I arrived to Lezhë, Albania last Tuesday and I was filled with anticipation to see what my second month of the World Race was going to be like. To my surprise, I found out we would be working on a farm!
I am 22 years old, I’ve never seen a pig in real life, and here I was in Albania scooping pig’s poop. God continues to push me outside of my comfort zone, so I’d be lying if I told you I never ran away from the pig pens terrified. On the first day of work on the farm, I was having a hard time feeling as if I was actually doing ministry and serving God, but seeing how passionate my ministry host was about his organization made it clear to me. LightForce International Camp is a Christain organization that puts on a kids camp and that is all self sustaining, the farm pays for the camp to continue running, they don’t need to ask the government or donors for money. By the second day I was more willing to get up in the morning to go hangout with the goats and the pigs, because I knew by doing that I was having an impact on the kids that would later be attending LightForce International Camp. Feeding goats, scooping pig poop, sorting hay and accidentally getting “mud” (or better known as poop) all over my legs is exactly what ministry looked like for me in Albania. I’m not a farm girl, but since I was willing to learn and serve God, he taught me how to be one.
Just as I was starting to get comfortable with working on the farm, God had something else planned for my squad and I. We were not even on the farm for a week when we found out that God has called our squad to Greece to help with the Syrian refugee crisis. My squad and I are at the island of Lesvos to work alongside Samaritan’s Purse / Euro Relief to help refugees who are arriving from the sea.
When I first found out about the news I was incredibly nervous. I have a huge heart for others and show a lot of compassion, so I was not sure how I would personally respond to the situation at hand and it’s one thing reading about the crisis in the news and another to actually head right into the front lines. But this month God has been teaching me a lot about confidence, being confident in Him, being confident in who he has made me to be, and confident in willing to serve him. Last night was my first shift with Euro Relief, and we were just thrown in, I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I was holding a crying, naked, cold, wet toddler that just got off a boat while others were trying to find him warm clothes that’s when my heart first shattered. My heart shattered for these thousands of people arriving by boat and the only thing I could do for them was find dry clothes that they could wear, but that’s what God needs me to do. I would see that little boy a couple more times before his family got on the bus, and I was okay that I didn’t say one word about Jesus but instead got to show them His love instead which is almost more powerful. This month God made me be a farm girl and he’s making me head straight into the Syrian refugee crisis both of which are pretty outside my comfort zone – but I am willing to serve him, and I’m confident in that.
I’m 110% sure I’ll see more heart breaking things, so pray for my emotional strength and my physical health. And continue to pray for my squad and I; the next two weeks are going to consist of long days and seeing hard things.
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