The last goodbye to my part of home happened only a few days ago. The hardest one. The one I have been thinking about for the past 10 months. I’ve been trying to process the idea of how it would happen, how I would let go and say a final goodbye for the next 11 months to my parents. It was rough. But so thankful for all of your prayers which definitely graced the moment of our last embraces.
If I could explain these past weeks, try and imagine yourself standing in a long line awaiting the biggest thrill roller coast of your life. You decide to wait for the front seat so as you reach the line to get on the waiting line just got a little longer but you know it will be worth every second. You’re anticipating the adventure but numb to the feeling of what will actually happen. The gates to let you on are slowly creeping open and you just want to jump the line already. A new level of patience graces the emotions once again. I know I will have a whole new definition of patience when I return.
Picture that feeling and that’s where I’ve been during these past few days. To fill everyone in, I left Rochester, Saturday for Atlanta, Georgia with my parents. I’ve spent the last 3 days in Atlanta’s airport hotel preparing mentally, physically and spiritually through multiple talks and scenario role-plays with World Race staff. It was kinda of like training camp over again but this time with a cozy hotel bed at the Holiday Inn, complementary hairdryers and hot showers that were shamelessly taken advantage of one last time.
As my squad and I approached our real launch date, our first country, along with our entire finalized route for the year was announced! I am super excited to let you all know I will be in Bitola, Macedonia for the next month serving alongside a couple and their church. We will be evangelizing on the streets to local muslims and supporting an on-going children’s street ministry group along with any needed church repairs and support we can offer for our ministry contact. This will be a first time a squad of 50 will have their teams spread out over a region of countries. My team as you read will be in Macedonia, but the other E squad teams will cover Bulgaria, Serbia and Kosovo during month one. We will regather as a whole squad for ministry in Albania come August.
As of this very moment, I write you from a one string bulbed lit hostel room bunking down with two squad leaders and my fellow 6 teammates. The hostel is run by a middle aged Bulgarian woman named, Sasha who rocks tied dyed leggings. We have a nice breeze blowing threw our windows from 3 stories up that is actually not humid. Down the cobblestone street I hear the voices of weekend partiers mixed in with the busy capital city noises. It has been a long sleepless 48 hour travel to this city starting out in Georgia to North Carolina, then flying up north to New York City where we had a 14 hour layover. Our overnight flight to Poland was a highlight with a little extra leg room for this tall girl along with a personal tv for movie enjoyment paired with Polish’s finest international flight food. 8 hours later an a passport stamped we had finally landed in Sofia, Bulgaria this afternoon around 6pm. Unfortunately we leave it so soon early tomorrow to catch a bus to our ministry site. But IT’S HERE! THE WORLD RACE HAS CROSSED THE STARTING LINE!
Please continue to pray for team unity. Akal Esh, my team of 7, has already become such an amazing close knitted family! We have been truly blessed with great community and already getting nicknamed, the “Awkward Family.” We have way to much fun posing for many great photo opportunities and our sarcastic humor rubs off each other to keep our minds focused presently on each other.
Prayer Requests:
Pray for health! Some of us are already feeling a little under the weather from no sleep on our first long stretch leg to Europe.
Pray for our Squadmate, Katie. She is struggling to receive her passport back after sending it out to get her India Visa. She, at the moment, is still waiting at the Embassy here in New York City on a layover. She needs her passport to leave with us at 10pm tonight.
Pray for our ministry contact! For protection, blessing, communication, unity, love and everything and anything you feel led to pray for.
Rebuke nerves, fear, control, sickness, disunity, feelings of inadequacy, frustration, getting lost and anything else that the Holy Spirit reminds you of.
Here is the rest of my route this year! I am so excited to continue this journey with all you readers, prayer warriors and financial supporters! Your comments, notes, emails, texts, voicemails are always so encouraging! Thank you!!
Macedonia – July
Albania – August
Moldova – September
Romania – October
India – November
Nepal – December
South Africa – January
Swaziland – February
Botswana – March
China – April
Mongolia – May
