This month felt like a test. How well could I hold my tongue? What was the extent of my patience? and could I love on someone that is hard to love?
I freely admit I did some backsliding on holding my tongue. I find it hard to listen when things aren’t said in an accurate way and so I correct it. This was pointed out to me back in Costa Rica by my first team, Team 217. I prayed, and gave it over to God, because it’s very hard to stop doing something you aren’t aware you’re doing, and it got better. God closed my mouth when I took a breath to correct someone. Then we switched teams. I felt more free to speak out in this new team, don’t ask why because I haven’t unpacked that myself yet, but in doing so I started correcting really dumb things that didn’t matter at all, and I did it a lot. I ignored and laughed off the gentle comments suggesting the things I was correcting didn’t matter and that maybe I should just let it go until finally two of my teammates actually got upset over it. I realized just how petty I was being with word choices and planned that night to give it back to God again. I say planned because I got distracted texting Jose as he talked about leaving WR.
Of course you already know that he left and I was upset and as I was starting to recover from that I found out about an issue with my friend back home and my heart broke all over again and all my prayers were focused on asking God if I should go home too. Then my teammates start getting sick and I’m trying to take care of my own heart while taking care of the sick as the health coordinator and keeping the house warm with a wood stove meant only to cook quick meals not heat a house. Needless to say I was stressed. And everyone found out about it during church that night as I broke down. I didn’t want to complain because the people around me were already complaining and I didn’t want to make their lives harder by adding to it but I couldn’t take it anymore. I was trying so hard to do everything on my own. I got to share my frustrations with a couple of my teammates and they tried to help relieve some of the burden.
Then we split up the next week and used all 6 of our adventure days for the month and a half. Jack, Colton, and Caitlyn picked up Gwen and went on a road trip around the country. Jacob and Joey took a trip over to Thessaloniki, Greece. (https://youtu.be/ak0qMGiyCIs) While Samantha and I took a break. We picked a hostel in Tirana and just spent some time resetting our hearts. I spent the week in prayer and by the end I felt ready to go back to Poliçan.
The day we went back I developed a sore throat and by that evening I felt like I might start breathing fire because my throat hurt so much. So the next morning we went to get covid tests. You’ll never guess who was positive. The minute I was told I was positive I texted the rest of the team as they were due back any minute and apparently they had a discussion about what to do without myself and Samantha. The decision was made on our behalf that we needed to leave the house and quarantine in Barat. We spent the next couple of hours trying to find a place to stay.
Samantha was sent with me because she was directly exposed and because I wouldn’t be able to go out and get food myself since I was quarantining so I needed someone to be my runner.
That afternoon we repacked our bags and headed out. Another 4 days spent in prayer and reflection…I realize I didn’t mention I was fasting from videos all this month as well, so I didn’t have movies to distract me through all this free time.
Finally I got to go back to Poliçan and participate in ministry for the last week we were there. We led a day of games and fun with the local kids and shared another testimony at church. We tried to go back to the nursing home but we were turned away because someone there had covid. We also made a skit of the gospel and performed it in a nearby village as well as for the kids on their regular day of classes and again on our fun day with them and also at church on Wednesday night.
That last Thursday we packed up early in the morning and scrubbed the house from top to bottom and with Mimoza we went to Durres for a day trip. She got us a tour guide and he showed us around town. A really old mosque, an amphitheater where they believe Paul taught and where they had gladiator fights, as well as a museum filled with artifacts from a similar time period.
Another teammate was out sick and missed the tour and then ended up positive for covid. The next morning we moved back to Tirana and they quarantined in a private room at the hostel while the rest of us hung out in a room together. It felt like the first time we got to bond since Christmas and New Year.
Two days later we moved to the hostel where we would meet up with all of the other teams but we chose to avoid them until we all tested negative for covid because a couple of people weren’t sure if they had symptoms or not. We all tested negative, including the person that had tested positive just a few days before. Which is good because we needed the negative test to get across the borders over the next two days.
That night Maria announced she was leaving the WR and heading back to Nicaragua to work with a ministry there for the next two months. It was a tearful goodbye to yet another friend. Only 25 of us left.
In the morning we pack up and head for the border. Two days and three border crossings later will bring us to our new home in Romania.
It was a rough month. But there was plenty of personal growth and open hands as I gave up everything I kept trying to hold on to and do myself.
Romania sounds like a busy month so I’m sure I’ll have lots of ministry things to tell you about next month!
Also Lindsey finished her Nicaragua video! https://youtu.be/6j2Aw6x1Hsc
Other updates:
- We will be in Romania for 2 months
- month 1 is All Squad month
- month 2 we will split up in our teams.
- after we leave here we will go to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini (Swaziland)
- our last week on the field will be a free week where we can travel anywhere we want. I’m debating between visiting my BF in Sierra Leone or hopping over to Asia.
- Our last day on the field will be June 30th
- We have a final debrief once we get back rather than while we are on the field
- I will get home on July 8th. (yes this does mean i will miss camp)
- I will probably sleep straight through the next several days after I get home.
- Feel free to message me set up a time to catch up with me starting July 11.
Allie, I am so proud of your perseverance, your honesty, and your maturity in all these things. The Lord is doing an amazing work in and through you—and it is a privilege to have a front-row seat to your journey. I can’t wait to see you soon and talk about all these things in person!
Having been through it with you, I know Albania was trying. We were pushed in so many ways beyond ourselves. And I cannot thank you enough for dealing with me though it all. Good things did come out of that month and a half, and one of them is true friendship with you! Proud of you for how much you have grown and given to the Lord! Clapping for you on my end 😉
Allie. It sure sounds like you have been both in your spiritual life and your physical life. But in both situations, you have seen God working on you and in you. Giving up our old nature is very difficult but to be the disciple God wants us to be, we have to depend on Him and keep ourselves focused on what he wants us to do – Glorify Him! He will reward you abundantly when you are focused on him and forget all of the other things that are not for that purpose. July seems like a long way off since it is the middle of February, but it will be spring soon and summer will follow. We will look forward to your return and hearing all about your adventures and growth!
Great to hear your insights, Allie. As usual, your willingness to look at yourself and your situation so honestly is refreshing. I’m really proud of your perseverance and humility. See you soon!