The Beginnings

I am nearing the end of my first week in Jamaica and I figured I should update this while I have time because from the looks of it, life will be jam packed starting next week!

Sunday I arrived in Montego Bay. After a little difficulty at customs and not being able to find/be found by the people who were supposed to pick me up, I finally connected with some DTS staff at the airport and we made the scary journey to the base. I say scary only because of the driving! Very narrow bumpy roads combined with fast driving and being on the left side of the road made for an interesting truck ride. I spent the rest of Sunday unpacking and meet some of the students who had already arrived.

This first week has been an orientation week which basically means they've been going easy on us! We have done some foundational laying classes(Truth of the bible, Hearing God's Voice, Work is Worship etc) to help us grasp the lectures that will come in the following weeks and have started sharing our testimonies and getting to know each other. There are 18 students in this DTS and it is amazing to hear each ones story as to where they are in their journey with Christ and how God lead them to Jamaica.

I feel I have adjusted to most things pretty well. We only have cold water for our showers which I thought would bother me but instead I love it as it provides relief from being HOT all the time. At night the base guard dogs howl at the street mongrels which makes a interesting lullaby to fall asleep to.My roommates are wonderful gals. One is 23 and from Jamaica and the other is 19 and from Idaho. It's been fun getting to know them so far. The food for the most part is delicious. I'm enjoying eating some traditional Jamaican meals however I did not enjoy pigs tail with beans.Yes i said pigs tail.

The staff all seem like great people who are passionate for Christ. Most of the staff are from the Caribbean if not Jamaica. There are a couple from the states and that's about it. The base is beautiful and kept up pretty nicely. The campus is on a hill that over looks the ocean so there is lots of stairs and steep sidewalks (good exercise in the heat!) It is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been (I guess I haven't been that many places but still). Its magnificent.

This weekend we will venture out into Mobay and maybe find the beach. Friday night will be a welcome party for part of the evening but after that we will go to a christian reggae concert! Can't wait to experience the more of the culture. Prayers are greatly appreciated as I continue to adjust. Love you all:)

I'm on my way!

I can't believe I am almost IN Jamaica already. By lunch today I'll be there. 4 months of waiting,over! While saying goodbye to my family I thought "Why in the world am I doing this?!" but as I started flying, a peace just settled over me and an excitement overwhelmed me. I can't wait to see how my journey is going to play out. I can't wait to see each day how God is moving in me and through me and through YWAM.I can't wait to be used by the King of Glory. I can't wait to give someone in Haiti a big hug!

My travels so far have been pretty uneventful but I've had a few "gems" placed in my path today that have blessed me incredibly: 1)A dear friend who came to visit me on my last day 2)An amazingly encouraging and unexpected letter3)A mix tape and 4)Free Starbucks x2.God is amazing!!

Shout outs to Jen, Maxine, Colin and Nigel. Can't thank you all enough :)

The countdown is ON!

Well summer is over and it comes down to this...11 days till I am Jamaica bound!

It was a busier summer than I anticipated (hence the lack of posts) but when I look back at it, I am just SO blessed by the way that friends, family and even some who don't know me(!) have blessed me with their support, encouragement, prayers and excitement for me! I can't help but smile when I think of the how stressed out I was about my finances and then seeing the way God proved his faithfulness to me over and over and giving me exactly what I need!

I read a little reminder of this today..
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."Isaiah 55:8-9. Love that!

So basically now its crunch time...I have one more week of work and then a week to prepare for the experience of a lifetime! For those of who don't know, I found out that I will be doing most of my outreach portion in Haiti. I can hardly wait to see how God is going to move!

Thanks to all of you who have shown your support for me! It means more than I could ever express!