Greetings from Europe!! I safely made it to Bulgaria this morning!
This blog is going to be split into 2 parts: The first part will explain the changes going on to my World Race journey, and the second will highlight my travel over the last couple days…let’s just say it was legendary.
First let’s get to some of these changes. A few weeks ago I was praying about the changes I knew were going to be coming up. A change in continents, countries, cultures and languages. Changes that I knew were coming but were going to push me and challenge me.
I was beginning to feel a little comfortable on my trip, comfortable with hearing Spanish and the Central American culture. I was ready to feel uncomfortable in a country and not understand anything I hear around me. To feel vulnerable and not dependent on myself.
So I was ready for these changes. Ready and excited! Then there were some additional changes thrown my way.
I was asked to step down as a ‘Team Leader’ after serving in that role for the first 3 months. Then team changes came and I found myself placed on a team that doesn’t have a single person from my original team. A completely new group of 7 to live with every day.
Changes that weren’t expected, that were sudden…but ultimately will bring about so much growth.
Although it may be hard to believe from an outside perspective, the World Race isn’t much more challenging than normal life. Yes the living conditions and daily situations may be a bit extreme, but I still face many of the same trials and choices I do back home. Choices that we all must make on a daily basis.
Just like any stage of life, there are changes that will come your way when you backpack around the world for 11 month to spread the love of Jesus. We can never control all the changes that come our way, but we can always control our reaction to them.
All of the changes that have been thrown my way this week are opportunities and blessings. Chances for me to grow and mature, challenge some of my weaknesses and improve upon my strengths. I believe it’s part of human nature to fear change a little bit…to fear the unknown…but the easiest way to embrace fears are with arms wide open and a bold smile on our face.
Now the travel from El Salvador to Bulgaria could be devoted to an entire blog itself, but for the sake of space I will condense it for your viewing pleasure.
Most of you know I’ve done a lot of international travel before, buses in Africa & India, traveled through monsoons in the Philippines and ships across seas…but this travel experience was one for the books. We had a last minute change in our April country, switching from Albania to Bulgaria, but the flights were already booked to Albania…which contributed to the length of our travel.
Here is the abbreviated experience:
– Left El Salvador hostel at 2 AM to head to airport.
– Flight to Houston. Flight to Washington DC
– Flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Flight to Albania.
– Sleep in airport at Albania overnight.
– Bus through Macedonia (drop off 1 team).
– Final destination of Sofia, Bulgaria.
The total travel time was 76 hours from leaving our hostel to arriving at our ministry in Bulgaria. Not a single hour was spent sleeping in a bed or taking a shower. 18 hours were spent in flight. 16 hours were spent on a buses. 11 hours were spent outside and free to find food. The other 31 were spent waiting at airports, borders or bus stations.
76 hours of travel that I never want to repeat in my life. But my biggest take away from the experience was actually how enjoyable traveling with my C-squad family was. This was the perfect situation to get frustrated with others, snap at minor things that go wrong, really show an ugly side. And my C-squad brothers and sisters didn’t do that. Instead they showed their true heart and love for each other…so I added a picture below that perfectly sums up our travel experience.
Love and miss you guys back home! I’ll have a Bulgaria update coming up soon!
