There were 6 things I learned in the first 24 hours of being in Serbia:
1) God, I promise you, really does have a reason for everything. After a 2 hour flight to Chicago, a ten hour flight to Istanbul Turkey, a 2 hour flight to Belgrade Serbia and finally a half hour bus ride to the bus stop I was just ready to be done traveling for the day and get to where I was staying. But God had something else planned. My team leader came up to us at 10pm and told us the next bus out to Negotin, Serbia would be tomorrow at 6:45am, which meant we would be staying the night at the bus station. Now my patience was already thin and sleeping on the floor at a bus station my first night in a different country was not what I had planned, but God was about to surprise my team and I. I tried to sleep, I pulled out my sleeping bag and sleeping pad, started to listen to music, closed my eyes, and maybe got around 2 hours of sleep at the most. I woke up to children running around the bus station, people asleep at my feet, others trying to find a place to lay down their blankets, and I wondered what was going on. It took a while for all of us to realize what was happening, most of these people were Syrian refuges, there were refuges sleeping at my feet. My teammates and I talked to a woman about what was happening in Syria and it definitely opened my eyes. And put a place in my heart to prayer for these people everyday. I couldn’t ask for a better first night in a foreign country.
2) Don’t be surprised that when you have to use the restroom it may cost money and it may end up being a squatty potty.
3) God’s timing is really the only timing that matters. A couple days before flying out I was having a hard time with certain things happening in my life and questioning God why he would be putting them in my life now, why now right before the race? I spent time in prayer during that night at the bus station basically questioning him, and he simply answered with “Your timing never has worked out now has it?” and he’s right, so trust in the Lord always when even to you it may not make sense.
4) It took less than 24 hours to be offered to smoke pot, which we kindly turned down.
5) God will bless you in so many ways. This month I am not only blessed with an apartment with a bed, shower, fridge and running water but my team and I are beyond blessed with our hosts and their constant generosity.
6) And the last thing I learned but probably the most important is that in America we drive big cars and have little burgers, but in Serbia they drive little cars and have big burgers. And let me tell you that statement is so true.
Also I still need to be fully funded by December, if you would consider donating to me I would appreciate it, just hit the “Support Me” button. I am almost there, but I still need some help!
