This month we get to do something wild. The month of July for us will be spent asking the Lord every single day what He wants ministry to look like on a team basis, a partnership with Him in everything we do. What’s the difference between a month like this and normal life let alone normal life on the Race? Well, there is no difference except the fact that we are not partnered with any certain organization and we get to ask God what shots He wants to call.
Friends, here is where you will find my team this month. All of us pearls are smack dab in the middle of sweet little Kosovo, a country that once was a part of Serbia and now finds itself landlocked between Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, and Albania. The language they speak here is Ship (the Albanian language) and flying from darn near every home is a Kosovo flag, an Albanian flag AND those red white and blue American stripes: the American flag waves freely in the wind too. Kosovo people LOVE Americans because Bill Clinton was a huge part of their liberation and our troops intervened against Serbs to allow the people of Kosovo to be free for the FIRST TIME in 100 years-they became a country the 17th of February in 2008.
Not even a decade later my team and I spent several hours in a kitchen in our hotel at debrief praying where the Lord would send us, what we would do and how we would make the most of our 7th month. Seven being a biblical number we knew rest would be an emphasis as well as team unity, internal healing, and special memories to be made. Back to the kitchen. Seven of us as well as our squad leader Jacob sat waiting to hear from God. Secretly I wanted God to send us back to Albania to finish up the Kindergarten that Jan had poured her heart and soul into that still needed finishing but He had much better plans. Sylvia heard from God that Kosovo would potentially be our next stop with a BIG fat question mark next its name. Janet was praying for God to send us back to Albania and to give her peace if that was the case and ALSO heard the Lord say Kosovo shutting the door to go back to the Church of the Nazarene in Kombinat. What did it for all of us was when Jacob asked to look at a picture of a map. God usually didn’t show Him pictures in prayer but God showed Him simply the outline of a country. “I think it may be Serbia?” he questioned. But then with his eyes glued to the phone and Sylvia and Janet already having shared their results of prayer we hear him in his southern drawl say “Well that’s cool. Thanks God!” And low and behold what country shape did Jacob get….Kosovo.
So we ended up here.
This cozy little town of Bogë, Kosovo has become our home and already I find myself telling God to NOT let us leave so quickly. There are roaming fields with sheep, cattle, children, and ski lifts (for the winters.) So many people just mosey around doing their normal, everyday life and we get to be the presence of Jesus in their midst. I didn’t know I was truly missing rest until I saw the mountains. Didn’t realize that I wasn’t experiencing full peace or seeking restoration from the Lord until I got here and was reminded as to how FULL I always felt in Milwaukee. I felt like I was always overflowing with all of God’s GOODNESS in MKE because I had put an emphasis on rest in that season of life while on the Race it was go, go go.
The World Race is no easy thing to partake in. You cannot always have your cake and eat it too. Sometimes (especially on the field) you find yourself having that “cake” right in front of you only for someone to eat it merely in front of your face. Nothing seems to yours-your time, clothing, emotions, faith, service, etc.-there’s an emphasis to share EVERYTHING. Honestly, I wasn’t factoring rest into the equation and wasn’t suffering but WAS taking everything too seriously.
I have a nun friend and she is always telling me that I am too hard on myself. Well, maybe I am? Maybe when I do not exist in God’s perfect peace I tend to beat myself up once or twice too much or even on a daily basis. I don’t have to be better. I don’t have to try harder. I don’t even have to pray more. Peace stems from satisfaction. Being satisfied comes from nestling yourself in. Nestling into my life, nestling into the Lord’s promises, nestling into the many blessings I have at HOME, nestling into the gracious words spoken over me, nestling into the woman I AM. Peace streams out of my heart from the one true fact that I am enough.
So our month? All we are doing is RESTING and asking God for what the day holds.
(our abode on the first cloudy day we were here, all cuddled up inside on the 2nd rainy day I’ve had on the race, complete with fresh rain smells)
These next 25 days or so you WILL find me just gawking at the mountains Just enjoying nature and being in awe that God created it all. HOW THE HECK can someone tell me that a “big bang” created all of this intentionally crafted and magnificent scenery? I just sit atop the mountains and can barely think words because I don’t feel deserving of getting to stare and stare and stare and just thank God.
And then I saw the mountains and I was just that…thankful.
