Oh Romania, how do I even describe you? To catch every one up I am now in month two of my 11 month WR adventure and looking forward to them all. Ukraine was eye opening to say the least it was a great introduction into what the race would be like, filled with adventure and opportunities to share faith and find new family. I had a couple of days in Kiev with the team leaders which was really my main break in point because I have never been outside side of Texas much let alone the U.S. So 2 days into Kiev we met up with our teams and went our different ways. Team Glow arrived in Odessa which was beautiful rough and very surreal. It was a tough first month but in my opinion after some good processing time with the Lord and my self, I feel strongly that Team Glow had grown in a lot of ways and for the better. Ummm so Fast forward to the end of that month, and we find ourselves to Romania. The train ride was ridiculously long from Kiev UA to Bucharest Rom but we made it. I don’t know what it was when I first arrived to Bucharest but I wasn’t fully able to relax. My stomach knotted up, my eyes wandered aimlessly, there was something inside of me saying watch you back homie. I couldn’t stop seeing the negative, I could see people plotting, signals being given, to me the smiles hid game, and I know the game and was not about to be played.
The show must go on, we collected our peeps and gathered on a wall where we felt we could be safe and secluded. The designated folks went to get the tickets for the train from the booth, mishaps happen, we cant get a ride till the next morning. Yup just what I need: I get to spend 12 hours thru the night in place I don’t want to be with people who look shady like a muggle. Oh lord how you set trials for the needy:) So we set up shop on the wall and break up into small teams to get some grub for the fun wait. I begin to feel a wee bit better so I grab my plate fork and spoon and begin percussion with Kim Hurt our Eukalayly (typo I know) Lady from team Shofar. Were passing time along makin some dinero having a grand time until “SHE” came our way. As if doing no wrong a young lady walks towards us stops at one of our bags and begins to start to open it, we jumped up yelling HEY cause there was no one relatively close to it (between 2 people with 3 feet between them) she stops and continues to walk. I thought it was over and she straight up trys to yank the change from the guitar case that was in front of me. I pull the case away as she reaches in and gets nothing. Ask for what you want but don’t try and take things that don’t belong to you. Dmoney has lost all cabin pressure. I go back into my mode cause I knew we had a long night ahead of us.
I don’t know what time it was but I know it was late/early maybe 3ish we get two strange folks that approach us, some of us were asleep others were chilling. “World Racers?” they ask, lol of all the places we meet up with L squad, awesome amazing peeps that shed some light on the whole situation. It was a great relief running into fellow racers but I still had my lil mode going on. So were chatting with them getting great Intel for the next contact, which coincidently they had just came from the contact we were about to visit. Three men approach one looked normal one looked scraggly and one was in a wheel chair with one leg. L squad initiates the chat with them and for the most part it goes good. They eventually split cause the intercom announces their train departure. The nice looking fellow decides to bounce and we are left with the other two vatos. It doesn’t take too long till we find out that neither of these two spoke English, the nice looking man that left was the talker, and then we find out that both of these guys are mute. Thru many hand signals and gestures they decide to show us card tricks. The kings and queens of both suits are taken from the deck and designated to us and shuffled. He lays them face down and asks us to choose from the small stacks. They all drew their designated card for the most part and he finishes up with a blind shuffle and dealing, which lands on the mark, it was pretty cool watching it happen he was full of life and genuine. He begins to leave and the man in the wheel chair stops his friend and grabs the deck from friend number 1’s pocket. He wanted to have his turn. He shuffles the deck and hands them to J5 (BritJackson) she picks her card, 3 of clubs and it gets shuffled back into the deck. I know this trick it has been done hundreds of times but I was just lost to it all because of what was happening, where it was happening and from who was doing it. He peers into her eyes and looks thru the deck. He places two cards face down and then turns the third one over to reveal the 3 of spades. We thank them and they are off. As they left into the distance I realized that my anxiety was gone, peace was in the heart of the two drunkards that just wanted to interact with us.
Time passes and its morning, lol how do you even begin to process. I get plenty of that time on the train ride that was designated at 9 hours. I am not one to shy away from sketchy people but when your leading 5 others a certain mode comes into play. We make it to Tg. Mares a village in the Transylvania region, on a food run I immediately see the Gypsy kids sitting in front of the train station (plotting). One immediately eyes me down, and then eyes my group. We get food and then head back into the station. Sitting in the station the kids start to trickle in and out the back past where we were posted. And the leader stops and looks directly at me. Her name is Dayta she speaks no English and looked like she was 14 going on 30. There was toughness in her eyes and bruises that declared a her a fighter and a survivor. Her leather jacket was worn normal except for her left arm that was curled up behind her inside the jacket as if ready to pull out a piece. She came up to me directly and points to my neck and smiles. With a glee on her face she lifts up her pant leg and shows me her rose tattoo on her ankle. We share tattoos and she shows me her left shoulder, she shows me the three names on her left arm of her friends that died, my heart prays for her and her friends. We attempt to talk some more but time runs out and she had to leave. Walking away she turns back around and holds her hand to shake mine. I don’t even think twice, she too is kin to the eternal King. And thru this child my views and anxiety are washed away, while keeping my guard up I have found a peace with the people. After processing I realized that she was just willing to talk, she felt safe and new that I felt somewhat safe with her. God has us here for a reason, he answers prayers and empowers us. Cue the Rocky them Music!!!
