Well – Month One in Serbia is over people… And it’s weird even typing that out right now because the days can be long but the weeks are short and that makes me realize how fast 11 months will go by…
Serbia has been such a sweet glimpse back to previous experiences for me – from working directly at a camp called Kamp Mrcajevci, that our fabulous host family, Karl and Julie, created, which has reminded me of all the camps I’ve worked at back in the States… to the people that I’ve met here in Serbia reminding me of the people I met on my first international mission trips in Moldova and Ukraine a couple years ago…The Lord has helped ease me into this whole 11 month deal pretty gently with all the familiarity – thanks for that Jesus.
We’ve washed dishes upon dishes, cleaned toilets and showers, mowed lawns, stained buildings, prayed with and for people, taken road trips up sketchy roads to the beautiful mountains of Serbia (we love your driving Karl)… And watched many sunsets go down with some of my favorite people I’ve ever met here.
Every part of me wishes I could type out every thing that I’ve learned and experienced and all that Jesus is teaching me… But honestly I think I’m still processing a ton of it –I think me and The Lord need some alone time so I can ask Him about it… I’ll let y’all know when I’m figured it out exactly…
But there is this simple truth that has been ringing in my head since the day I left America – it’s a phrase a previous World Racer friend of mine told me…
“Whatever you do – don’t wish away days on The Race… There’s going to be hard days… But I would do anything to go back to those hard days and relive them”.
Ahhhh so good… So much truth that is in my mind constantly. I think sometimes, from pictures and videos and what not – The World Race can look like this mission trip where we go to the nations to serve with epic adventure involved 24/7 – which don’t get me wrong – it is the craziest epic adventure with The Lord I have ever taken… But the reality is, is that there are hard days on The Race – just like there are hard days back home in “everyday life” – that doesn’t change just because you go halfway across the world. There are days were I still can get frustrated, tired, annoyed or want to sleep in past noon… And me and Jesus are constantly working on those day by day to dig deep through all that mess – but there are hard days on The Race people! And I just want to apologize that pictures don’t do enough justice about those hard days… But guys, even on the hard days… There is no other place that I know I’m supposed to be and desire to be than right here.
I am so incredibly thankful for each hard day that The Lord has placed on The Race and am already thankful for the hard days He will place before me in the months to come because those days are some of favorites – He grows me and exposes my weaknesses most on those hard days – asking me to draw near to Him, asking me to lean on Him, asking me to let Him be my joy because there is no other joy like Him. I remember I cannot do this without Him because doing this without Him means nothing. I’m not washing dishes and cleaning toilets because it’s the most fun thing in the world (it actually really can be pretty fun sometimes though) or getting stain and paint all over my body because I love scrubbing it off… I’m here on The Race for the hard days because of Jesus – He is completely and utterly worth every, single, hard day I experience in life.
I am not working for this world, I’m not working for people’s thank you’s and praises – I am working because Jesus has made it all worth it for me… Every waking day, the good, the hard and all in between is for Him and nothing more or less. Jesus literally died for me all those years ago saying, “Savannah – I am taking away every pain, tear, hurt, sin, struggle, heartbreak… And giving you absolute freedom and life in Me, I have loved you now and will love you forever” When I let that reminder sink into my heart… There is No One else I would rather work and live for than the One who has given me this life of which I am so undeserving of – so I give it all to Him. He makes every hard day worth it and I pray, pray, pray that I don’t wish away the moments that are hard on this journey with Him… This life is all Yours, Jesus.
Okay, hopefully y’all don’t think The Race is all hard days – the good days far out weigh the hard days and you really do get to see some of the most beautiful places and people around the world while serving and ministering and are constantly with amazing community… But gosh, The Lord is teaching me so much goodness on the hard days and everyday He fills me up with a peace of knowing in my heart that there is nothing else that I would rather be doing than being here on The Race – and what grace He gives to even allow me to be here loving His people all over this world.
So anyways… I said earlier that I couldn’t really tell you what I’ve been learning because I haven’t processed all of it… Well I guess that’s a half lie because I think as I was typing He was revealing some of it to me so I’m glad you got to hear…
Month 2 is coming… Prayers for the people I will meet and know!! Thank you to everyone for loving me so well and being the biggest support – prayers to be fully funded and that I continue to meet fundraising deadlines!! Love all of you!
