Posted in End Of Race by Weston Belkot on 9/1/2010
Dear Future Racers,
My name is Weston Belkot and I recently completed the World Race. My hope is that the following blog will enlighten and prepare you for what you may encounter while on the World Race. This blog has been broken up into four sections. A. Qualities of a Good Racer. B. The Race By Numbers. C. Habits You’ll Pick Up. D. Habits You’ll Stop/Reduce. Let us begin the informational training session now.
1. Qualities of a Good Racer
- Photogenic: Lots of pictures are going to be taken of you, so you need to look good in front of a lens.
- Flexible: Even if they tell you something will be a certain way, don’t count on it.
- Not repulsed by rice or noodles.
- Can speak English (and, in turn, teach it too.)
- Knowledgeable of a nearly endless supply of games.
- Rockstar Appeal: You’ll be famous.
- Sense of Smell: Need to be able to tell Too Dirty from Wearable.
- Two Legs: You’re going to walk, a lot.
- Ability to answer, “What country are we in?” in under five seconds.
- Reflective: Need to analyze, not just experience events.
- Will partake in one of the following: Growing hair out, cutting hair uniquely, or dying hair unnaturally.
B. The Race By Numbers
19 countries visited. (Airports don’t count.)
10 countries I played soccer in.
22 churches attended. (This does not include services with the squad or multiple services at the same church.)
79 “beds.” (This includes trains, planes, and buses only when it was overnight.)
4.5 average number of days spent in one “bed” before moving to new one.
15 books read
71 blogs since the start of the Race. (Thanks for reading them all mom.)
0 times operating a four wheeled vehicle
58 different wireless networks saved on my laptop
1 time around the world, literally. (I will have traveled West out of Miami and fly into Pittsburgh from the East
350+ hours spent on long distance travel. (This only includes when I was physically traveling on the plane, train, or bus, so including travel to and waiting at stations the number is probably close to double.)
 3. Habits You’ll Pick Up (Maybe)
- Taking shoes off at the door.
- Bringing Bible to church. (To have something to read during the sermon.)
- Motioning the “come here” signal with your palm down.
- Eating individualized, novelty ice creams.
- Drinking tea or coffee daily.
- Drinking Coke and/or Fanta way more than you should.
- Preferring cool showers over hot.
- When entering a bathroom go through the steps: 1. Check if there’s a toilet seat. 2. Check if it’s worth sitting on. 3. Check if there’s toilet paper.
- Carrying toilet paper with you to any public restroom.
- Responding in the wrong language. (gracias, khap pun khrap, speciba, multemesc, etc.)
- Sitting around the table to eat as a family, and continuing to sit after the meal has been consumed.
- Letting out a small moan when AC hits your skin.
- Eating Nutella
- Conversations about worms aren’t about the earth crawling kind.
- Checking blog for comments.
D. Habits You’ll Stop/Reduce
- Reaching for your phone when you hear a ring.
- Carrying a wallet.
- Reading a printed newspaper.
- Working out.
- Knowing or caring what the date is.
- Expecting: to be served quality foods, to be picked up on time, or having own space.
- Caring what you wear.
- Coming and going as you please.
- Taking two showers a day.
- Watching TV. (What’s the NFL?)
- Considering travel under ten hours “a lot.”
- Thinking you don’t need to ask for help.
- Oblivious to the American music being played in public spaces. (It’s everywhere.)
- Being loud…not!
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Posted in End Of Race by Weston Belkot on 8/28/2010
 The following will likely come across as vague, ambiguous, repetitive, and possibly cliché, but it may be the most succinct, yet deepest tidbit I’ve written all year. As has been said before, “less is more.”
I’ve changed in many ways over the year. Now I am…
More honored to be a humble servant, yet more proud to be a humbled son.
More likely to pray for healing over someone and actually believe that it can happen.
More certain that you, and I, and we all have it wrong. But that’s ok.
More likely to forgive, mainly because I recognize my need for forgiveness.
More conscious of my malevolent heart.
More proud to be American, yet less concerned with borders and heritages that focus on differences.
More confident in God’s faithfulness.
More confident as a leader.
More willing to step out in faith that an unplaceable nudge really could be the Holy Spirit at work.
More positive that possessions, and their preceding desires, breed greed, rights-mentality, and isolation.
More grateful for grace than I was the day before yesterday.
