I mean figuratively, of course. Asia is rather large and it literally still exists, but for us … our 5 month … loooooong stretch (or so we thought) in Asia is done. We boarded a plane about a week ago, took a layover through Moscow, then landed in Kiev … where we then proceeded to take a 19 hour train ride to the far Eastern side of Ukraine to a little town called Latugina, about 45 minutes outside of Lugansk. We are 25 miles from the Russian border and though our contacts say it is coming on the Spring season here, I am still FREEZING!
It’s hard to believe that we have traveled to eight different countries and served with eight different contacts on two different continents. It’s crazy to think that this World Race business is real. We are really traveling all over the world to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are really finding ourselves, and coming to the end of ourselves as we fight to stay present for 3 more months … 5 months went so fast, but 3 months seems so long.
It’s hard. We have a new season of our life coming up this summer. A season where we won’t be support raising for The World Race or serving on The World Race or writing blogs about all the cool things we are doing on The World Race. We won’t be living in community and going through feedback every.single.day. Life won’t look like this after 3 months. In one breath I think, “thank God” but then in a second breath I gasp thinking, “Will I even know how to live in the real world without World Race culture?” … it’s funny to think, but reverse culture shock is going to be real. But even more than that … this last three months is going to be real. It’s going to be real hard and really gone … if I don’t fight to stay present.
So with eight months down and three months to go … It’s time to dig deeper, push harder, experience more, and really … I can do anything for three more months. It’s like Africa. all over again … okay, okay … maybe not the best comparison … It’s like Africa but I actually know more about who I am and how to live in this crazy culture. June 26th will be here soon enough, but right now it is time to put one foot in front of the other and take it one day at a time …
This month in Ukraine we are kind of preparing for returning home by doing many presentations at the local schools about our trip. We will also be helping with eye glasses clinics, English clubs, and meeting up with local youth groups and youth to just hang out and build relationships. As well as traveling to local towns to do the aforementioned activities … we have a 5 day trip and a 4 day trip planned already.
This month we live with an American contact and his wife, as well as their 5 kids ranging from 4 years old to 17 years old … they have 7 other children but they are back in the States. 12 kids, yeah. Anyways, we are blessed to have an amazing home to stay in with wi-fi, western toilets, and hot showers … plus the food is amazing … we have had tacos, pizza, and macaroni-and-cheese (the kraft kind) … all in the first few days. It’s like a little taste of home, and they have FOUR cats who I get to love on … it’s such a blessing to be in a comfortable environment this month. The past few months, actually. Sometimes people ask God to put them in the uncomfortable living situations, and seriously I commend the people who grow in those times, but after eight months I will gladly thank God for the blessings He provides.
We have decided that our team is the traveling team in this season of the Race because we are definitiely the team farthest from everyone and everything this month … and next month we will be on the far WESTERN side of Romania near Hungary… which means we will actually have to take a train into Budapest and then take another train back into Arad, Romania. We will be on a train … in motion … for roughly 48 hours to get from here to there, not including the times where we have to switch trains in Kiev and Budapest. Then we will be traveling into Moldova for our final month, which will definitely be much rougher living conditions since it is the poorest country in Eastern Europe.
So that’s just a little glimpse into where I have been, where I am at, and where I am going … I am excited to return to the States, though this year has been a beautiful, messy, challenging, amazing year … I am ready to close this chapter and begin the next. I would not trade this experience for anything, but I know that for everything there is a season and a purpose for everything under heaven. But I am so thankful that I have a little longer to finish this season well.
During Month 8 Debrief it was easy to feel that “this is the end,” because we were talking so much about re-entry, but then we were reminded … some people go on a three month mission trip and that is a long time to be on a mission trip. In the grand scheme of our eleven months it is nothing, but three months is nothing to scoff at … three months is still so much time to change and grow and see God move in these countries… We just have to be willing and present …
