Thoughts about everything...

I have tried to figure out what to write about for over a day now, and since I still have no specific topic in mind, I will just talk about my thoughts since being here in Sofia. As the days till home get smaller and smaller (only 1 day and a few hours now), I can't help but think back to the first days here.

This specific mission trip has been in my calendar for over a year now. But going on an out-of-country mission trip has been a dream of mine since I was a youngin'! I still remember when Julia and I would talk about which country we would want to help first and why. And Sofia, Bulgaria in Europe never came up, I can tell you that much. Arriving in Sofia I didn't have much of an expectation. Which could be both a good and bad thing. In my case, I'll never know, you can tell me.

Before getting here, I was really struggling with focusing on God and having Him be a part of my everyday life because I had school to finish up and a whole bunch of other excuses that are invalid. I knew that this trip would change me, and I was asking God that I would not come back the same person. And laying here looking back, I can say truthfully that I WILL come back a different person because I AM a different person. My eyes have been opened and I know I have experienced poverty in other places, but this trip was not so much about the poor. Instead it was about reaching out and sharing your faith to people you would meet at the park and play with for hours on end.

This trip has taught me to be confident. If you aren't confident and strong in your faith, how will you answer questions about your faith when they come up in conversation with someone who is seeking out their own faith. I mean you aren't going to lie about your faith to them, because honestly, that's between you and God. This trip has taught me to be thankful in more ways than one. Not only for ice, air conditioning, minimum wage, and drinkable water everywhere, but for so many more as well. I have learned to overcome my biggest fear of being sick in another country without my parents. I have learned to fit in with a group of people I've never met before, and work with them for two weeks. I have learned to discover my own faith and to put it fully in Gods hands. And finally, although not truly the last, I have sat and listened to lessons being taught and conversations being had, and have become on fire for God and the work He wants me to do back home. Not only with my friends but with my church family as well.

I could elaborate on that last part, but it would be a lot of writing and it's hard and tedious to write out a blog post on my phone. I am so excited to come home and share my experiences with everyone and live out what God wants me to do. I am so excited to see everyone back home and not take things for granted. And I am so excited for the church here in Sofia to grow and strengthen and become a central church to support other churches in other areas of Bulgaria. I'm off to bed with those thoughts in my head. Just over a day until I'll be back home and reality sets in and I'll have to be fighting to stay on fire for God, but I have faith that I can do it. Have a good day everyone!