More appreciative of brothers and sisters that will fight for community.
More comfortable not reaching the expectation I’ve set for myself.
More sure of God’s power and presence, yet…
More likely to vocalize doubts about God and simultaneously feel closer to him.
More patient towards… Nope, no qualifiers. Just more patient.
More sensitive to my surroundings, my words, and my egocentrism.
More attentive to the significance of the over-used, dumbed-down, catchphrase of “spiritual warfare.”
More accustomed to the wounds, fatigue, and satisfaction of leadership.
More unsure about what is the “right” theology, and doubtful it matters as much as I thought.
More comfortable calling you sister, and meaning and wanting nothing more than that.
More understanding as to what the “bride of Christ” can look like on earth.
More free to be myself, make mistakes, and even write grammatically incorrect phrases.
More thankful that Christianity isn’t an Americanism.
More blessed than I realized to be part of the Belkot family, all of whom I am quite proud of.
More convinced that prayers really are what others, and myself, have said that they are.
More passionate that secrets in the dark corrode, the person you lean on is going to fail, and the avoidance of healthy conflict steals, kills, and destroys relationships.
More cognizant of God’s love for you and how that should have an effect when it’s “us.”
More hopeful that hope will resonate in the hearts of those feeling hopeless.
More aware that all of these changes occurred because I focused on myself LESS.
“Less, not more,” that’s the moral of my year, more or less.
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Posted in Ukraine by Weston Belkot on 8/23/2010
 This is how I foresee the blog lineup looking for the next few weeks:
1st: This blog--details below.
2nd: End of the Race Blog #1. It's going to be one of those, "Hmmm? Good point! That's deep," kind of blogs.
3rd: End of Race Blog #2. Much more on the lighter side, I'll do my best to offer my two cents to future racers.
4th: End of Race Blog #3. This is the official, "How was the trip?" blog. It's more an essay, but it's hard to put a year into a minimal amount of words.
5th: Follow up answers to this blog. At this point I should be home, and will hopefully be seeing some of you face to face. (I'm excited. Really.)
THIS BLOG.
So I've been trying to think of a creative way of getting at what I really want, but what I came up with isn't quite accomplishing that, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. "I want to know who has been reading my blogs." Maybe I'm not allowed to do that, but I see the number go up each time, and I'd personally like to thank each of you for following me along this journey. So this is my request:
I have a flight from Dublin to New York, and then New York to Pittsburgh on September 3rd. On my flights I would love to have questions upon questions to answer about the Race. I anticipate a lot in the coming weeks and months as I share what I had the opportunity to do, so I'd appreciate the practice.
Favorite place you've been?
Biggest lesson you've learned?
Hardest moment?
Country with the worst sense of style?
Whatever. Just a comment with a question for me to reflect on is more than I can ask. If you have something against leaving comments, my email address is westonbelkot@gmail.com. Thank you for touching base, and helping me transition home with your questions. They're much appreciated.
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Posted in Ukraine by Weston Belkot on 8/21/2010
 By "The Fat" I mean "End."
By "Lady" I mean "of."
By "Sang" I mean "Ministry."
Sometimes things are lost in translation. Hopefully this is not one of those times.
Working backwards, this is what the next two weeks looks like.
September 3rd @ 6:55pm arrive in Pittsburgh International Airport and greeted by loving family.
August 30th-September 2nd. The Awakening. All current squads--there are five right now--will meet in Dublin for teachings, worship, and fellowship.
August 26th-29th: Final Debrief. Bring closure to our year spent together. Bring some Kleenex.
August 24th-25th: Make final arrangements in Dublin before the squad arrives.
August 22nd-24th: Travel from ministry site to Kiev and on to Dublin, Ireland.
August 21st: Write "End of Ministry" blog.
If you are like me, you would have just, at best, scanned the last several lines because they had dates and information non-applicable to yourself. I don't blame you. Heck, I'm blown away by how many of you have stuck with me thoughout this journey, but I'll get to those "summarizing a year abroad" blogs in the coming weeks. For now, here's one last ministry blog.
Today, unofficially, marks the end of ministry for me on the World Race. The time when "the fat lady sings" has always registered to me as merely a signal or demarcation of the end of the was and the beginning of the is. I've never considered before that the song the fat lady sings is in itself worth listening to.
