Okay. I am still on the race, but it doesn’t feel like it. Like at ALL.
Two weeks ago I was in the jungle of a mountain in Nepal. Two weeks ago I was sleeping on the ground in a tent. I used an outhouse squatty potty. We ate rice, dal and curry. One week ago that all changed.
One week ago we were getting on an airplane to head to our final continent of the World Race. Eastern Europe. I got off the plane, here in Romania… more shocked in being more cold here than in Nepal. Our squad dressed for Asia and not ready for this European culture. Well, when I say my squad… maybe it’s actually only me not ready.
It feels like the World Race has ended.
The world has changed drastically since being in the Dominican Republic to Nepal, and now Romania.
I don’t know what I was expecting for Eastern Europe, but I sure was not expecting to feel like it’s all over.
Romania. It’s honestly so beautiful here. Reminds me of Ontario during the winter to spring season. Seeing all the farm fields, and little patches of snow everywhere. It slowly melting away. The buildings seem historic. There are actual nicely paved roads. People aren’t driving cars on the left side of the road. Dogs actually look well kept here. And all the people look well put together. Beautiful!
It’s harder here… to be honest.
It was easier in the Caribbean, Africa, and even in Asia, to evangelize or speak about Jesus and have a receptive audience. And even though this is a place where God is known… people don’t see him or know him truly.
One of our first ministry days involved a group of us going to hand out free seed packets with little brochures about church. In the past 3 continents it would have been so easy to hand these out. People would even invite you into their homes and offer meals because that is their culture. But here in Romania… some people won’t even look you in the eyes if you try to approach them. We start to offer them to everyone we could. There were a lot of refusals. Like.. A LOT. But in one instance, one of my squad mates was waiting for this woman to walk by her. And as she did, my squad mate tried to offer it to her. But she completely refused and kept walking toward me. So I just smiled and held up my little seed package. She walks a few steps past and changes her mind! She looks at me and smiles. I hand her the packet, and she finally takes it from me.
It’s sad that this is what reminds me so much of our western culture. And I think that’s why I feel like I am not on the race anymore… I’m back in North America. Where people are too busy to look you in the eye. And where a lot of us miss everything that could give us true life.
And it’s crazy to me how hard we try to spread Christ, and only few will turn around and grab the package Jesus has to offer.
I don’t want to go back to North America feeling like the World Race is over. Because it’s not. Spreading the kingdom is a continual thing. It can’t just stop after the race. It’s a life time of racing after God. It’s a fight to the finish, until Jesus comes back.
