Hannah is a university student from West Virginia. She recently stepped out of her busy student’s schedule and joined us for an internship. In this two part post, she shares her heart about what God did in her through the experience.

In a crowded street full of unfamiliar and different faces, I am cautious to avoid smiling or even making eye contact with strangers. The meaning and implications of what we in America consider to be simple, everyday gestures greatly differ from what the locals regard as ordinary interaction.

The streets, fully occupied by boisterous vehicles honking their horn at any given opportunity, appear chaotic as traffic is highly congested and any form of lines that I would have expected to separate lanes are nonexistent.  As we continue walking toward our destination, I take note of the high concentration of people who are traveling to and from. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, always moving swiftly from place to place. The attire of women here varies broadly from person to person. While some wear what I would consider to be a very current and modern American-style of clothing, others are completely covered in black clothing with nothing except for their eyes showing. For this small-town, West Virginia girl, this Central Eurasian culture could not possibly differ more. However, this is one of the most beautiful opportunities of serving the Lord in a nation dissimilar from one’s own: learning to assimilate oneself to a culture that is entirely different from one’s own and falling in love with the people to whom that culture belongs.

It was just months ago that I found out that I was going to traveling to Central Eurasia over the Summer. While I signed up to be a part of this internship team with several members of my University, it was not a guarantee that I would be selected to go.

My prayer was that the Lord would make a way if it was His will for me to be on this specific trip…. and make a way He certainly did!

Not only did He allow me to be on the team, but He also changed the stubborn, unsaved heart of my father who was firmly set against me going. God continued to blow my mind as He continually provided for all of my financial needs for the trip as well as providing confirmation of His will through friends, family and situations. My heart was simply overwhelmed by the goodness and faithfulness of my Heavenly Father.

The months leading up to the trip passed quickly and before I knew it, I was aboard the nearly 10-hour flight. Despite the flight being at 11pm, I was overcome by excitement, leaving me unable to sleep. My initial response to this new place naturally came in the form of a slight culture shock.  The noises, the smells, the unfamiliar language that surrounded me… All of this combined felt like sensory overload.  With this being my first time overseas, I was overwhelmed, and I had no idea of what to expect. However, in that moment of what felt like chaos, confusion and discomfort, I took a moment to just call on the Lord, to seek after His calming presence. It was at that moment that I was completely overcome by a divine peace that can only come from Him, a peace that comes from knowing that I am exactly where He wants me to be.

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Come back next week to read the rest of Hannah’s story!