 This past week the song was being sung as we helped lead a softball camp to kids that have literally never touched a glove or bat before. This week was unique because we split up as a team and stayed in the homes of church members for several nights. We would all reunite the next day to eat lunch, teach English lessons for about an hour or two, facilitate the camp until around 8:00pm, have dinner as a church family, set up a projector on the field, and watch a movie under the Ukrainian sky with dozens and dozens of local youth in attendance each night. I can use vague terms like "amazing," "memorable," and "a lot of fun" to describe the general feel of the week, but ambiguities definitely don't make good blogs.
While the camp was well and good, it's the little moments that stand out in my mind. Getting my hair cut at a legitimate salon for the first time in years--for free! Playing futbol, USA vs. Ukraine, and doing more than at least holding our own. Sitting out back of our host's house--where the dining room table is--drinking tea, talking, and laughing with our Ukrainian friends until well past midnight. Making learning English fun by assembling props, planning games, and going beyond mediocre. Leading the campers in stretches and making the drills and games more than just drills and games.
 Looking back on these examples, and really our entire time in Ukraine, I've been learning about initiating. No incentive beyond the gospel drives the MacDonald's to put in overtime for a self-imposed, post-retirement, ministry job. Someone stepping up and initiaing haircut appointments, games, lessons, etc. added to the experience because it brought in more of the relational component. From this last month of ministry I'm making the mental note to initiate more. Often times I catch myself wanting "more" of something, yet for some reason I don't want to be the one to take the next step. In a sense, this concept is at the heart of servant leadership. I was once told that, unfortunately, life is full of periods of waiting. There's a time and a place for waiting, but I know that I can't keep the fat lady from singing forever.
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Posted in Ukraine by Weston Belkot on 8/16/2010
 The fact of the matter is that it would be cool to be interviewed by a well-read newspaper or magazine, but I think I've figured out why the Times or Newsweek hasn't sent anyone my way yet. They don't know where to find me. Therefore, I am going to interview myself and aid them in the process.
Influential Reporter: Tell me about you.
Weston: Let's see. The food that I'm confidnet I would enjoy if I gave them a try, but I avoid on purpose, include coffee, cottage cheese, and sour cream.
Influential Reporter: Logical, yet odd. Maybe a topic other than food?
Weston: Hmmm...I believe there is an indirect correlation between one's likelihood of imagining and the magnitude of their vocabulary. As the latter goes up, the former decreases.
Influential Reporter: You're kind of weird. What else you got?
Weston: I find it interesting that when two people either bump hands or feet when sitting, often times neither person occupies that space after the physical contact has been made.
Influential Reporter: Interesting. Anything actually worth writing about?
Weston: I love life, and I think that three piece bathing suits will soon be all the rage.
Influential Reporter: Hold on there, can you explain that last part?
Weston: Water proof socks. I believe that WPSs will soon be a part of bathings suits because...
Influential Reporter: No, I mean the former statement. You said, "I love life." Explain.
Weston: Well, I was riding back to our temporary home in Ukraine on public transportation, I was sweating from the heat, the road was bumpier than those Adidas flip flops they claimed massaged the foot, my bed was still a twenty minute walk once we reached the bus station, and I had one of those, I'd-like-to-be-home-right-now moments when this adorable old woman with sunken eyes, a head band and a dress that was probaby actually a skirt sat down next to me. I couldn't help but think, "I love life."
Influential Reporter: You mean to say that you love this life. This World Race life of travel, service, glitz, and grammar.
Weston: It's glamour.
Influential Reporter: Right, good catch.
 Weston: No, I mean life, as in the compilation of 24 hour time periods that accumulate and include experiences, events, emotions, and eating. See, months ago there were days I wanted to be home just to be done with the Race. Now, I can't help but be excited about the after. I believe this is healthy and fine, but I also don't want to fall into the "grass is greener" mindset. I've witnessed this perspective on at least four different continents. I'm realizing more and more what I already kew, that not only is the grass rarely actually greener, but the old yard was a lush garden I didn't take enough time to look down at and enjoy. I love the opportunity that is "life" to spend my hours learning, discovering, and pursuing. Every moment is significant.
Influential Reporter: So do you do anything in particular when you feel this "return home" mindset coming on? Maybe read something in particular?
Weston: Perfect question influential reporter. I've actually brought myself to read straight through Philippians whenever I feel this way, because it speaks the truth about how my attitude should be the same as that of Jesus, in humility considering others interests, pressing on toward the goal, and being content in all circumstances.
