Jesus and the Journey

Everyone handles culture shock differently. And I'd studied it in undergrad to prepare myself for what it would feel like. Even then, I was completely taken aback by it. It is so difficult for someone to understand who has never experienced it before, but I will do my best to share my experience here. Some people go through a "honeymoon phase" when they initially enter the country. This is where the experience of new culture is exciting and thrilling and all that is new is enticing and leaves a person in awe. I had a couple, "My life feels like a movie" moments. Then, this rosey mentally sort of fades or dies down as the weeks pass. It isn't that the culture isn't as beautiful as it was before, it's simply that the newness and thrill have waned down.  I felt like my honeymoon phase didn't last long, perhaps because of the season of winter that makes it more difficult to get out and explore on a whim or the fact that energy sapped from me so quick...

  A friend of a friend picked me up in Prague as I made my way from the airplane. I was exhausted and definitely looked like I'd been traveling for over 24 hours. He bought me a train ticket and we conversed as we waited for our time to board.  I stepped onto the train, and every car had one or two people in it. I was unsure of whether I was supposed to sit in any car or if I was supposed to find an empty one. So, I walked to the end of the long, narrow hallway, and my friend said, "You can sit in any of the cars, ya know."  And I'd come to the last one in that section of the train. A middle-aged man was sitting in the car by himself next to the window. I peeked in and asked, "Can I sit with you?"  "Yes, of course. Can I help you with your bags?" *at this point I was realizing that I had overpacked for my trip and gave off white-American tourist vibes.  We got my luggage situated in the racks above our seats, and I sat across from him. My friend wi...

I have always been passionate about writing and adventure, and I decided that I wanted to share my experiences and the lessons that God is teaching me on a platform that is easily accessible. Hence the beginning of this blog series! Welcome, to a space of vulnerability, a place of documenting the work that God is doing in my life :) I'm so glad you're here.  Just shy of two weeks of living in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. WHAT!  I often reflect on the faithfulness of God that led me to this point in my journey. Most days I wake up and cannot believe that I am actually here. This call on my life has been years in the making, and this specific call to the Czech has been nine months in the making - really two years if you count COVID's cancellation of the first planned trip here in 2020. Yet, God has not left me for a moment. He has been present in the midst of my fears, disappointments, discouragements, celebrations, moments of joy and excitement, and everything else in b...