By the Grace

Yesterday was one of the hardest days I've had since we've been abroad. Scratch that, it was the hardest day thus far. In preparation for this trip, I thought about a lot of things. I thought about the language barrier (in relation to having conversations with people), I thought about the fact that we might not get to shower often, I thought about how the Europeans would perceive us.

I never thought about how hard it would be to not know what any sign in the entire city said. I never thought about what it would feel like to not be able to communicate with the locals very well. I never thought about what it would be like to not know what the etiquette was for eating at a restaurant.

I think all of these things really overwhelmed me yesterday, and I wasn't sure how to handle it. I'll admit that I was close to tears multiple times, and I cried when I was talking to my best friend. I couldn't figure out how to break out of the sadness and anxiety I was feeling. Then I sat down and just prayed, later we had a devo, and we worshipped together. And then it all became clear again.

It doesn't matter where I am. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, or who I am with. God is always with me. He is always good. He is always faithful. He isn't the God of just my life, my present, my right now. He is the God of all time, and His fingerprints are all over the place.

Getting out of my comfort zone and pushing myself to the limits is very difficult, its challenging, and some moments I want nothing more than to go back home.

But I know that this is good, and I know that God is teaching me every second that I'm here. I know that He has a purpose in our presence here and that He is using us in ways we can't even begin to understand.

This trip is going to shape my life in ways I didn't expect, in ways that have yet to reveal themselves.

But one thing that remains clear is that my God is good, and He loves. He loves each of these locals that are getting frustrated with our broken German, He loves every single one of the British people who have asked us to 'go back to your country', He loves each one of us that are on this trip.

Bringing my focus back to God is always a relief, and today I'm feeling a thousand times better. I'm actually excited to get out and explore Vienna a little more, I'm starting to understand the layout of the city and how to get around, and I've been given a new store of patience for struggling through the German language.

God is good, and He's definitely here with us in Vienna.