Influential Reporter: So you pretty much have everything you want?
Weston: Hell no. Wait, don't publish that.
Influential Reporter: Don't worry. I doubt this will ever go to print.
Weston: Ouch, ok then. Anyways, I'm realizing that what I think will make life better, probably actually won't. I want to be able to say, "I love life," no matter the circumstances.
Influential Reporter: Right, I've heard this "simplify," "be content with what you have," and "focus on what truly brings joy," story before.
 Weston: But have you ever actually put it into practice?
Influential Reporter: Here and there, but not habitually. I don't really have the opportunity to, though. I mean, wife, kids, mortgage, and car payments need to be taken care of, right? I'll enjoy life on weekends, holidays, and during retirement. You're young, not yet overly cynical, have good health, are dashingly good-looking, and use words from the days of black and white movies to build up your self-esteem.
Weston: Although, aren't we talking about something far more than merely enjoying parts of a greater whole?
Influential Reporter: I dont know. You're the one asking and answering the questions.
PS: The night after I finished writing this, I was up for hours with, I'll keep it PG, food coming out both ends. While sitting there I had to laugh thinking about what I had just written. I love life.
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Posted in Ukraine by Weston Belkot on 8/13/2010
 On our sixteen hour train ride to our final ministry destination I shared with a fellow Racer that one of my favorite aspects of the Race is the people we have the privilege to meet. People that don't just talk about faith as an ideal or a circumstantial necessity, but live it. Let me introduce to you the MacDonald family.
Bruce and Pia MacDonald are our contacts in Ukraine. Before moving here five years ago, Bruce served in the military for thirty years, which included responsibilities that earned him the award of Recruiter of the Year. Bruce and Pia are the parents of twelve kids ranging from Franklin who is 27 down to adorable Mercy who is three years old. Five of the kids are still at home, while six of the older siblings have already served time with the military in Iraq  or Afghanistan. One of the sons was part of the seven soldiers that helped rescue Jessica Lynch a few years ago.
About six years ago, as Bruce's retirement was becoming a reality, through connections with his home church and out of a desire for missions, he flew out to Lugansk, Ukraine, for two weeks and immediately knew this is where his family was called. After several God-moving type of events including the selling of their home and automobile, purchasing affordable tickets, and completing the retirement process in record time, Bruce and Pia moved to the eastern edges of Ukraine with their nine children.
It's been about five years since the move, and the MacDonald's have rarely returned to the States. They live off of Bruce's retirment, mainly gathering support only for ministry projects in the community. So what do they do here? In the summers, the MacDonald's run multiple free softball camps for literally hundreds of Ukrainian youth, including move nights and chili Wednesdays. (This is mainly what we're helping with during our time here.) With the military mindset Bruce brings to the table, everything they do is strategic and tactical. Why softball?  Because it's an activity brand new to the youth. Their interest is piqued from the time the gloves and balls are dumped onto the ground. The movies and food keep the kids coming back. Bruce will quickly remind you that, "It's just a tool to share the gospel." Thoughout the year they host eyeglass clinics and distribute eyeglasses, which often times they've purchased with their own money, to groups of over a hundred people. They strategically host these clinics in churches to get people in the doors for them to see for themselves that Christian churches don't contain altars for sacrifices, as some have been taught to believe. When they saw a need at the local children's hospital, they raised money to install a water heater, washing machine, tile floors, etc. No glory desired, just the opportunity to come to the hospital and share about their faith. Their loving hearts have earned them not only welcome signs across town, but respect in their community. Yesterday we had the opportunity to meet and speak with the mayor, who is a personal friend of the MacDonald's.
While it's not Chernobyl, it's also not the Chattanooga, TN, they left behind years ago. In fact, due to Bruce's military experience, he cannot enter Russia which is a mere 20 miles away. As Bruce explains, it's the end of the world for him. His back is up against the wall. There temperatures this week have been around 120 degrees consistently. They have chosen to abstain from alcohol due to the negative influence alcohol has on the community, region, and country. If you ask them, as I have, about their desire to return to the States, they'll say that they don't. This is their home. The term "missionary" seems less and less appropriate since that term implies being foreign. The rat race of America, high cost of living, the lack of time for leisure can't honestly be understood as such until you've been taken out to see what has always been in.
