In honor of the Parent Vision Trip (PVT) in Swaziland from Feb. 17th to the 22nd, I am relinquishing control of this blog post in favor of my mama’s own blog post about the PVT. So without further ado, here are her thoughts about PVT, a parent’s perspective on the course of events:
My Week as a Racer By Virginia J. Pillsbury
I had a glimpse of what it is like to be a world racer. Just a glimpse. But that was all I needed to have my heart swell with admiration and love for all world racers, how they live, how they serve and how they love like Jesus. I went on the E Squad PVT and spent time with my racer in Swaziland. That sentence alone is filled with so much giddy anticipation, excitement and emotion as I recall that very first glimpse of my sweet girl in seven months! That is a moment in time that is etched in my heart.
But my week also gave me several other glimpses; ones that gave great perspective on the world race journey:
• The stress of packing a backpack for ten days (yes, I note the irony of ten days as opposed to 11 months!).
• Meeting and travelling with other parents who immediately became loved family.
• Sharing, sharing, sharing – phone chargers, hand sanitizer, laughs, love, binoculars, snacks and Jesus.
• Being thankful for food, water, shelter, transportation.
• Falling in love with a beautiful country, knowing that your days and actions there are numbered.
• Falling in love with beautiful pre-schoolers, having your heartbroken over their possible sad future life and then being reminded by God Himself, that your job is to pour love into them in this moment.
• Visiting a hospital – such a totally different thing than a US medical center – and being able to talk and pray with very grateful and hurting patients.
• Having free time with my racer – to go and have a skirt made by a native Swaziland seamstress, to savor the local flavors and to talk, talk, talk and laugh and hug.
• Being reminded again, that this World Race kingdom journey has grown me as well as my daughter.
• Feeling the call to return home and pour into the community where the Lord has placed me.
Such lovely and beautiful memories I come home with. Friends made, love shared, hearts grown and stretched. But perhaps, the best of the best, was that first glimpse that I had of my lovely Leslie. The look of peace, contentment and joy confirmed again and again that she is exactly where her Father wants her to be. Saying good bye after a brief few days was oh-so-hard, but oh-so-necessary. We both have things that we need to do. See you in June sweet racer!
