What has been the biggest adjustment so far to living in Europe?
Coming from Africa the biggest adjustment was the cold weather, but as the months passed we eventually made it to a happy medium with spring weather.
The biggest adjustment compared to living in the USA has been grocery shopping. My team has cooked for ourselves all three months, and it’s always a challenge knowing if you are buying the right ingredients, since most of the time they labels were not in English. The grocery stores at home also have a lot more variety, so it was always an adventure trying to make our recipes from home with the selection from Europe. One of my teammates favorite foods is sweet potato casserole, and we couldn’t find sweet potatoes anywhere in Estonia and our friends there had no idea what we were talking about. Around the end of April we spotted a few at the store one day and were able to surprise the team and our Estonian friends with sweet potato casserole for Easter dinner.
Have you connected especially with any of the ministries?
I have! I really enjoyed running the café. It was amazing to see how relationships and trust could be built over two months. During our month in Latvia one of my favorite ministries we worked with was a crisis center for at risk children and families. The kids took a while to warm up to us, but once they did they wanted to be loved on and played with. I really enjoyed worshipping and dancing to silly songs with them.
Where do you attend church and what are the services like?
In Estonia we split our Sundays between a church that met in the café and a church that was about 30 minutes away. The services varied; sometimes one of us would preach other times the whole service would be in Estonian. In Latvia we went to a Lutheran church, which was all in Latvian. We were supposed to be lead a worship song, but it never came to fruition.
Have you had any worship type services with the ministry you are working with this month or just with your team?
Derek has helped lead worship for some of the ministries we visited. At the end of the month my team had a worship night for the people who live or work at St Gregors, where we stayed. We cooked them dinner, worshipped with them and washed their feet as we prayed for them. The team change blessed our team with the musical talent we had been lacking.
Are you homesick at all?
At moments I have been homesick. The worst is when I know my whole family is together doing something fun. I know there will be some rough days coming up as I miss out on some weddings I’d really like to be at.
What has been your FAVORITE FOOD so far on the race?
On Fat Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday in Estonia) we partook in the Estonian tradition and had these amazing pastries filled with cream and strawberry filling. They were delicious.
What is the craziest thing you have eaten on the race?
Since we have mostly been cooking for ourselves nothing has been too crazy… yet. I’m expecting there to be some interesting things in Asia. In Africa I would frequently buy rolls while I was on the bus through my window. It wasn’t a crazy food, but it was kind of a crazy way to receive it.
Which cousin do you miss the most?
This is a tough one! To be honest though, I probably miss all the 2nd generation cousins, who are so cute and are growing up so fast. I’m super excited to meet the two new cousins who will be around once I’m home.
What’s something you’ve learned about God’s character as you’ve reached out to love people you’ve met in the countries you’ve been in?
I have learned how the Lord is still actively creating. I’ve witnessed this a lot through the work in the hearts of people before we even arrive and the moments he creates when we do meet them. It’s awesome to know that the sunset that takes away your breath or the moment you meet a person who will be a friend for the rest of your life was painted and directed by God, the creator.
Have you had any pizza on your trip?
Oh yes! I’ve made it a tradition to make pizza my first meal in every country. I’m hoping to find some upon our arrival in Hong Kong!
Thank you for all the questions. Next month my squad will be off the Internet all month. As always your prayers will be cherished. Talk to you in July!