 During our time in the hospital, while waiting in one of the nurse's offices, Bruce shared for about ten minutes off-the-cuff about why he and his family do what they do. Every word he spoke was from a heart of humility and a desire to serve others. There wasn't a hint of pride or desire for self-glorification. Everything they do, including hosting seven Americans in their home for three weeks, comes from a lifestyle--not just a choice--of others first.
The MacDonald's will probably be the first to tell you that they aren't anything special. The aren't seminary trained or have a substantial support base. In fact, they are extremely normal Christians. They live simply, but not in want. They aren't perfect, but prefer to walk in grace rather than self-condemnation, doubt, or legalism. They live a life of faith, not in fear of the future. And they make sure we have access to bedtime snacks anytime we want. MacDonald's, you're changing the world one act of random kindness at a time. It's my privilege.
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Posted in Moldova by Weston Belkot on 8/5/2010
 I had a conversation with a friend over g-chat back in January. She was trying to decide whether or not she should go on the Race. Fast forward several months: She just finished Training Camp and is leaving behind everything she knows and feels entitled to for the next 11 months. (She's going on the Race.) It's a little long, but if nothing else it's the "real me" and not some polished version you get in the blogs, and it will connect with one of my upcoming blogs quite well. (Oh, her name really isn't Rachel.)
me: apply yet?
Rachel: gahhh
no.
talked to rusty on the phone on sunday
Rachel: i dont know if i'm going to apply anymore, though.
me: why's that?
Rachel: um..i don't know.
a variety of reasons
1. the last time i felt this "called" to something was for teaching
so I don't know how well I'm hearing God
I don't know if I want to do it for the right reasons
basically.
me: and what reasons are those?
Rachel: I don't know. Like, I have the reasons I think I want to do it, but what about hidden motivations
and I'm worried part of me is doing it because I'm so discontent and restless and yearning for something more
and what if I go and nothing changes...I don't grow closer to God, I don't love others better, serve others better, hear God's plan for me better
and I don't feel like I'm the type of person who does missions
me: what I just read is that you're "perfect" for the Race
and I'm not just saying that
I promise
Rachel: haha.
me: before you wrote your response my leader--she works for World Race--said that the two reasons people apply, are accepted, and have their lives changed are because they
1) want more and 2) are running away from something
I just read your response to her and she got a big smile on her face
she said you are hearing the still small whisper
and I would say like 78% of people on the trip still don't see themselves as missionaries
being a "missionary" is not what I ever thought it meant
Rachel: no...i know that
but I mean
I'm not you
me: what's your point?
Rachel: I don't know...I can't find the right words...I'm not the "good Christian"
I have more flaws?
I don't know.
me: I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm for real on this
this is not the GOOD CHRISTIAN missions trip
I'm serious
this is the "I'm jacked up, but God isn't" missions trip
Rachel: this is the part where if we were having a face to face conversation
i would give a blank stare
and then a smirk
and not really have anything to say
I don't know.
me: I do not want to make any decisions for you
Rachel: i know.
me: but if the reasons are that you don't feel "good enough" and you aren't sure that you will change
that is a lie and a fear that God doesn't want you to have
God sees you as the person He made you to be
He made you to be a beautifully complex, wonderful, brave woman of God
this Race is not about changing you
it's not, I promise
it's about you realizing who God has made you to be
nobody has their act together, and if they think they do, their dirt just takes longer for God and the community around them to pull out
do you have the desire to hear God's voice?
to discover who this God of the Bible is?
Rachel: yes, yes.
me: this Race will put you on that path
it won't solve everything
but you will be in an environment that is the absolute safest place you can be
a group of people bonded by love that will push each other and not leave each other where they're at
Training Camp alone rocked my world with things I had never been exposed to
the Holy Spirit, prophecy (which often is just encouragement)
I thought so much of it was WEIRD!!!!
and so did so many others
but nobody is trying to impress anybody else
it's a community where everything can be put on the table without being judged
where we've come from is not who we are.
Who we are is who God sees us as.
and my Teach for America experience prepared me so much for this race
not my church upbringing
because I was used to not having to put up this front that I don't have everything together
one of the biggest things for the race is "being ok with not being ok"
give me something girl
what you thinking?
