Yes, you read that right. Last week, my DAD CAME TO ROMANIA and as for the cow, I’ll get to that in a bit. My dad came along with other racer parents for a week called Parent Vision Trip – where parents get to catch a glimpse of life as a missionary on the race!
It was weird and incredible and confusing and wonderful all at the same time. He got to enter into my world I’ve been living in these last seven months. That no length of a FaceTime call could explain. He got to experience typical living conditions, food, ministry of evangelism/house visits/kids, and an adventure day in Bucharest. Throughout the week, God showed up in mighty ways, prayers were answered, and His purposes were made known. And the week renewed my desire to fight for what the Lord has in store for me these last four months left on the race.
BULGARIA
After our parents left, my team traveled to Dobromirka, Bulgaria, where about 500 people reside. It’s a beautiful village surrounded by vast green hills, dotted with pine trees, and red-roofed homes. Our ministry this month is at Mission Possible, a Christian conference center. We are preparing and working the conferences (aka cleaning / cooking / yard work) and teaching English to our host parents who are the absolute BEST. We are also doing other random things – yes, like milking cows and conversing with one of our neighbors and singing at a woman’s 100th birthday party. Just some classic, normal World Race things.
Overall though, my team and I feel extremely grateful for this month. One of my prayers before traveling to Bulgaria was for space. Space alone to be with the Father and time to simply be with Him. And this month has already been an answer to that prayer. Outside of ministry, the Lord has given me space to be renewed through morning runs in His creation and also renewed through time reading and studying and discussing scripture. I’m learning what John Piper says about Psalm 37:4 that “when we enjoy God, not just his gifts, but God himself, then the desires of our heart are shaped, are defined and created, in accord with our delight in him.”
