This mission trip is not what I had originally imagined. Many of my friends from college are also on mission trips this summer, and theirs are between one and four weeks, where they go into the community and do a lot of evangelism or work. This is what I think of as a typical mission trip.

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?

Здравейте, I am Esther, a 19 year old Brit. And I am a worrier. 

When I first arrived in Bulgaria, I knew that the 2 years would be fun and exciting but also challenging and difficult.

2 years in a flash. One moment I was dreaming about what it would be like to live and serve overseas and the next it seemed I was back in Oregon after doing the thing, only there was a lot in the middle too.  And that’s where all the good stuff is… right in the middle. 

My uneven breathing, pounding heart and shaky hands are dead give-aways to vulnerability when I am emotionally exposed, and they seem to catch me off-guard every time.

From the beginning, I had a strong sense two years would fly by, but I didn’t expect it to feel simultaneously like a second and a lifetime.

Traveling is one of the most rich, enlightening, and exciting experiences a person can have. At the same time, it can be scary, confusing, shocking, and overwhelming if one's perception or mindset isn't ready to handle what and where they are stepping into.