I, with two of my teammates (Nicole and Savannah) and my two squad leaders (Crystal and Justin) started to climb up the tallest peak in the Balkans. We picked this hike because on the way up we would get to see a chain of seven lakes and at the end of the hike we would get a view of the breathtaking Rilas Mountains. Before making our spontaneous travel arrangements, in the midst of excitement, we didn’t check the weather (rookie mistake). After booking, we saw the forecast – rain, clouds, and cold weather. We stayed hopeful and started praying for clear skies and good hiking weather.
As we drove 2 hours into the mountains that morning, our driver told us that we’d likely be the only hikers on the trail that day because of the weather. The entire way up we loaded and reloaded the weather forecast, anxious to see if anything was changing. Nope, the weather forecast remained the same. We, hopeful as ever, continued to pray for clear skies, lifted clouds, and no rain. When we reached the trailhead, we excitedly jumped out of the van ready to hike. Brrrr it was cold and drizzly, but nothing was going to stop us from [hopefully] getting a good view of the beautiful Rilas Mountain chain!
After jumping out of the van, a man was standing there waiting to tell us that the chair lift that normally takes people up half of the mountain was closed today due to the weather and the lack of hikers. He told us it would take us 2 hours longer than we originally planned. Ohh… snap. Then he says something like, “I have a 4-Wheeled Jeep thing (??), do you want a ride up to the top of the lift?” Yes, we sure do!! We packed ourselves in, sitting on laps. Hindsight being 20/20, riding in the Jeep up the bumpy mountainside was one of the coolest experiences ever! In the moment, I can’t say I loved it… I was fairly certain I was going to breathe my last breath in that Jeep as we went toppling down the steep mountainside!
When we reached the base of the mountain, where the top of the chair lift was, we eagerly jumped out of the Jeep and starred in amazement as the skies completely opened up!! what perfect timing! What we didn’t know, as we started our ascent, was that the clouds were chasing us. On our way up, we were hiking above the clouds! When we, one-by-one, reached each of the Seven Rilas Lakes we stopped, in awe, to take (about 1,000) pictures. As we would start hiking up again, we looked behind us and the breathtaking view of the valley below that, just seconds ago, showed us beautiful views of the lakes, was now a valley entirely consumed by the clouds and lake was completely invisible in the clouds. This happened at each lake we stopped at…again and again.
Despite the clouds, the views kept getting better and better. We were practically running up the mountain in excitement to see the top! As we neared the top, we decided to make our own trail to get a better view of the mountains and lakes below. We climbed up the side of a mountain, pulling each other up when the mountainside got too steep. When we reached the top, we all stood starring at one of the most spectacular views I’ve ever seen. At the top, we all dispersed so we could have time to sit in awe with God.
What a precious moment it was to be sitting on the top of a mountain, in the middle of Bulgaria, praising my Creator for creating such a beautiful World for us to enjoy! How beautiful it is that He created the Rilas Mountains while thinking of me knowing that I would be sitting in awe of Him at that very moment.
After about an hour on the top of the mountain, it was time to go down so we could get back to the van in time. Within minutes of starting our descent down the mountain, the clouds totally eclipsed us. Enough so that we couldn’t see five feet in front of us. The breathtaking view was now completely invisible and the thickness of the clouds made it obvious that the views wouldn’t be visible for the rest of the day. In the midst of the chaos, we lost our squad leaders, so when we reached the bottom of the first steep mountain, we waited by the lake hoping that they would come out of the clouds. As we were waiting just feet away from the lake, three hikers from Western Europe showed up out of nowhere. They stopped to ask us where the final lake was… as we stood there, our feet nearly hitting the water’s edge.
Oh gosh, my heart hurt for them. How sad it was that they wouldn’t even get a tiny glimpse of the beautiful mountains. Writing this today, I’m still so sad for these poor girls. The timing of our hike and being able to take the Jeep the mountain made for absolutely perfect timing for us.
Weeks later, I’m still can’t stop thinking about this amazing hike. When I was journaling about the experience last week, it completely hit me – in those sweet moments, on the top of the mountain, God was trying to reveal something so, so important, and I was finally listening. This is what He said:
Claire, you’re letting your past circumstances cloud your view of me. In the midst of your cloudy circumstances, I’m still here! Even if you can’t see me, I’M STILL RIGHT HERE, and my timing is absolutely perfect. Trust me.
What circumstances am I allowing to cloud my view of God?
What circumstances am I not seeing past?
What circumstances am I not trusting God’s perfect timing for?
[more on this in a future blog.. because there’s a lot!]
The great thing about clouds, like our circumstances, is that they are temporary, and eventually, they lift. Despite the thickness and density of clouds, light still gets through!
As we stand, immersed in the clouds, God is still right there! He’s still present, despite what we see. He sees the whole picture, the whole timeline, while we only see a few feet in front of us.
May we never lose sight of the Light within the clouds.
Lots of Love!
Claire
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My squad’s time in Bulgaria is almost over. It’s been a month of refinement, growth, and beautiful memories (a few of my favorites below). On November 4th, my squad will begin traveling to Macedonia, our final location in Europe. Please pray for safe travels and smooth transitions as we begin a new month of ministry.
The Rilas Mountain Hike was of course one of my favorite experiences this month!
For my teammate, Liz’s, birthday, we went to the Black Sea in Varna (about 6 hours from us in Svishtov). My team and the Tovs (another team from my squad) worshipped on the beach while watching the sunrise! At the end of worship, Liz got baptized!! It was such of beautiful and joyous morning!!
Savannah, another one of my teammates, had a birthday this month too! We surprised her with a breakfast birthday party and a few of her favorite things!
We hosted English Club at the church we’re staying at every Thursday this month. For our final Thursday, we threw a Fall Festival Party for the kiddos. We also threw a [very Pintrest-esque] American Culture Night Party for the community in Svishtov. The night included line dancing, American games, and pigs in blanket!
My team and I also really enjoyed teaching English in the local elementary, junior high, and high schools, hosting a Kids Club in a nearby village where we played games, told Bible stories, and acted out a skit to David and Goliath, doing landscape work at a respite facility, hosting Bible studies in a nearby village, leading a women’s retreat, and visiting an orphanage for 16-18 year olds.
