At times, it is still hard for me to fully grasp the fact that I am traveling the world in Jesus’ name. I have wanted to travel the world MY ENTIRE LIFE. When I was young, my grandmother traveled all over the place. She would always call me from whatever country she was currently in and tell me all about her adventures. Every time she came home, she would bring me a gift from overseas and a Christmas ornament. To this day, my Christmas trees are always decorated with multiple ornaments from around the world. She opened my eyes to the big world that is around us, and inspired me at a very young age to see it. Its funny how God works, He did not provide the opportunity for that little boys dream to come to fruition until I started living for Him.
A beautiful castle we visited in Lithuania, Trakai Castle
Our time here in Lithuania has been wonderful, different from all the other months, but still just as powerful. We came into this month not really knowing what we were going to do or who we were going to meet, and since this is an Unsung Heroes month for us, it was a little nerve wracking at first.
BUT GOD.
Isn’t amazing when you have those “But God” moments in your life? The times when something crazy, unknown or unexpected is going on and you don’t know exactly what to do, but God shows up and changes everything. That’s what this month has been for me. It started off with a little uncertainty. Uncertainty about our ministry, uncertainty about my position relationally with my teammates, just a lot of uncertainty. But God showed up for me and for team Zoa. He drastically changed my heart and showed up for us by introducing us to some of the greatest, Kingdom minded people here in Lithuania. Connection after connection, time after time, we have meet people who love Jesus and are so excited to meet us. He has drawn our team ever so closer to each other, and has emboldened every one of us, in our own way, to step into new things. I couldn’t be more proud of my friends and teammate and more in awe of our Father in Heaven.
The other day, Nathan and I went to a meeting with a few people we had met at a local Russian speaking church here in Vilnius. Little did we know, that the men we met with were basically the head honchos of the ENTIRE Lithuanian Pentecostal Union, a group of churches spread all over Lithuania. They were so excited by the prospect of hosting teams of Racers in the future; they started telling us all of these places around town where people were serving and being served. The next thing we know we are hopping in a BMW with the Russian Deacon of this group of churches and his friend, both of whom we met about an hour previous. They wanted to show us a few places future teams of racers could serve around Vilnius. First, they took us to a Charity Kitchen where over 400 homeless people are served 2 meals a day and get the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Next we went to a Day Center for Adult Mentally Handicapped people. The day center provides workshops and community for these men and women where they can learn real life, practical things like computer skills, music and pottery . Beautiful places, both of them.
Wow God, we just started our day expecting to go to a meeting.
This month I feel like I have lived more of a typical “missionary” life than any other month on the Race to date. Not knowing exactly what’s going to happen every day, who we are going to meet or where we are going to serve, but KNOWING that God has a plan, and He is going to show up. God has given me the thing I dreamed of doing my entire life, traveling the world. But now, I get to do it for the most important purpose in the world, spreading the Gospel and advancing The Kingdom of Heaven. God is so good. I never really believed this dream would come true, and now that is has, I have to say, I honestly never thought it would be this amazing.
Don’t let your dreams be dreams.