Rachel: um
honestly
me: yes please
Rachel: ok..I don't know..my head is going in 10 different directions
ok, so I know when things in my head are lies, but it doesn't change that they're there
me: well said
Rachel: so the prevailing thought is "yes, what weston is saying is true. For everyone on the trip. Doesn't mean it will be true for you."
which I get is ridiculous
but it’s what is there
but I know it's not truth
me: thank you for the honesty
Rachel: except the "what if" it is truth
ya know.
me: I do completely
good point
any other honest doubts
Rachel: the little things
the money things
i talked to rusty about this one...that if I don't have a plan for when i get back, that's all i'll be thinking about when I go there...so I'm wanting to have grad school stuff worked out for when i get back
but then i'm like, i'm not giving god control of my life then
me: good good good
Rachel: and training falls during my summer job
so i wouldnt get the money to pay back my loan
because i couldnt work that term
but honestly
all those things i dont care about
those are my rationalizations of why i shouldnt do it to avoid my real insecurities about not doing it
me: is God God?
I for one doubted that for the first two months of the race
and most of the summer before
my first comment to the squad at training camp two months before leaving was that I was struggling with doubts that God was real, that I had just rationalized everything in my head to believe in Christianity
not sure why I'm telling you this, or how it applies to our conversation
but God didn't smack me at any point with an overwhelming sense of peace
my motivations weren't the purest
(I love experiences and this was a great way to get them)
Rachel: haha
me: I will say that my heart's desire for more was there
I knew there is more to God than I get Sunday mornings
I knew God wanted more of me
I knew that I had NEVER really trusted God with anything
Rachel: hm.
me: nobody has the "right" reasons for going
you can't
part of that is because how the World Race advertises itself as only about 12% of what it really is
you won't understand that until a few months into the Race
you'll probably understand that faster than others because of your teaching experience
you understand that it takes a long long time to cause change in an area
but that you, Rachel Carlson, change while trying to bring about change
which are you more in control of?
Rachel: haha
um.
me: (the answer is: you're in control of how much you change, not others)
but this "change" that I mentioned earlier isn't a change of your personality or anything like that
it's a perspective shift
it's not just believing in God's love, but experiencing it
and the shift that comes from that realization
man, I wish you could know the stories behind the people on the race now
everybody is jacked up--as you would point out, some not as visibly--but God doesn't want us to be jacked up
that's because of this world, our culture, our family, our friends
am I rambling too much?
Rachel: no...not at all.
me: I'm sorry, I just know that if anyone from the squad weren't to finish the Race it would hurt me so much inside
because that means they would have missed out on understanding and walking in more of who God intends for them to be
and this isn't a matter of good and bad
come drink on the race
pretty much everyone will join you
Rachel: haha
me: it's about grace
and being with a group of people that honestly want what is best for you
not just themselves
it takes some time to get there though, because it's not magic
there has to be nights of long long talks going through miscommunications and harsh feelings
but the people here are committed to each other
we're in covenant
my position as one of the squad leaders is to raise up other leaders
that's it, that's my role for the next 8 months
it’s to play a role in making the other 41 people the best they can be
there are people over me doing that for me
this isn't an 11 month trip
Rachel: ugh..yes.
me: I could keep going and going
but I'm guessing the thought in your head is still, "yes, that's true for others, but what if it's not for me?"
Are you God's daughter? Then YES it's for you.
Rachel: yeah.
and the thought that I don't want to regret not doing this for the rest of my life
me: and I'm not just trying to advocate the World Race in all of this
if you can find another way to garner the things I've laid out, do it
it's not about the Race, it's about you!
just like teaching, you won't be able to explain the World Race when you're on it
you'll try, like I just tried, but people won't get it
Rachel: haha
and people will think they get it...but they dont.
me: as cheesy as it is, love is a verb
God's love is meant to be experienced
it's not principles for the mind, but matters for the heart
ok, I'll stop
reread this chat sometime if you want
Rachel: oh you know I will.
when stupid lies are being whispered
and/or shouted
me: God uses everything for His good
Rachel: i will come back to it for truth
me: His timing is perfect, not ours
Rachel: I know.
me: really? do you really believe that? really?
because I don't
I just say it because I've grown up being taught to say it
Rachel: haha
um
no
I guess not
me: I'm learning more and more that's it true though
I'm not there
maybe when I'm 80
maybe
Rachel: ugh...I hope I'm not alive at 80.
me: but why walk in spoon fed truth?
when the real truth is out there not to be grasped, but to be pursued
you're awesome
There's so much in you Rachel. So much.
peace out girl
Rachel: peace, Weston
again thanks
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Posted in Moldova by Weston Belkot on 7/30/2010
 I try to find balance by writing some serious blogs then some funny ones. I’m not saying this is funny, in fact it’s not. Interesting? Maybe. Funny? That's what random pictures are for.
