It was quite a long travel expedition to get here in Tbilisi. 38 hours in total. It feels weird to say we are in Europe after spending so much time in Asia, but a new beginning is always exciting for Globallers. The team had some time off in the beautiful capital city of Georgia, Tbilisi, where we explored Old Town, tried traditional food and stood in awe of the surrounding nature.
Our big team split up into two, not into our usual teams, but into Purple and Yellow teams. The Yellow team left to their ministry point in the countryside as the Purple team eagerly waited to see what adventure awaits. To our surprise we split up into two again to do a travel challenge for 7 days. Our final destination was not that far away, but with money for food and accommodation both teams spent their days exploring different parts of Georgia. Travel Challenges really are a great way to see a country and meet people. A person from each team will share a bit about their adventures.
Team A:
As we prayed for the six days ahead of us, we got the picture of lamp posts and the words “slow down” and “go meet your brothers in the mountains”. On our way out a missionary from Russia blessed us with American Dollars! How cool is that? God used a random guy to make us excited for our challenge even before it started! We took a bus up into the mountains and spent the night in our tents, it was quite a cold night! The next day Carike went to speak with a girl she saw in her dreams and got to encourage her to pursue God. We ended up sleeping at a convent run by two nuns who completely broke our boxes. We could get so much spiritual food from them and they were so eager to learn from us as well! My favourite quotes from our conversations with them is “the universe is too small to contain God, but our little hearts can” and Mother Macrina’s answer to why she loves God, ”Why do you love breathing?” Over the next two days we slowly travelled to (mountain place). We saw snow, drank hot chocolate and had great family time as a team. Theo and Charl “spent some time with their brothers in the mountains” at a monastery, they got to spent quality time there and spoke truth to them. On our last day a man picked us up and invited us into his home. It felt like we went to visit our family, just wow. We went to bed so late because we talked and talked and talked. The next day he blessed us with a bus ticket to Iskari where we met up with the other team.
Team B:
On our pioneering trip through Georgia, Jesus blessed us incredibly. The very first day he blessed both our teams with a hundred dollars each. We had a prayer session before we set out, and he gave us lots of prophetic word. When we arrived in the first town, Stepantsminda, we asked a stranger if he knew where we could stay for free, and he invited us into his Airbnb to stay for the night. The next day we were blessed the same, with accommodation and dinner with a local. The next town we headed towards was Bakuriani. Jesus had given me an image of a map of Georgia, and a line going left and down from Tbilisi. He also said the town started with the letters ‘Ba’. I checked Google maps, and Bakuriani was at that exact location. He had also given Morgan an image of a white door with golden handles. When we had successfully hitchhiked there, we found a place to sleep. It turned out being quite a rough experience, but Jesus pulled us through. We booked into a cheap guesthouse, which later we noticed there were white doors and golden handles to our rooms. I ended up having coffee with the guest house owner the next morning in her living room. I was able to encourage her greatly concerning Jesus, to the point that she was moved to tears. It was amazing to see how the Lord worked through us and guided us throughout the country of Georgia.
We arrived safely in Iskari on day 8. It’s a peaceful village in the mountains where locals speak their own dialect- different from Georgian. Our host is a missionary from Scotland who’s heart is for the Svanety people. For 20 years he and his wife devoted their lives to share Jesus with the villagers. The place we stayed at has an incredible view over mountains with snow on. God’s creation will never stop being amazing! It is here where Clara and her family came to visit us and share their crazy Global stories! The fellowship we had was such a blessed time. Georgia will forever have a special place in the Purple team’s hearts. Thank you Jesus!!
The Yellow team on the other hand, spent the two weeks staying in a town near the Greater Caucasus Mountains. As a team, we were very privileged to stay with hosts who wanted to spend time with us and care for our every need.
During our stay, we did a lot of manual labour, sanding and painting balcony railings, sifting compost, installing doors, digging holes in the ground and a whole lot more. Not only did we get to work together in teams and experience new things, but we also met new people. Our “employers” blessed us with traditional Georgian food and testimonies during lunch breaks, both of which served as great encouragement.
The team was challenged with exhaustion during this time, due to the hard work and restlessness, but by relying on God for strength and encouraging each other, we overcome the opposition. This would not have been possible without the guidance of some unexpected visitors, however. These visitors had come all the way from South Africa and, by God’s awesome timing, had arrived at the perfect time.
The team’s time in Georgia was a blessing in many ways. We got to go on special family adventures like harvesting a vineyard, going on a picnic in the woods and enjoying a traditional Georgian banquet. But more than this, we got to encourage fellow believers through our stories and be encouraged by their own. We got to see God in our gorgeous surroundings – the mountains, the woods and the vineyards – and in the amazing people we were privileged to meet.
