I'm Here!

The adventure has begun! Thursday night we arrived in Jarabacoa after a day of smooth and safe travel. I knew right away that I was in the DR because the electricity went off while we were in the middle of the airport! Of course the girls screamed which made us look even more like out of place tourists but it was pretty funny. Then we took a 45 minute van ride into the city and lets just say I'm glad we never have to drive here because they are crazy! Stop signs are more of a suggestion then a mandatory rule! We got to stay the night at the new Students International base and it was really nice. The team we have is great! Everyone is getting along great (but I do realize it's only been 2 days ;)
The first night went really well. I had such a peace and I knew it was because people back home were praying. Thank you! It's awesome how you can fell the support of prayer when your awa. On Friday we went through a day of orientatio, touring the city, and a fun night getting used to the Dominican culture. Touring the city was a huge eye opener. Little boys (probably 4 or 5) were walking around the street trying to shine shoes for money, everyone rode mopeds, I saw a man with no legs but with a smile on his face and so much more. I expected to see poverty, I've heard about it, seen pictures, but when you are right there among it it blows you away. It's starting to sink in that this will be my home for the next 3 1/2 months and in all honesty I'm just as nervous as I am excited. Adapting to the language and culture is going to be harder than I thought but I am more than ready to dive in and pour myself into it.
The night ended with learning how to play dominos, cutting open a coconut (drinking the juice and eating it), and dancing Dominican' style!
This trip has started off well which is very encouraging! there are so many unknowns but God has been reminiding me that He is the All-knowing, and if that's not security I don't know what is. So am I'm faced with unknowns of who my host family is, where I'll live, if I'll get sick, how to speak the language, how I will make it through 3 1/2 months without seeing family/friends- God knows all those answers, so I rest in that. I think a lot of times we feel so much better when we know all the answers. Before I left I was shown this quote from Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis and I am going to hold onto it all semester...
"This is an important thinkg to remember
I can jump and still have questions and doubts.
I often meet people who are waiting to follow
God until they have all their questions answered.
They will be waiting for a long time, because if we
knew everything, we'd be....God.
So the invitation to jump is an invitation to follow
Jesus with all of our doubts and questions right
here with us."

Well, I've jumped and I'm here. Do I have doubts and questions? Yep. More than I realzied. WIll they be answered? I dont know. Am I ok with that yet? I'm getting there. But the invitation isn't to have them answered. It isn't to be comfortable. It isn't to "feel good" or to be safe. The invitation is to follow Jesus where he calls.
This morning my friend Shelby and I were able to wake up early, hike up the hillside, and watch a beautiful Dominican sunrise.We had a beautiful view of the city of Jarabacoa under a blanket of fog, mostly still asleep. It was one of those "I'm so small, God is so big" moments and I'm looking forward to more of those.
For now I have to go meet my host family! Adios!