that money. I needed to learn to trust Him with the money going out of my account as much as I do with the money coming into it! I wrote a blog about this experience: http://andreachvatal.theworldrace.org/?filename=going-broke-for-the-lord
- God loves everyone. Like every single person.
- He doesn’t favor one over another. He loves the murderer as much as the saint. And it is this kind of love, unconditional, that we are called to do. We are asked to reflect His love for us to those around us. It is that simple.
- Don’t be afraid to let people in.
- In Estonia I hit a huge wall that was unbreakable. It was my fear of trusting people and letting them into my past hurts. These past hurts were causing blocks in my current relationships. I could only get to a certain point, and then no one else could get through. It was manifesting with those around me, but was leaking into every relationship, even with God. I had to forgive and let people in so I could also let Him into those places. Another previous blog about this experience: http://andreachvatal.theworldrace.org/?filename=when-you-give-your-team-a-chance
10. Be love and joy to all.
- Rejoice in all situations. Having a good day? Be glad! Having a bad day? Rejoice! Because the things of this world are not important. You have the love of God. He loved you, he loves you, and he will always love you. That is something to rejoice in through all situations. Bring that joy and love to all around you!
11. Community is so important!
- Never thought I would be saying that… I did not like community living for the first half of the race. It had it’s moments of fun and joy, but all in all it was draining being around all these broken people. And that is when I realized it. I was seeing their brokenness and not my own. I am just as broken, if not more. I was being hypocritical. I laid myself down and chose in to community living. Since that moment community living has rocked my world! It is honestly one of the best things that has happened in my life. Don’t fight it, embrace it!
I have a teammate still fundraising!! Please consider donating to her! She is at risk for being sent home! Sabrina Lyle: http://sabrinalyle.theworldrace.org/