You Know You're In Moldova When...
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Dial up internet can still be found.
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Geese, ducks, chickens, turkeys all congregate together in middle of road and then they all return to their appropriate homes each evening.
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The country lacks national identity. The obvious is that they live in Moldova, but the question is whether they are Romanian or Ukrainian.
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The train tracks get narrower. Literally, we were on the edge of the former Soviet Union, and the tracks weren’t as wide so trains couldn’t come in from the West. (The term is “break of gauge.”)
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Dropping a 200 lb—minimum-- concrete tube into 7 foot hole on top of another tube of the same size and hope it doesn’t smash into pieces is the best approach to putting it in place. (We were told something to the effect of, “Who needs cranes when you have Moldovians?”)
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Homemade soap, cheese, and compote are potent, potent, and potent, respectively.
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 Seemingly everything outside the capital city is undoubtedly out of the city.
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Children use basketballs to play dodgeball. Yes, a little girl did get thumped right in the stomach.
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You are surrounded by two countries—Ukraine and Romania—and one country that’s not a country—Transnistria. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria)
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Helping with “construction” at a village church means mixing, digging, digging, mixing, and a little more of the former and latter.
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The poorest country in Europe still doesn’t compare to West Africa. It’s a different world down there.
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The scale tells me I’ve gained three pounds on a trip in which I’m supposed to lose weight. Metabolism, don’t fail me now.
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They don’t sell Coke! (At least in the area we were they said it was too expensive.)
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The apples are sweeter than anything chemicals ever helped produce.
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Church is only about an hour 15 minutes. That’s it!
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We were corrected for clapping in church. (To be fair, that’s a denominational thing, I think, not a country thing.)
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I found out that I’m an uncle! Cooper Adam Belkot is his name.
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Plans are laid and made for the last month of ministry. One month left, oh my. (I can almost smell the bacon.)
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Posted in Moldova by Weston Belkot on 7/23/2010
Note: Whenever I say "we" or "our," I'm referring to myself and the 13 or so other people that will agree with the following. Heck, I might not even agree with this blog ten minutes after posting.
 We are arrogant, self-centered, and blind. We as human beings, not just Americans or just as Christians--although our kettle is far blacker--don't exactly embody lives exemplifying the others-first perspective. In a sense, we can't.
We are limited. Our lifestyles, our choices, and our world views are based upon limited information. There is truth, but that truth in practice is based upon our interpretation. Our perspective of the world is based upon our understanding, which comes directly from our knowledge, application thereof, and life experiences.
I'm not saying that truth is relative. I am saying that there are pieces that we can't know, we can't understand. While we might unconsciously nod our heads in agreement with that statement, does that tidbit affect us to the core?
I've been reading the book Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. Filled with more facts about the origin, evolution, and implications of language than the yearly Guinness edition has world records, my reading sessions are often limited to six, seven, eight pages at a time, but beyond the interesting intricacies there are delicate lessons about humanity being taught. English as we know it is a fluke-filled blip on the historical radar. (It's much more than merely "Latin based.") Our essential way of communicating is global, continually spreading,and arguably unique, but it's also just one of thousands. Think about this: Entire societies have ceased to exist without any physical or linguistic remnants remaining. Those societies weren't just history book blurbs, but people that went through love found, love lost; dealt with physical labor and labor pains; desired a better life only to come up wanting; and spoke to their friends and family about their beliefs in the only way they knew, their mother tongue.
Are we any different?
 Yesterday we spent the day working with a Moldovan youth camp from about 9:30am until 11:30pm. Around 10:20pm I was thirsty, dirty, uncomfortable, and insects were using my legs and ankles as landing strips and an impromptu smorgasbord. It was dark. I was quiet and borderline cantankerous. They finished what seemed like the umpteenth prayer in Romanian, which resonates as nothing more than noise to my ears, before our translator informed us that fifteen kids just dedicated their lives to following Christ.
