For three weeks the World Racers are splitting up to travel Europe and to follow God’s lead. I am traveling with a friend who is from Lancaster, PA where I am originally from. We decided that God wanted us to travel as many countries in Europe as possible. We felt God wanted us to pray and intercede in every country we traveled. God blessed me by bringing me Cathy to travel with because she has the gift of intercession. I know that God wants me to learn more about prayer and thanksgiving through her. I must admit, I do think we are a bit crazy going to 10 different countries in 21 days. We are constantly on the move!
So far we have prayed and interceded for Greece, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Germay. Our original plan was to also go to Poland and Czech Republic but while we were in Italy we felt God leading us instead to Amsterdam and Brussels. So, we are following God’s lead and going to these cities.
For the past 5 months the World Racers have been working with mostly underprivileged people. However, these 3 weeks in Europe traveling to the tourist areas, we are able to meet and speak with the privileged from many parts of the world. I have been able to share with numerous tourists the mercy and grace God has given me and how He has changed my life on this amazing World Missions Trip. Many occasions the tourists just sit down with us as we tell them how we are showing God’s love around the world. Their lives are being changed by hearing our experiences.
However, our train ride from Florence to Vienna was a quite a unique experience and not with a tourist. As we boarded our night train compartment there was a young man who didn’t speak English with 2 big scars on his face (they looked like from a knife.) Cathy went to the bathroom which caused me to be alone with him. He began trying to commutate with me that he didn’t have a passport and that he was going to sleep on the floor between me and Cathy under our recliners. I pulled out my Europe map and he showed me he was from Kosovo.
At first I thought, “Why does he want to sleep on the floor?” Then I put 2 and 2 together and realized he was either a criminal or fleeing his country due to the unsettledness. I didn’t know what to do… “God, do we hide him or turn him in?” Cathy and I prayed about it and put it in God’s hands. We felt that justice would be served because God was in control. When the lights in the train went out he crawled on the floor and used our blankets to hide himself. Randomly at the country boarders they come in to check your passport. If he would be caught they would send him back to his country. It reminded me of how the Cubans flee by boat to Miami. Cathy and I were able to spend a lot of time just praying for this young man.
Once in Austria he climbed off the floor and he made it safely to Vienna. I do wonder where he is now and how he is. Cathy told me she has a missionary friend that worked in Austria helping refugees. We only prayed that this young man would find someone who could speak his language and help him and show him God’s love.
Zurich, Switzerland Athens, Greece
Parthonon in Greece Florence, Italy
Adriatic Sea Vienna, Austria
