Nkhata Bay, Malawi –> Lilongwe, Malawi
Lilongwe, Malawi –> Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa –>Dubai
Dubai –> Budapest, Hungry
Budapest, Hungry –> Ukraine (three trains, one bus, and one taxi later…
Rivne, Ukraine {Longest travel day thus far}.
It never crossed my mind to think that when we entered into Eastern Europe that it would be very similar as to being in America, but that’s exactly what it was like… I wasn’t prepared for that.
We got to our ministry location and I cried. Literally… it had been a long time with little sleep and all the sudden we walked into an apartment with all of the amenities you could ask for. We had a washer, full kitchen, bedrooms, wifi, home cooked food, cabinets, no bugs of any sort, and a hot shower. I cried with excitement!
Ukraine rocked my level on several different levels (both positively and realistically)! Ukraine culture (at least where we were), had some very sweet, hospitable people that treated you like a best friend coming back after years of not seeing you! They also wanted to include us in everything and wanted to make sure we had everything we needed and then some! It was very nice.
I also had this uncomfortable feeling. This overarching uhhhh- what am I doing here? Not in the sense of: crap, there’s a mistake on my route, but a- I shouldn’t be in America yet, and here I am… enjoying life’s comforts… three months early… did I get on the right train??
For the first time since being over seas (which happen for me until I started the race), I experienced culture shock. Not in the sense of- grocery stores are loaded with options, or everything looks exactly like America, but in the sense of: there are more similarities than differences- mentally, physically, spirituality, etc. I’m not going to lie- last month was a HARD month for me, but God was still there. He is still walking me through the learning process and having me seek him out during this time.
Knowing this is month 9 of my race is a challenge. It’s awesome to know that God has done incredible things in and through me, and still has three months to go!!! At the same time, at this time, I’m not ready to go back yet.
I’m still trying to process what I’m learning, but I’m also trying to make the most out of what I have going on right now. God is good and continually shows himself to me whether I’m in the moment or not.
Thank you Lord!
Thank you for continuing to walk with me on this journey and for the continued prayers and support. Love you guys! Keep holding on with me and see what this month in Romania brings! 🙂
