I I just boarded a train from Moldova to Ukraine. Moldova, it’s a small country between Romania and the Ukraine. I did not see much of the country considering we stopped only at the train station. The peop
le certainly do not seem interested in tourists and even more so, are less friendly to the darker girl on crutches. They look, they stare and they point. I smile and laugh inside. My heart cries for them who do not realize there is equality and pure priceless love in the creator of all. I am in a carriage on the other end of the train with only 3 of my teammates. Fortunately, Kim, Becca and I are together in a cart. We have sleeper seats which mean they are beds for us to sleep in during the ride. We get comfortable and the train takes off. I am giddy and giggling because I am actually on a train! I have always wanted to ride a train! I get comfortable and lay on my bed, making sure my foot is elevated when a man comes in. He will be sharing our carriage for the next 17 hours. He sleeps above me. As the train makes several stops people load on and off the train. Pretty soon the entire train is packed. The people sitting diagonal from me are a group of men. I notice them playing cards and it immediately reminds me of western movies I’ve seen. At one point I really felt as though I was in an older episode of Little House on the Prairie! I soon fell asleep. I slept well into the night until I heard talking. 5:00 am. I woke to a tall man dressed with a large hat and gun on his hip. He was asking for our passports. I had mine clinched in my hand so I handed it to him and then he handed me an entry form to fill out. I sleepily filled out the paper and handed it back to him. He said something in a language I’m not quite sure of and was only able to understand the word “American”. He said something to another man who had come up and they laughed when they read where we (Kim, Becca, and I) were getting off. The second man asked, “Kiev?” Then he asked “Touriste?” We laughed with him too and said, “Yes” to both question. The two men laughed and said something else to one another and gave us our passports. I noticed the people in the carriages around me where quickly back in their sleeping positions. Soon snoring from all over the train began and I sighed and gently giggled at the surroundings I found myself in. I’m on a train, asleep with random people all around me; in a foreign land….only by the grace of God is this happening! I woke up around 8:30 am and stretched out on my sleeper bed. The train was making more stops. I began taking pictures of what I could see from outside. It was cool, but beautiful. I made my way to the restroom which was a metal squatty that emptied itself right on the tracks. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, laughed again at the thought of where I was at and walked out. I stood in front of the window that was open, and breathed in the fresh, crisp air. I took a few more pictures and then made my way back to my sleeper cart. We had breakfast; apple struddel and apple juice, and talked a little about our expectations and what God has been doing in us. I noticed our “neighbors” the men from the night before. They were having a very common breakfast….fish and beer. I find myself fascinated by the meal and realize I am really living a scene out of a movie. I lie back down and get some more sleep. We are told our stop is at about 1:30 p.m. I wake up at 12:30 pm and sit up. I began getting my belongs together and so does Kim. We get all of our bags out and where they will be easily accessible and we wait for the Kiev stop. I began to worry how we are going to get all our belongings off in time. I am still on crutches and cannot carry my own pack or backpack. We decide I will be the first off the train and the girls will get my stuff off. I make my way to the end of train and to the door; a beautiful older woman who is waiting to sell goods outside of the train takes my crutches and my hand and helps me climb down the stairs. She makes sure I do not step in the water and helps me find my position away from the train. I turn back to see where my teammates are and I see the men who were sitting diagonal from us. They are carrying my pack, my backpack, they are carrying our food bags and some of the other girls stuff. I smiled and said thank you several times. Thank you Lord, again you bless us with people who are willing to help us. They did not want to be paid, they just wanted to help us off the train and even were willing to help us find transport if we needed. When we were done, they boarded the train again, smiled, waved, and were soon gone. Here comes the rest of our team and squad mates. They pick up my gear and we head up out of the train station. We are suppose to be meeting a contact who will fill us in on what’s next.
The world race…this is my life, and I would not change it for anything!
le certainly do not seem interested in tourists and even more so, are less friendly to the darker girl on crutches. They look, they stare and they point. I smile and laugh inside. My heart cries for them who do not realize there is equality and pure priceless love in the creator of all. I am in a carriage on the other end of the train with only 3 of my teammates. Fortunately, Kim, Becca and I are together in a cart. We have sleeper seats which mean they are beds for us to sleep in during the ride. We get comfortable and the train takes off. I am giddy and giggling because I am actually on a train! I have always wanted to ride a train! I get comfortable and lay on my bed, making sure my foot is elevated when a man comes in. He will be sharing our carriage for the next 17 hours. He sleeps above me. As the train makes several stops people load on and off the train. Pretty soon the entire train is packed. The people sitting diagonal from me are a group of men. I notice them playing cards and it immediately reminds me of western movies I’ve seen. At one point I really felt as though I was in an older episode of Little House on the Prairie! I soon fell asleep. I slept well into the night until I heard talking. 5:00 am. I woke to a tall man dressed with a large hat and gun on his hip. He was asking for our passports. I had mine clinched in my hand so I handed it to him and then he handed me an entry form to fill out. I sleepily filled out the paper and handed it back to him. He said something in a language I’m not quite sure of and was only able to understand the word “American”. He said something to another man who had come up and they laughed when they read where we (Kim, Becca, and I) were getting off. The second man asked, “Kiev?” Then he asked “Touriste?” We laughed with him too and said, “Yes” to both question. The two men laughed and said something else to one another and gave us our passports. I noticed the people in the carriages around me where quickly back in their sleeping positions. Soon snoring from all over the train began and I sighed and gently giggled at the surroundings I found myself in. I’m on a train, asleep with random people all around me; in a foreign land….only by the grace of God is this happening! I woke up around 8:30 am and stretched out on my sleeper bed. The train was making more stops. I began taking pictures of what I could see from outside. It was cool, but beautiful. I made my way to the restroom which was a metal squatty that emptied itself right on the tracks. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, laughed again at the thought of where I was at and walked out. I stood in front of the window that was open, and breathed in the fresh, crisp air. I took a few more pictures and then made my way back to my sleeper cart. We had breakfast; apple struddel and apple juice, and talked a little about our expectations and what God has been doing in us. I noticed our “neighbors” the men from the night before. They were having a very common breakfast….fish and beer. I find myself fascinated by the meal and realize I am really living a scene out of a movie. I lie back down and get some more sleep. We are told our stop is at about 1:30 p.m. I wake up at 12:30 pm and sit up. I began getting my belongs together and so does Kim. We get all of our bags out and where they will be easily accessible and we wait for the Kiev stop. I began to worry how we are going to get all our belongings off in time. I am still on crutches and cannot carry my own pack or backpack. We decide I will be the first off the train and the girls will get my stuff off. I make my way to the end of train and to the door; a beautiful older woman who is waiting to sell goods outside of the train takes my crutches and my hand and helps me climb down the stairs. She makes sure I do not step in the water and helps me find my position away from the train. I turn back to see where my teammates are and I see the men who were sitting diagonal from us. They are carrying my pack, my backpack, they are carrying our food bags and some of the other girls stuff. I smiled and said thank you several times. Thank you Lord, again you bless us with people who are willing to help us. They did not want to be paid, they just wanted to help us off the train and even were willing to help us find transport if we needed. When we were done, they boarded the train again, smiled, waved, and were soon gone. Here comes the rest of our team and squad mates. They pick up my gear and we head up out of the train station. We are suppose to be meeting a contact who will fill us in on what’s next. The world race…this is my life, and I would not change it for anything!
