As my squad and I are now wrapping up our first month of The World Race, I began thinking of all the regrets I had for my time in Albania. I didn’t love people deeply enough, I didn’t talk about Jesus enough, I didn’t have a good attitude the entire time, I didn’t get to know enough people, and the list goes on and on and on. Now, I have decided to make a conscious decision to live like I will have no regrets.
One thing God has taught me in the midst of being disappointed in myself, is that I will never be able to have a perfect month, or day for that matter. I will never be able to say I have done everything I wanted to with my time on the Race. Ministry is full of ups and downs and days when I just couldn’t perform the way I planned in the beginning of the day. I am sinful! That is not going to change. My ability to do things perfectly will forever be a dream. That includes during ministry. So instead of nitpicking all the little things I’ve done wrong and choosing to focus on the bad, I am going to focus on the ways my team and I have impacted Albania!
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Anna Carter – This month, Anna’s heart worked double time. I have seen her heart break over the death of baby goats, piggies, and birds and have seen her completely give herself over to the love she felt for a little boy she met at camp, Glerdis. Seeing those two together would bring a smile to anyone’s face. They picked on each other one minute and the next would be holding hands. She became the older sister he would never have.
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Anna Norman – One wonderful thing I learned about Anna is that she doesn’t need to talk to anyone for them to feel comfortable around her. Kids were drawn to her because she looks like a princess, but stayed because she radiates joy. No matter what we were doing, little girls were begging her to play with them and she always went with the biggest smile on her face. She lived life with these kids and showed them just how much she valued getting to be with them.
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Corinne – I have thanked God for Corinne more times that I can count…already! She served all day everyday, no matter who it was or whether she was exhausted already. She anticipated the needs everyone had during camp and made everything run so much smoother, whether it was helping out with dishes, serving the extra food to kids, helping to clean, keeping kids entertained, or just being a listening ear when someone needed to talk. Camp would have been hectic and not near as fun without her there.
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Emma – Emma, our team leader, was able to form a beautiful friendship with a girl named Keti, who came to camp week 2! Seeing Emma choose to spend her free time with Keti and talk about how much she loved her so quickly really gave me perspective on how Jesus works. He forms relationships with us to prove how much He truly loves us. That is just what Emma did. She showed one Albanian girl the craziness that is the love of Jesus.
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McKenzie – If you were in a bind, McKenzie was the one that picked up the slack. She loved us when we didn’t even know we needed it and kept our team functioning as a whole, all while dealing with her own personal struggles. She is a woman that truly puts others before herself and often sacrificed her own happiness for the happiness of others.
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Whitney – Many people would overlook the way Whitney decided to serve our entire team. She chose to work behind the scenes, often not gaining anything for herself, so that our team (and Team Galene) could work comfortably and happily. She gave up her own comfort so others could have a taste of it instead. Everyone was able to see the selflessness she demonstrates daily and choose to act more like Whitney, and ultimately, Jesus.
This month, I got to see Ecclesiastes 4:9 (“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up”) lived out. My teammates possess strengths that are my weaknesses. I got to comfortably and trustingly share my heart with them. I got to see God’s Kingdom impacted in incredible ways because they are obeying God in leaving the comforts of their homes, jobs, and families. When I look at all the things I failed in, I am able to see how my teammates picked up the slack and excelled where I did not and vice versa. So every failure ultimately becomes a victory when you have the teammates I do. Instead of being upset with myself, I get to set new goals for the next month and trust that God is growing me as I get to witness true community with the most beautiful daughters of God. He truly is made strong in our weakness.
Month 1 has been better than I ever hoped! I am so sad to sad goodbye to all the new friends I made, but am so excited to meet all the people God has lined up for me in Romania. We will be spending four days debriefing with our entire squad, mentors, coaches, and leaders in Bucharest. Then, we will meet our new ministry host in Draganesti, who will then take several of us to Thessaloniki, Greece to help with a ministry being run there for a week. Finally, we will begin our ministry in Draganesti.
I am still in need of $11,000 by October 1. If you (or someone you know) can help in any way every little bit helps. Continue to pray for safety, unity, and openness for ourselves and the people we are going to meet in Romania and Greece this month.
