This month has been one giant lesson in humility. Living in Orange County, my humanity is something that is rarely thought about. I just go about my life, choosing my food, choosing my company, generally maintaining a semi-comfortable temperature. It’s not something I process or see, it’s just something I do. From that comfortable place, the idea of doing something for someone else seems like a nice one. A noble one. A great one. However, when mosquito-bitten from forehead to big toe, convinced I’m living in earth’s sweaty armpit, in a body that hasn’t absorbed anything that’s not the color white for three weeks, and with arms clutching desperately to the walls, sweaty-lipped and squatting over a hole, that idea suddenly becomes a little harder to swallow.
The porcelain throne/ shower for the month.
The word “serve” in the dictionary is described as “to furnish or supply with something or a service that is needed or desired”. This month, our entire squad is serving at a camp in Lezhe, Albania. The facility provides a place for people (from peace corps workers in flip-flops to Baptist churches with ultra-full-coverage-bathing-suits) from all over the Balkans to come and hold summer camps. Wealthy kids, kids in poverty, and everyone in-between all come through and remember their time here. Our job has been to help the camps run smoothly and to maintain and improve the facilities. My specific job is “Head Gardener and Groundskeeper”, although “Only Gardener and Groundskeeper” would be a more appropriate title.
Anyway, this month has been a challenging one. While I have loved having all 48 of us in one place, accommodations can be a little tight. 16 per room with no A/C, temperatures in the high 90s with a million percent humidity, squatty-potties IN the shower, and a steady diet of carbs on carbs on carbs describe this little slice of paradise. This, though, was all to be expected. What was not to be expected was the host. Some love the host this month. He does great things for the world and for the kingdom. I’m still not a fan. I won’t go into details since it wouldn’t be fair to only present my perspective, but let’s just say that the personal beef I had was so major that it probably could have provided enough protein to nourish the entire squad for the month.
The neighbor had a few of his own beefs as well.
So there I was, beef and all, after 7 hours of an 8 hour day of weeding the entire property, soaked in sweat and ready to call it a day and shower. I headed to the host to say that the work is complete and wait for a high-five and maybe a thanks. Instead, a watch was checked and I was chided for wanting to get out early. My next task was then given: go into the hosts personal garden and weed all around the house. It was then that I was presented with two choices (well actually several, but I’m not including all of the violent ones): I could take personal offense and personal issue and forget who I’m representing while going off on the guy, then storming away with my middle finger up, or I could go do what I came to do and “serve”. To be honest, it was a bit of both. I did weed all around the house, but I vented out my frustrations to all of the plants around me. As I was complaining profusely to a very understanding shrub, a thought popped into my head. “It’s not true service unless it’s a sacrifice”.
As I pondered sacrifice for a minute and became frustrated at sacrificing blood, sweat, tears and a month away from home and those I love to weed a shrub for a guy who I’d like to never see again, another thought popped into my head. “You’re not doing it for the shrub, you’re doing it for the Garden. And you’re not doing it for the guy, you’re doing it for the God who made both the garden and the guy.”
A sample of my garden skills.
The rest of the hour went by a little easier. It took a little perspective and a little sacrifice to choose to serve in that moment (and, honestly, every subsequent moment since). But it helps to look at the bigger picture. To look at the good that comes from this facility and from keeping it nice. To look at the positive impact that this unpleasant man has on the world and to have respect for it. It’s a humbling place to be. Almost as humbling as using the squatty potty.
This month has flown by- I can’t believe it’s already over halfway complete! Albania is a beautiful country full of beautiful people and we have had a bit of time to explore it as well as work our faces off. Please continue to pray for our squad and for unity within our teams for the upcoming months. We leave for Moldova on July 30! I will do my best to give one more update before then!
Thank you so much for your love and support! Please keep me updated on your lives, too!
Love,
