Before leaving for Estonia, we had a farewell lunch together. Nancy and I were flying to Estonia soon, and Shelley was praying for us. There was a lot of laughter, well wishes, and, of course, Shelley brought gifts.
Then I shared my worry worms.
The camp theme was based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. On Wednesday of Bible Camp, I presented my lesson on Matthew 6:25-34 — worry. I volunteered to create and present this lesson because of something Pastor Bob’s wife, Karen, used to say.
“Why pray when you can worry?” It stuck with me all these years. Not that I am always able to cast all my worries aside, but practicing prayer over worry works.
As an object lesson, of sorts, I crocheted 53 “worry worms” to give to the class participants. I shared my concerns about what everyone would think about these crazy little creatures.
“They teach crocheting and knitting and other artistic classes in Europe in grade school,” I said. Over the years, I have found that European knitters’ and crocheters’ patterns are so much more clever and detailed than most of ours. I was expecting to be laughed at.
“So, let me get this straight, you are worried about your worry worms?”
“I guess I am.”
We are still laughing about it today. In the end, my worries faded away as the class participants loved the worry worms and brought them to class the next day. Watching them engage with the worms was a reminder that small gestures, given with care, can replace anxiety with shared joy.
Who would have thought that such a little gesture would bring so much pleasure and result in a Bible lesson? Revealing my textile background over the course of the week, I was asked by Pastor Siimon’s daughter, Kärt, to help decipher some knitting instructions. I was honored.
It was humbling to be involved in so many different lives that week. The people who sat with me to share stories or prayer showed me deep love and gave me a sense of purpose. As the week passed, I realized I could let go of worry and become more myself.
After my initial adjustment to the time change and my medication schedule, I felt healthy. My appetite increased as we ate our way across Estonia. I even tried a frog leg, but drew the line at wild game.
There were so many new experiences, I am still sorting through my thoughts and my garden. Next week, I may have to deviate from my mission trip to my next adventure. It has been a year of firsts for me. I thank God every day for you, your prayers, your love and support, and every breath I take…
INDYchildrendotme 
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