World Race community is honestly unlike any other community I’ve ever been in. We do everything together. We often times sleep in the same room (which is typically a small space). We eat all our meals together. We do ministry together. Then, we also have team time together. Being truly alone on the World Race is a rarity. It does happen, but most of the time we have to use the buddy system. Being alone more often looks like sitting at different tables at the same coffee shop.
That’s not what I really want to talk about in this blog though.. I’d rather tell a story about how on the World Race, we have this really awesome opportunity to experience community in the ways other cultures do. We get to live in each country with hosts who are locals. It’s different from traveling as a tourist because we really get to see how the people live.
Right now, we’re living in a small village here in Albania. The children are always out and about and I absolutely love it. Whenever we go outside to play volleyball we end up with a group of kids playing with us. The children say hello whenever they walk by our house and they also have helped us carry water home from the little store around the corner.
I have also heard that in this community it’s not very common for many people to have a fridge. Typically the people here will eat from their garden. Occasionally they might kill one of their chickens or ducks to eat. If there is something they don’t have, they’ll get it from their neighbor.
I got to experience this kind of community first hand the other night. I was cooking dinner for myself and one other teammate and I epically failed…. here’s the proof..
After my epic failure, our kind translator and neighbor came over to help us clean up and while he was helping us he also offered us some of his food…. We told him we were fine because we had more eggs and could just start over and hopefully not drop these ones on the floor.
As I was sitting there laughing and feeling the defeat, another neighbor came by. She said “I heard about your accident. Do you need anything? I have cheese and olives I can give you”
HOW KIND!!!!
We did not accept her cheese and olives since we did indeed still have food, but the offer absolutely made my day. I will never forget her kindness, or this community that we’ve gotten to live in for 2 weeks!
Blessings,
Kaci
I love this! I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Your birthday is coming up. I hope you can celebrate “local style” and are celebrated for the beautiful person you are. We miss you.
I miss you too!!! I get to hang out with some of the youth here in Vlore on my birthday. I think we might go to the beach and play volleyball with them.
Oh this is SWEET!!! Love that lil community and youuu!!
That’s incredible!! What a new perspective on ‘love your neighbor’. I pray we can be encouraged by stories like these are live with Kingdom mindset here, too!