Remember the onomatopoeias featured in classic Batman cartoons such as "wham" and "bam"? That's how my stomache initially felt. God knows the heart, but all I knew was that I wanted to shower and be in bed an hour ago.
It's important to walk in faith on the foundation that has been established, but that groundwork can't be viewed as the way, the truth, the life. It's our way, our truth, our life. (Remain calm. Don't throw any objects. Stay with me.) We have such a small, tiny, itty-bitty, miniscule, minute--insert more synonyms here--understanding and perspective. That's no one's fault more than Adam and Eve's. It's a limitation we experience as humans. It is our fault to think we have the world view, the theology, and the understanding that has eluded billions for millennia. (Sidenote: Literally billions of people on this planet right now do not have an alphabet. Not illiterate, I mean their languages do not have letters to alphabetize.) Does any of that rattle the boxes and categories you've subconsciously formed to make sense of this world?
Section for Nay-Sayers: God knows. God knows your heart, their heart, and my heart. God knows justice for those living a life of affluence and those living a life of subsidence. No part of this writing was an appeal to tolerance, but, instead, an outcry for the recognition of ignorance. Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, not what your current understanding and years of teaching say is Jesus. If we think we have it figured out, we need to revisit the heart of the Father.
Section for the Choir: No, people don't need to "get out" and get more experiences. Others don't have to read your newest favorite book. Nobody on this planet needs to read my mental meanderings. As part of the choir, though, it's certainly ironic to hold this position of agreement. Even by approving that this blog is an accurage explanation, that is thereby further supporting the argument being made. (That's a tongue twister for the mind that I have to rediscover each time I think about this.) If we think we have it figured out, we need to revisit the heart of the Father.
The more I understand, the less I understand. It doesn't make sense, yet it does. That's the a point.
PS: Thanks God. With you around I'll never be bored, and you know how much I don't like being bored. My most recent question is, "Can I fathom a box that doesn't have defining walls?" because I know you can.
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Posted in Greece by Weston Belkot on 7/13/2010
 Over the last few weeks I’ve ridden on a train for approximately 80+ hours. As I write this, I’m about to embark on the last ten hour leg of train travel, at least for a few weeks. With all of this time on my hands, I definitely have taken the opportunity to read, to try out never-before-seen sleeping positions, and to think. Below are a few of the thoughts that have gone through my head while aboard an Eastern European train.
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“Awkward” is itself, awkward.
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I think God laughs when he grants every child’s wish to touch the sky, and then the adults complain about the fog.
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I want to learn how to describe cheeses.
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How sure are we that the pyramids aren’t just well-hidden, one-side-lacking, upside down dreidels? The Jews did help with construction.
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Yelling “fire” in a crowded theater probably wouldn’t elicit more than a budge from people. Think about car alarms. Those don’t cause alarm.
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If adolescents smoke marijuana on the way to school, does it become a school of higher learning when they’re in class?
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Business idea: Find a way to copyright an already in use card game requiring a standard 52 card deck.
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My argument against vegetarians: Chickens. They are born to be eaten. Look at them. It’s meat on two sticks.
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In a naïve, simplistic understanding of the word, are masochists inherently in favor of capital punishment?
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The animated version of The Velveteen Rabbit…amazing!
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I wish someone could explain the expression “heads over heels” to me. Literally, it doesn’t make sense.
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 My first, middle, and last name only have the vowels E and O and they are almost in the same locations within each name: Weston Gregory Belkot. Blasted letter R.
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If a duck received chemo, would it lose its feathers?
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Does God consider the invention of the boa—the neck apparel—a sin?
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Is it accurate to say that when a frog dies that the frog has croaked?
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I don’t want to be on this train anymore.
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An idea for a girl’s name: Story.
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I would feel guilty if I learned that sidewalks had feelings and a low pain tolerance.
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It’s interesting that animals, cars, and people make their own tracks, but a train doesn’t.
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Buttons protrude, so why isn’t it called a belly hole?
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Is cooling a room in which Pavlov is training the next in line to the throne repetitive?
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What’s more tangible: a rainbow or a shadow? I would argue a rainbow.
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Will I get more responses on this blog than the serious ones?
On a serious note, we have teams traveling from Germany, Czech Republic, Greece, and Serbia in to Ungheni, Moldova, in the coming days, so your prayers would be appreciated.
And, yes, your thoughts on any of these thoughts or questions would obviously be enjoyed as well.
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