Trusting Papa-God and knowing His nature have been keys for survival and growth in my life.
He told me back on June 2nd that this month would be challenging….
He said many things would try and come against me to hurt me and wear me out.
That’s no surprise. There are dark forces in this world that hate me.
Papa said that I knew how to handle what was coming, that I’d walk out with some wounds, but to stick close to Him because HOW I walked it all out mattered.
Admittedly, I don’t understand everything He tells me…
But I know He never lies, He keeps his promises, and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Here’s a window into my month:
June 5th – Our squad arrived at the Kazakhstan border only to discover that Canadians needed a visa to enter the country. The laws had changed since I had done my own research pre-Race in December, and AIM was busy launching upcoming Racers so they missed this logistical detail.
And so – Steph, Nicole, and I watched our American counterparts pass through security while the border guard said we “have BIG problem” in a thick Russian-type accent…I almost burst out laughing.
“So this is where the challenging month begins, eh, Papa?” I thought.
Back to the Chinese border we went, praying we wouldn’t get deported, even though we only had a single entry visa and had technically already left the country.
The border guards there wore a similar expression to the Kazakh ones as we laid out our situation. Had we been in a less remote area and near an airport – we’d have been sent back to Canada.
After forty minutes of wondering if the Chinese guards would return our passports – our exit stamps were cancelled and the moving forward began. Back to Urumqi on a night bus we went.
June 7th: Urumqi Kazakhstan Consulate – application chaos. The blog posts you find online about this consulate aren’t lying. The office is a mess. The front door is blocked off by a giant cage. There are no line ups – just people trying to elbow their way in when the gates are opened by one of the two security guards. Hardly anyone speaks English. Offices hours (apparently) don’t matter.
After two hours, we finally made it into the building with the help of locals and translation apps. The only semi-English speaking employee was really helpful, which was such a Godsend. He took us out of the consulate to another office to get our paper application filled out and passport copies made, and then sent us off running to pay for our visas at a bank four blocks away before the consulate closed for lunch in twenty minutes. With the help of random strangers and bank staff, we made it back just in time. We clarified the visa dates, doubled checked that it’d all be ready in one week’s time, and headed back to the hostel.
Success…or so we thought.
June 12th: Urumqi Kazakh Consulate – Pick Up Day!
Nope. I had thought it was strange that the Consulate insisted we could pick up on a Sunday. Some sweet Chinese ladies tried to help us, but pretty much everything was lost in translation.
June 13th: Urumqi Kazakh Consulate – Pick Up Day 2!!
Nope. After waiting a half hour to be let in the Consulate, they said, “Come back tomorrow. The electricity is out.”
We could see our passports sitting in a pile behind the glass.
Back to hostel. Cancel the train tickets to Kashgar. Re-checked in to hostel.
June 14th: Urumqi Kazakh Consulate – Pick Up Day 3!!! – Our taxi driver was so friendly and worked really hard to communicate with us. We even took a selfie together. Haha.
At the consulate, the guards saw us coming and waved us in after a shorter period of time. Two white girls stand out like penguins in a crowd of antelope there.
The visas were ready…YAY! We high-fived the security guards – who motioned for us to go celebrate with a drink.
Unfortunately, in the cab on the way back to the hostel we discovered the wrong validity dates were on the visa.
Cancel our 2nd set of train tickets to Kashgar. Re-book our hostel.
Continue researching the (complicated) border crossing into Krygyzstan.
It was all beginning to feel like a far off dream.
June 15th: Urumqi Kazakh Consulate – Our security guard friends saw us coming. We’d brought a translated letter to explain our problem, which got us through the fence faster. The semi-English-speaking guy read our letter and said the visa cannot be changed and to come back next month.
What!?
The security guards told us to go get a drink, but we decided to get on a train and try our luck in Krygyzstan.
Nineteen hours later we were in Kashgar (still China) – exhausted.
A fight between the taxi drivers breaks out because we decided not to go with one of the more aggressive men, instead choosing a calmer man. He drives out of the parking lot, goes two minutes down the road, and flags over another taxi-driver at a stop-light to ask him how to get to the hostel address I gave him. He hands my iPad out the window, the traffic-light changes, and the other taxi drives off.
Momentary panic. Haha.
But we all pull over, they get it figured out, and the iPad comes back. Taxi driver drops us off, but…
Can’t find the hostel. We meet an Australian couple who gets their hired-guide to help us out. We find the hostel and meet another Aussie and an Indonesian who gives us more info about the Krygyz border crossing. Things are coming together.
June 17th: Good-bye China/ Hello Krygyzstan in five taxis.
Taxi 1- Kashgar to China customs security gate.
Taxi 2 – We met a travel agent with a driver at the gate who spoke perfect English who agrees to help get through China customs to Krygyzstan border. Without him we’d have been stuck at the gate.
Taxi 3 – Krygyzstan border customs and onward to Osh. This taxi driver ripped us off, but he was a great driver. The drive was gorgeous.
Taxi 4 – Osh to Bishkek. We loved this driver. He was on his way to take his firefighting exam after he dropped us off.
Taxi 5 – Transferred to a local taxi, but had trouble finding the house so he picked up an English-speaking friend.
We arrived at the house later than we expected – sick from food we’d eaten in Osh, exhausted, all-around feeling worn.
June 22nd: Bishkek Kazakh Consulate – We were too sick when we first arrived on Monday, so Wednesday was our first attempt at this consulate…which we soon discovered is not an office day. We had even called twice before we went!!!
Our taxi driver was overy friendly (potentially high). He grabbed my arm to look at my tattoo…I didn’t feel I needed to be creeped out by him, but still didn’t appreciate him much. He also kept pulling over to translate questions on his phone to talk to us…which may have been a “travelling mercy” since he seemed especially “happy” for 10 o’clock in the morning.
I fell asleep that night in tired-tears – asking God to send someone who knew where everything was because I needed help and was feeling like I was mentally/emotionally/physically frayed.
June 23rd: Bishkek Kazakh Consulate – application success! We met an Afgani-Canadian who was also working on getting his visa. Him and his Russian friend agreed to share their taxi with us, taking us to all the places we needed to go for our applications. He shares stories about his former life as a drug and arms dealer, and what he did to get his life together. He paid for the cab and our photocopies, translating for us when we needed help. He was the answer to my prayers. Haha.
June 27th: Bishkek Kazakh Consulate – Nicole’s passport was ready. Mine was not. No explanation. I almost broke down right in front of the Consulate, but went for a trail-run later to blow off the steam.
June 28th: Bishkek Kazakh Consulate – My passport was ready!!
This month my character, patience, energy, identity, wisdom, understanding of God and myself…all of it has been tested.
Even in the midst of all these visa things – my headlamp crumbled apart, my walking shoes cracked open, and my wrist-watch snapped. Plus, I had an unexpected and hurtful conversation with a person I respected, discovering just how low their opinion of me is.
Evenso, I still found great enjoyment in engaging with the many things Papa put in my path along the way. I had a ton of fun researching hostels, transit, and border crossings. The mountainous landscape I got the pleasure of seeing, the space and time I had for writing and listening to Papa, and the powerful and encouraging conversations I had with family and friends – all of this is counted as a gift amidst the daily struggle.
Yes, this has been a hard month. Much of it felt like running through knee-deep mud.
Yes, I am tired. But I have worked hard to cling to all Papa has taught me so far.
Also, I am not sure it is truly all over – the testing, that is.
But I know He finishes what He starts, and I hope that when all of this testing or refining is said and done – He will be pleased.
