The Little Things

The little things are____________. You fill in the blank. Are they something to be enjoyed? Do they hurt the most? Are they the most important? What are those "little things" to you?

To me, the little things are what I miss the most while living in Moldova. However, they aren't things like food (though I do crave a good Chipotle steak burrito occasionally) or places (although TJMaxx does get an occasional "I wish I could be at TJMaxx right now!").

To me, the little things are experiences. They are those moments that don't happen very often. They are the times to enjoy.

Living in Moldova, I miss out on a lot of normal teenager activity. I miss the wonderful experience of good English worship at youth group every Wednesday. I even miss ultimate frisbee at my small group, even though I stunk at it. Right now, what sounds really good to me, is going to Caribou with one or two of my good friends and just talking.  I now wonder why didn't I go to a single high-school football game at all last year, but now I wish I had, and I wish I could. I've come to realize those short and insignificant times are actually important.

This weekend, that little thing that was missed was North Central University days with my cousins, Brooke & Megan. I watched the pictures come up on Instagram and Facebook of the great time they were having, and I had a hard time accepting I wasn't there with them. Yeah, it wasn't that important, and I won't be going to college there anyway, but it still hurt. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I asked God to take that hurt away and help me deal with it. And He did and He continues to do so.

Most people take those small things for granted. Of course they'll be able to go to the football games in the fall, the Wednesday night youth group, the Sunday night small group, prom, university days, the coffee with their friends. It is all right there. I've had to accept that these aren't a part of my life right now. And when those little things do come about, I'm learning to grab on to them because they are important.

Of course, God blesses me with other things here, for which I'm grateful. But, I do wish sometimes, that I wasn't 6000 miles away and missing out on everything happening. It is hard, but I can get through it.

Me, Myself, and I

I decided to start a blog even though I vowed that I never would. I had been thinking about it for a while, when my friend Kenzie asked me, "Elissa, why don't you blog? You'd have so many stories to tell." I thought, "Why not?" and here I am. 

I am Elissa Ann Raatz and I am 17 years old. Over half my life now, I have lived overseas as a Missionary Kid--an MK. Where you ask? Moldova. And where is that you ask? Well, Moldova is a small country. It is sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. It is above the Black Sea and in Eastern Europe. It is a one hour plane ride to Istanbul, Turkey, a 3 day drive to Germany, and about 6,000 miles away from the center of the USA. It has been my home for 10 years now and I love Moldova. 

Along with my love for Moldova, I love a multitude of other things. 

I love and adore books. Mostly the Christian romance fiction kind, but I can be found reading other types. I'm a hopeless romantic and become very attached to the main characters in the books I read. Just reading about Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables makes me giddy. That said, I am loyal to every character that I fall hopelessly in love with. I defend them well when I am teased mercilessly by the rest of my family. They just don't understand how wonderful Todd Spencer really is, or how amazing of a guy Gilbert Blythe is. 

I also have a fond appreciation for music. I play the violin and have for about 9 years. I love it. However, I must say that I play through classical pieces with as much excitement as I can muster--which isn't much. But, give me a fiddle piece, and I'll work my tail off trying to perfect it. My love goes deep for the Celtic, Scottish and American folk music. 

I love being an MK. I love most everything about it. I can't imagine not living overseas. Being an MK has offered so many unique experiences. I've seen cool things and gone to some pretty amazing places. Of course, there are those things that will never receive any of the love I have to dish out. "Squatty potties" and the horrible, awful smell of our neighbor's homemade moonshine brewing in the fall, will never be on my list of "Things I love as an MK." 

But, one of the things I like best about being a missionary kid is seeing what God is doing in these places. Lives are changed through the ministries that we do. It is a blessing to be able to show God's love. 

In addition to all my other loves, I love spring in Moldova. I love the peaches we can get in August. I love the hot, carefree days of summer. I love the mountains. I adore cowboy boots. I love dresses. And, I especially love cowboy boots with dresses. I love my crazy family. I love my wonderful and caring mom. I love my dad, who is always there for me. I love my younger sister, Natalie, who is a beautiful and thoughtful girl. And, I love my littlest sister, Lauren, who is the logical, funny, baby of the family. Oh, and let's not forget Gracie, the Mini-Schnauzer who thinks she is a princess. 

So, there is a little bit about me and I can't wait to get to know all of you. I am excited to begin to share with you guys all of my stories and the lessons that I have learned from my side of the world.