It Will Be Scary
Arriving in Bulgaria was very exciting and new, hectic and stressful. It was my stepping out of the boat moment, and I had overcome my worries and anxieties in making it to Bulgaria! Can you guess the first thing I forgot when I arrived? I forgot the very reason why I was there.
Who I was there for.
It was my first time flying by myself and both of my flights were delayed, but I was still excited to be in a new country and meet all these new (very friendly) American Christians on the team. I unpacked as soon as I got to the apartment and texted my parents to let them know everything was ok. But when I was in my bed later that evening, the reality of what I was doing came back to me… The fact that it was my first time away from my family for so long, my first time being away from home with absolutely no one I knew other than from the occasional Zoom call. Needless to say, I was very homesick and didn’t get much sleep that first night.
I managed to distract myself for the first couple of days by experiencing the amazing city that is Sofia, along with its simply breathtaking natural beauty and history. But my worry was always there. Somehow (most likely due to God’s Will) I gained some self-awareness: I was surrounded by some pretty nice people and maybe they could give me some advice on what to do and how to solve my worries. So I told my housemate I was homesick, and that helped alleviate some of the worry. Do you know what I forgot to do? Pray. I forgot on my mission trip to pray to the Father who could solve all my problems. The Saviour I was in Bulgaria for and who, no matter where I went and who I was with, would always be with me. So here’s my tip: don’t forget to pray, and don’t forget why you are going or who you’re going for.
I am extremely thankful to God for answering the prayers I didn’t even remember to say. I’m thankful too for the member of my church who gave me a wristband that says “You are never alone,” it’s pretty much the best gift I brought with to Bulgaria and I wear it every day now.
