Here we are month four in Romania, Draganesti-Olt to be exact. We’re about an hour north of Bulgaria, so really we could walk to our next destination.. but wait, our route changed. That’s right. Next month Team Depths of Freedom is going to MOLDOVA, the land of Russian linguists and freezing weather, or so I hear.
An interesting fact: Romania was supposed to be our first month on the Race, followed by countries during Summer. Now, here we are in October, also known as not a hot month. So, through creativity and God’s blessing of numerous second hand stores, we have been able to create a Fall wardrobe out of a Summer’s clothe selection! The good news about being here this month though is that we all were able to experience the beautiful season of Fall, with the lovely leaves changing colors and all!
As said, we are in Draganesti-Olt, a quaint little town with one main road and your local Penny Market only a 20 minute walk away. All around there are these HUGE mansions that are, very surprisingly, owned by gypsy families. Decorative roofs, marble staircases, and coated shiny metal has their own category of design and it’s called Gypsy.
And I don’t know what it is, maybe something in the water, but EVERY TIME I walk down the streets people stare at me, like they are staring into my soul. It may be the dreads that attracts them, I just don’t know. Some have literally stopped in their tracks to watch me. This has happened more than once, I kid you not.
Children are another subject all together. First reaction when they see me: run and grab my hair. I don’t know if everyone is aware, but dreads are still attached to the head!
This month I have helped out with a lot of children programs, hints to why my hair has been pulled a lot. The other day I realized something that I had genuinely changed in since being on the Race.
There was a lovely lady from Canada who had come here for a few days to serve and she had all these plans for the kid’s program we were putting on. She had games, stories, songs, etc, and she had it planned out to a Tee. She had so many expectations – expectations that the story would be translated correctly, that the games would go as planned, and most of all that the children would be so enthralled in all of her activities that they would not move a muscle.
I saw her frustration building as her expectations were not being met. Some things were being lost in translation, the kids didn’t understand the rules of the games, and children were definitely getting up and being distracted – they’re kids, what do you expect.
I just sat back and realized that SO MANY of my hidden expectations about the Race had not been met and that already, at month four, I had realized that setting expectations is silly. The entire route of my Race was changed at launch, people haven’t shown up for scheduled meetings, conversations haven’t gone as planned, I have even liked people I thought I would never enjoy to be around! My expectations have been shot.
And really, why do we make expectations? Even for big things, like graduating school or moving to a certain city? What room do we leave for God to make changes? Then, if He makes the changes anyway, we just become angry that it didn’t work out the way that WE had planned.
WE ARE SETTING GOD UP FOR FAILURE! Not cool.
And you know what, I even caused some distraction at the kid’s program. That’s right – I was rebelling against her expectation! Take that scheduled program!
So think about it. Do you have expectations about anything?
No? Well I thought so as well.
Let’s think again.
Do you have expectations for today? For your alarm to go off? For your car to start? For you to have money in your wallet? For there to be heat in your work place?
All of these expectations seem harmless, but are they keeping you from hearing your Father and following what He is telling you?
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SUPPORT UPDATE::: There is still $2,260 remaining until I am fully funded! I have until the end of December to be fully funded — and that's only two months away! Please, help me meet my financial goal!
