As part of the Well internship, the other interns and I get to travel around Bulgaria. Last weekend we went to Plovdiv and some of the surrounding areas. It was a great chance to be with the other interns and our mentors, as well as seeing many historical sites and enjoying the beauty of God's creation in the mountains!
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My trip to Istanbul in February left me feeling shaken. As I thought through why I did not feel safe and where my vague feelings of guilt were coming from, I realized that there were some areas of my heart and my life that were not based on the truth of God's word. In my understanding of the world, I had equated blending into a culture with moral standing--If I don't stand out I'm a good person, but if I do stand out, I'm bad. I did not feel safe because I thought I was a bad person for being a tourist! With that realization I saw that it was ridiculous to feel guilty for being a fair-skinned, redheaded American. God created me that way and He is pleased with it, so I should be too!
My experience with Istanbul was drastically different the second time! I was able to relax, enjoy the time there, and didn't feel guilty at all! I'm so thankful for this evidence of the work God has done in my heart!
As part of my internship in Sofia, Bulgaria, I'm doing a research project on rest. Would you help me out by filling out this survey or just answering this question in the comments: How do you find rest?
A dear friend signed her email to me by saying “You are loved and kept.” These are words that I needed to hear because it has seemed that being loved and kept are areas where I am first to question if God is really there. Does He really love me? Am I being kept for heaven? Does He love and keep my family and friends, too?
My dad has been diagnosed with cancer. It was caught very early and very treatable. Probably not deadly, but it’s still a factor in his life now. Hearing that he will hire a neighborhood kid to mow the lawn this summer made the reality of something I can’t see hit home in a whole new way. And I won’t be there to help at all. God, are you loving and keeping him? My uncle’s fatal-yet-vanquished leukemia has reappeared in his body. The miracle of his recovery is no less potent as a testimony of God’s control and power, but to know how hard it was and to face the same yet again is terrifying. God, are you loving and keeping him? Are you loving and keeping my aunt as she returns to the grief-ridden valley of the shadow of death? The answer, of course, is yes. God loves and keeps my father, my mother, & my brother. God loves and keeps my uncle and aunt. God’s love doesn’t end because of the situations we find ourselves in, nor does it end because we’re no longer strong, able, or healthy. God’s love is a predetermined decision to set his affection on us, to throw our sin behind his back, to run to us, to carry us, and to bring us home. Whether we are going though the valley of the shadow of death or living in peace all our days, our situation will never negate the affection and joy God has for us. Through the last few months I’ve found that when I feel sad, anxious, angry and helpless, God’s power and love remains. When I doubt that I’m kept and loved by God, the truth of the Scriptures reminds me that God’s love is never ending, always hoping, never breaking or giving up, always and forever. I cling to the truth of His Word. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” June and July are going to be incredibly busy months in Sofia for me and my team. Every summer the team has a two month internship for young adults to come to Sofia and learn more about missions. I'm an intern this year and it has been a busy week. We have the largest group of interns this year with ten people, three of whom are extending (I'm one of those, as is one of my friends who arrived in February). Seven of other interns arrived last Friday, and the last one rounding out our group of 10 got in yesterday. This week has been incredibly busy as we went to Bansko last weekend for some pre-field training and then began our schedule of classes in the mornings and different events in the afternoons and evenings, such as a six hour scavenger hunt in Sofia and English clubs in the evenings. It's been a pleasure to get to know the other interns and I'm looking forward to the rest of this summer! A few weeks ago I got to visit some of my teammates who live in Plovdiv. I spent a weekend there, walking, reading, and relaxing before the summer craziness of The Well started. It was wonderful to spend time with my hosts (they also hosted me for Christmas) and to be in such a beautiful city. Plovdiv is more relaxed than Sofia and it was nice to be in a quiet place for a few days. |
Elisabeth CarySharing the love of Christ to make known the hope of Christ in Bulgaria. Archives
November 2018
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