Ask and you shall receive!
What is a typical day like?
What a loaded question. Each day is different in Bulgaria. Most of the time we don’t know what the next day will consist of until 8 hours before we have to wake up for it. We’re often told we’re doing something, only to find out it’s not at all what we’re actually doing. On average, we leave our house anywhere from 7:30-9:00 (depending on what we’re doing), walk a 15 minute walk to the bus stop, ride a public bus for 45 minutes, get on the metro anywhere from 15 minutes-30 minutes, then walk to our ministry site. Our ministry this month has been a concoction of different things: teaching English in an art school, picking up shrubs and dead trees out of a families yard, painting/cleaning local churches, and digging trenches. We travel back home, sometimes grabbing dinner on the way, and when by the time we walk through the front door, it’s time for team time/feedback. Then, it’s lights out! In Albania, we were on a stricter schedule. Breakfast started at 7:15 sharp, followed by a Bible study on Proverbs until 8:30. Then, we broke off into our teams to help with the camp, which usually lasted until 9:00-9:30pm. Days were long, but we always knew what we were doing.
What is the hardest part about learning to live in community?
Being real. It’s hard to just let down the walls and express how you really feel. There are so many factors that play into “just being real”. If you show your frustration and anger, there’s a chance you could get constructive feedback because of it. There’s a chance that people will start to view you differently. There’s a chance that you aren’t being Christ-like, and someone will call you out. But it’s also beautiful. Being real is something that my team and I have been working on vigorously. Being real with people allows them to see you, to see the real you. It allows them to call you out when you’re not being Christ-like, because that’s what we’re called to do. It allows them to love you for you. It starts a bond, a wholesome unity that’s rooted on the rock of Christ.
In the midst of a busy lifestyle, how do you find time to keep your mind clear and heart open?
Some days are better than others. There are days when I feel like I could scream, and other days couldn’t go any better. My team has been wonderful for keeping me in check. We’ve seen a bunch of things that really rattle the mind. A random night on the bus, we saw a mother drag (literally) her son on the bus, then continue to hit him and jerk him around. A few nights after that, while walking to the metro, a group saw a man hit his girlfriend/wife. Eventually, it becomes an issue of how much you trust God and what He’s doing. There are times when I see stuff, like the billboard of a naked woman in the shower or the mother hitting her son, when I literally just have to close my eyes and trust that He has a purpose for it all.
What's been your favorite and/or least favorite part of the WR so far?
Favorite: Living in constant community. It has challenged me so much more than I ever thought it could, and it’s only month two. I love people. I love waking up to a room of 15 other girls, or 3 other girls. I love knowing that people are always there when I need them.
Least Favorite: The feeling of homesickness, or the feeling that I’m being forgotten/replaced. It comes and it goes. I know that relationships with people take work, and I’m okay with that. I’m willing to work to keep them.
Are people receptive of the gospel so far, or does it seem like a distant concept?
Thus far, people have been receptive. We’re also in Europe working with churches, so it’s definitely not a distant concept. It’s hard for most people to wrap their heads around the fact that we’re so young and willing to serve Jesus the way that we are.
If you could sum up your experience thus far on the WR in one word, what would it be and why?
Unexpected. We’ve been so blessed in these two months. I envisioned sleeping my tent every month, taking bucket showers, and washing our clothes in the nearest river. I realize that it won’t always be this good, but we’ve all been so grateful that
How do you make time for your alone time with God when people constantly surround you?
It’s definitely difficult. It was much easier in Albania to spend time with God because we had the entire campground to get away. There were also breaks where we wouldn’t be with the children for a couple of hours. I probably opened my Bible and actually dug into the Word 3-4 times a day in Albania. Sadly, it’s not the same in Bulgaria, and it’s my fault. The universal signal of “I don’t want to be bothered” is putting headphones in, and that’s been my go-to several times. It’s also fun to verbally process with your teammates with what God has been doing in your life. As a side note: please be praying the God sets the hunger and thirst for His Word like I had in Albania.
How do you cope with the language barrier when you are trying to share the good news of Jesus?
We struggled with this far more in Albania than we have in Bulgaria. Everyone (mostly) has spoken relatively good English in Bulgaria, and if someone didn’t, there’s always someone around to translate. In Albania, it was a different story. Once in a blue moon would you find a child that spoke broken English. It basically comes down to the universal language: love. Even if we can’t speak the same language, we just had to love the children. Sometimes that looked like helping them draw during craft time, or playing goofy games with them on the bounce house.
What's something you miss that you didn't think you would?
Normalcy. I knew that I would be giving up a lot, but I thought that eventually The World Race would become ‘normal’. Granted, I’m in month two, so I still have quite a while. However, nothing feels normal. Everything is always different: the time I wake up in the morning, what we’re doing for the day, what time we eat, when we have team-time, when we take showers, to when we go to sleep. Don’t get me wrong; I love it. I just miss how normal it was to drive to my friend’s house, or to buy groceries without converting currency to figure out if it was a good deal.
