After 13 hours on a plane and 18 on a bus, my team and I finally arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam.
But before I talk about what’s in store this month, here is a look back at our incredible month in Sofia, Bulgaria! (Please note that the many of the ministries we worked with did not allow pictures or videos, so you won’t be able to see some the things we did!)
This past month was full of the most unexpected blessings. From our ministry host and the work we were doing to my growth with God and seeing him move, Bulgaria filled the pages of my journal that was supposed to last me till month six.
We partnered with Smile Bulgaria, who does most of its work with orphans, but also got to serve through English classes and relationships that stemmed from those classes.
The month was difficult. Difficult because God was answering prayers.
I prayed for growth. Prayed for humility. Prayed for meekness. As I sought these things, I realized that my perception of humility and meekness did not God’s. My view of humility was a nasty poly-blend of what the world deems as humbleness and what God does, even though they are vastly different.
So I asked God to reteach and retrain me. To click the refresh button in my mind and fill me with his truth.
After that prayer, he told me to look to the Word and read through Proverbs. So as I read through a chapter a day, I dwelled in what he was teaching – let his heart really sink in.
He taught me about humility, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, prudence, generosity and so much more. But like a good teacher, he made me leave the classroom each day and put these things into practice.
Many times I “succeeded” in reflecting his heart, but more times than not, I would fail.
So as I strove to grow in humility, what I found was grace. Grace from the Lord. Grace from teammates. Grace for myself.
This was a month of putting the good and the very, very ugly parts of myself in full display. Letting the light shine on all of it, just as Jesus calls us to live in the light.
And where I was fearful of rejection by those seeing the raw and vulnerable parts of me, I found their love and forgiveness. Their love, like the Lord’s, was not contingent on my actions.
Simply put, this month was raw. And you know what, I’ve never felt more free in my life.
