Insanity and Good Hair Days

    Insanity is referring my day and the stress that comes with moving to a different country on a very tight budget, as well others that are moving here this week. Good Hair Days, unfortunately, is not a reference to myself, thanks to this humidity. In the midst of all the chaos of running errands, finding apartments, and getting settled in, my good friend was able to look for the silver lining- at least she had a good hair day today. It's the little things I suppose for her, and the comedic relief for the rest of us.

     Today I have been checking out apartments and trying to get my classroom in order. Both of these tasks have the potential to become stressful in themselves. I have to keep reminding myself that both of these tasks will get sorted, and that they are insignificant in comparison with the many blessings that I have received from God since I arrived. This weekend has been a reminder of how much God loves us and the beautiful things He places in our lives and on this earth. This week we have a church group visiting from North Carolina, and this weekend was spent joining in on their mission trip fun. Saturday we drove about an hour west to Utuado to visit two caves. The first was La Ventana, and as those who know me can attest, caves are my favorite places in the world to visit. If possibly I could just move into one, my cheap living arrangement puzzle could be solved. After visiting this cave (which was GORGEOUS), we drove to Arecibo to visit another cave called La Cueve del Indio. At this site there was much to explore, including a cave with indigeneous Indian writing. After that we explored the rock on the coast line where other smaller caves rested within the water. There is no way to begin to explain how beautiful this place was, except even a postcard wouldn't do it justice. It makes me wonder what God was thinking when He created places this beautiful, as if He laughed to Himself knowing all the people that would be in giddy awe when they saw it. All I kept saying was "I get to live here!!!! I get to live here!!!!" Once I have the time, photos will be posted :)

     Yesterday we went with the North Carolina group to Old San Juan. We passed out lunches and clothes to the homeless. It was an incredible experience on many levels. Personally, it was the first time I was able to get to know some of the church members. Serving with them and the group from NC was a reminder of what God expects us to do with our lives: love Him, love others. I love my new church here, Toa Baja Christian Church, and if I was able to feel such a deep connection with God and others on the first Sunday, I can only imagine what the future brings with my involvement. Although we did not receive much interest on the clothes, we were able to feed lunch to 120 homeless men and women. I learned that many homeless from the states are actually here in Puerto Rico. How they got here is questionable, wether on their own accord or not. Either way, that is not a fact that settles well inside of me.

     Speaking of the incredible blessings God has sent my way, let me tell you about those people God has placed in my life here in the PR. Since I arrived I have had the chance to meet with and connect with so many people from the school and church. The main thing is that I feel so taken care of. Those here are helping me every step of the way, wether it's calling about apartments, taking me to the grocery store, or just spending time with me. If I went into all the many people and all the ways that I am being encouraged and helped, then this blog would never end. Over time I do hope to introduce many of them to you. We have three more people coming this week to work at the church. They are finishing up a program at Johnson Bible College and will be getting here Tuesday and Wednesday. Please pray for them for their travel and for God's provision in figuring out how to do life here! Two of them, a young couple, have never visited Puerto Rico before, so their move is quite a leap of faith.

     Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. So much has happened in the past few days, and it seems like all of it worth sharing. My internet availability is inconsistent at this point, so I am not sure how often I will be able to post for awhile. Thanks again for all of your support, prayers, and encouragement. Please pray for me, that I may find a suitable apartment and begin to raise financial support so that I may begin to save for a car. I miss everyone at home so much!

Fun fact about Puerto Rico: San Juan is the oldest establishment in U.S. territory. Many think that it is St. Augustine in Florida, however San Juan was established first! Ponce de Leon has an important role in both Florida and Puerto Rico.