Well, I think I finally have an answer to the question we all get over and over.
Which has been your favorite month?”
I struggled with this question because I’ve had many great months. Trying to pick a favorite went a little something like this: “I really loved ministry in Ecuador. But, Peru was just so beautiful and probably my favorite country we’ve been to. Indonesia was amazing, our host family there has been my favorite…but Vietnam was really cool too…” And on and on. I’ve loved something about every month, but not one stuck out as being the ‘favorite’ and I was okay with that.
Looking back, I see that I was just assuming months 9 and 10 of the Race were going to be the most difficult. We are so close to the end, yet three months is still a lot of time. So many questions are being raised about expectations and future plans. There is still so much I want/need to work through with the Lord. I HATE the idea of leaving my Y-squad peeps and ‘real life’ gets more and more real every day.
But here is the reality, month 9 of my World Race was by far my favorite. PTL!
Let me tell ya about it.
I got to do life with the newly formed Team Fresh, comprised of Madison, Leah, Monica, Kat, Chase, and Zac. I was pumped about being with this team, but also was not ignorant to the potential for conflict on a new team. I’d say I felt a little like I was bracing for impact as we boarded our train and final leg of travel to our new home of Uzhhorod, Ukraine.
The impact never came. This team thrived in the newness of their team, ministry, and country. They work incredibly well together and displayed what it looks like to live missionally. It was truly a joy to come home to our tiny apartment and see their faces and hear about their day. Team Fresh lived out their name and were used by God to not only bring new life to me, but to all they encountered.
Thank you for loving me so well!
While I loved the people I was with, and the country of Ukraine is insanely beautiful, I believe the real reason I favor month 9 was the ministry. Ministry is simply the word we give to the ‘work’ we do for/with our host. Ministry in Ukraine looked very different from any other month I’ve had, and it honestly looked the most like ‘real life’. In short, our ministry was to attend some classes at the university and help teach English. The hope was to build relationships with the students outside of the classroom through coffee dates and such. This was the bulk of ministry, and let me tell you, this team THRIVED in this setting! It was so sweet to see how deeply the team was bonding with the students. And while I made some of my own dear friends (shout out to Gabi and Daniella and Mary!!), this was not where I found my niche.
Our ministry host for the month was Clinton White, an original World Racer. On our first day in Uzhhorod, Clinton gave us some background on why he was there and the mission God had laid on his heart. Clinton was given a heart for the orphans of Ukraine. He visits them regularly and desires to see as many orphans placed in homes as possible. On day one, hearing the vision the Lord gave for this country, I felt something in my spirit leap. “This is a mission you can get behind.” Throughout the month we were given opportunities to join Clinton at the orphanages. Holy moly, my heart.
Here is a little background on me: I loved children. The Lord gave me a heart for children when I was still a child myself, and when asked what I wanted to be as a child, I would answer with “a mom”. (Until I realized that wasn’t the answer people were looking for and decided being a teacher would be cool too.) Being around children makes me come alive. I find joy and passion that I can only compare to that of purpose. Loving children brings out purpose in my life.
With that, there are few things that break my heart more than when I see a child not receiving the love the Father has for them. This month, I discovered that the Lord gave me the heart I have so that I may love his children. Specifically, that I may love the ones forgotten by the world.
Every chance I had to get to those kids, I took it. No matter how short the time I had with them, it meant something. I can’t say I know the love I will feel for my children, but I will say that there was more than one occasion where, in my heart, I said I would bring them home if I could. I would love them the way I know my mother loves me. I would do everything in my power to show them the love of our heavenly Father. Shoot, just writing it out makes my heart break and long for them.
I only visited the orphanage a handful of times, but the Lord can do A LOT with the time we chose to give him. In the four weeks I had in Ukraine and working with Clinton, the Father showed me so much about where I can continue working for the Kingdom. He narrowed the focus of my passions and allowed my heart to break for the orphans of Ukraine.
I hear the calling toward orphan ministry. I trust that the Lord with direct and provide for where and when I follow this calling. I trust that he will equip me to do his work and nothing more. One of the coolest feelings is when I know I’m following my Father, and I am honored and so excited to continue loving his children!
My heart is so full and I have no regrets about leaving Ukraine and month 9. I committed to this journey of 11 countries for 11 months and I intend to finish to the fullest. While I certainly left a piece of my heart in Ukraine, I so look forward to how we will end this crazy awesome thing we call the World Race.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
with love,
Lina