What's traveling like?
Traveling has been interesting. Our first travel day took 50 hours to complete: two plane rides and a 28-hour bus ride. Our second travel day only took 12.5 hours, and we traveled through the night. I ALWAYS have HUGE ankles by the time we walk on ministry soil, and that is beyond frustrating. You also have to start to dehydrate yourself a few hours before because nobody wants to stop ever 3 hours so you can to go to the bathroom, which doesn’t help the kankle situation.
What's it like carrying your "closest" everywhere?
Stressful at times. I’m sick of my clothes already. Putting the same t-shirt that I’ve worn 98374 times already is frustrating. It’s such a relief to be able to wear a teammates shirt, even if it is a plain, grey v-neck form Target. I wish I had packed more clothes, but it literally wasn’t an option. I had no extra room or weight. Also, your pack really does get heavier the more you walk with it. That's no joke.
How are you doing spiritually, mentally and physically?
I am doing SO well! I wish I was reading more and spending more time with God, but I can still feel His presence. We’ve had several talks with our ministry contact about spiritual gifts, so that’s always fun. My team and I have had several discussions about theological views and doctrine, which always makes for a good time. Mentally, I’m great! Or at least I think I’m great. Ha! Culture shock has definitely influenced several things, but you just suck it up and go on with it. Physically, I’m also great! I was sick for one day, but it quickly passed. Praise the Lord. We have to hike up a huge mountain everyday to get back to our house, so I’m definitely getting exercise. I feel like I’ve lost weight (hallelujah), but haven’t seen a scale in 7 weeks. I’m experiencing homesickness, but with a support system like I have, who wouldn’t?
What is your favorite thing about being a missionary?
Searching for Jesus. There are times when you feel like you have no purpose. You literally have to SEARCH for Jesus in everything you do. Sometimes it’s as little as a smile on the bus to the woman sitting across from you, or holding the door open for the man walking with a cane inside the grocery store. We aren’t always going to be able to say “Hey. Jesus loves you”, and expect people to drop to their knees to receive salvation. (Oh, if only it were that easy.) While searching for Him, you ultimately draw closer to Him.
How has it been with the food so far being from different culture?
Albania was the hardest out of the two months. There was lots of mystery meat, and rice. A loaf of bread was served at EVERY meal, and sometimes, that’s all you recognized. Bulgaria has been awesome. We are able to go the grocery store and pick out our own food. Granted, we don’t know what the packages say, but thank God for pictures! My team and I have actually planned meals (REAL meals) the last couple of weeks.
Why are there so few pictures of you doing ministry on Facebook?
Most of the time, we don’t have our phones (camera) out while we’re doing ministry. In Albania, I didn’t want to have mine out because the children always wanted to play with it, and there’s a fear of losing it. It’s easy to get out the phone to take pictures when we’re off, because we’re on our own time. During ministry, we’re on someone else’s schedule, so it’s just polite to not have it attached to the hip all the time.
What's the most unusual thing you've seen?
Uhhhhh… people and things. Even in America, woman aren’t the most modest things ever, but it’s a whole different level here. Women don’t care how much skin they show. It seems like a contest sometimes. And billboards. Wow! We pass one everyday on the way home of a woman showering. I think it’s an advertisement for shampoo, maybe body wash. So. Much. Skin.
What has been the most rewarding thing thus far?
Seeing gratitude from the people we’re serving. We served a family for one day by helping clean up their front yard. They had recently bought a house that was not taken care of very well, so there was work to be done. The family had been trimming shrubs and trees, so they need people to pick up the fallen brush to feed it into the woodchopper. It wasn’t hard work, and it didn’t take very long. It actually may be one of my favorite days of ministries. Before we started serving, the family had cooked us lunch. Even though we were there to serve, they still insisted on serving us. After we were finished, the father of the family started crying because he was so thankful. He said that there had never been a group of people to help his family out before. Seeing his expressions and hearing his words of thankfulness made everything worth it.
Are race routes really subject to change?
Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Of course they are. The first three months of my race have changed. My original route was Ireland (July), Romania (August), and Ukraine (September). Now it’s Albania (July), Bulgaria (August), Romania (September).
What’s been the hardest part so far?
Missing people/events from home. It’s hard to hear that your grandmother fell the other day and know that there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. It’s hard to see pictures on Facebook of your friend’s wedding, or your best friend’s baby dedication at church knowing that you weren’t there for support. It’s hard, but you just have to buck up and go on. When you follow Jesus, you make sacrifices.
If you could give a piece of advice to a future racer, what would it be?
Be R&R: raw and real. Be real with your team. Let them in. Tell them how you’re feeling, even if the way you’re feelings suck. Be real in feedback. If something is bothering you, be straight up with them. The sooner you can break down the walls the enemy has put up, the sooner you can build relationships that stand on the rock of Christ. Love them, even when it’s hard. When they’re annoying you, look at them the way Jesus looks at them.
