Apartment updates...

I have been living in my new apartment for 2 weeks now. Suitcases are mostly unpacked (still have a few things that I just don't know where to put, so for now they are staying in the suitcases). I have started purchasing some pieces of needed furniture and items. My dining room table and chairs were ordered and will be delivered in about a month. A few other needed items were purchased. A few are still being searched out.

I have finally got my keys figured out. In case you didn't know, doors work differently here than they do in the United States. To lock the door, you need to turn the key completely around 3 times. In this process, it double locks the 4 deadbolts that secure the door.

I am getting used to having the sun wake me up early (although sometimes the blanket goes over my head at 6:15am when the sun comes up. This morning was a bit cloudy so I didn't see the sun until around 7:30 or so.

I still do not have internet at my apartment, it will be ordered soon (hopefully). Once I have it, I will once again have access to my Ohio phone number.

I would like to invite you to come see my apartment. So, please come by and visit me in Maracaibo. See ya soon!!

Long time, no see...

I know it has been a while since I have updated the blog. I have not had internet for the past 2 weeks. But don't worry, I have been keeping track of what has been happening and will be posting more soon. Keep checking back!

Important new discovery

While I am still unpacking and getting everything situated in my new apartment, I did spend the night there for the first time last night. This morning, I made a very important new discovery...

My bedroom window faces directly due East!! And my blinds are not very dark. I think I know how I will be waking up every morning- God will be waking me up with His beautiful sunrise!

Venezuela in the News

I know that Venezuela has been in the news a lot lately. The latest was a political incident between Venezuela and Colombia. President Chávez sent troops to the border and had been talking about a possible war with Colombia.

I know that many people were concerned for my well-being here during this time. I want to assure you that everything is ok here right now. I never once saw any military units on the move and there was no change to daily life here in Maracaibo. If it wasn't for the news, we would not have realized anything was going on.

Yesterday, I saw a small political march. Chavistas (people who support Chávez) were marching through the streets, shouting, "uh, ah, Chávez no se va" (oo, ah, Chávez isn't going). This is the same chant I heard from Chavistas in 2004 during the recall election when the people tried to have Chávez removed from office. This was the first political march I have seen this year. It was peaceful. They made a lot of noise (yelling and beating drums), but that was it.

I know that the political situation in Venezuela can be very unstable at times, but I am not worried. I know that God is in control. God, for some reason only He knows, has permitted Chávez to be the President of Venezuela. I know that God will take care of everything and that nothing is a surprise to Him. Therefore, I am not worried. I do ask for your continued prayers, because prayer is the most important thing we have. I trust that the God who sent me here will keep me safe here, but I ask that you please continue to ask God for His protection, not only over me, but over all the people of this beautiful country.

On the move again...

Moving Day!!

Today I packed my suitcases yet again. However, this time, I will be able to unpack them. I am finally moving into my own apartment. I will once again have my own place to live.

I have been living out of a suitcase for the past 9 months. If you have gone on vacation and were tired of living out of a suitcase after a week, try doing it for 9 months. It's not easy. Was it worth it? Yes.

All of my suitcases were taken to my apartment tonight and I will be there starting tomorrow. I have nothing here at the house I've been staying at (and about 5 minutes ago realized that I don't even have my toothbrush here.)

It is exciting to be on my own here and to finally be settled, to finally feel like I live here. It's a little scary being completely on my own in Venezuela for the first time.

Please pray that this new adjustment will go well and that I can make good interactions with my new neighbors.

A busy weekend

As I promised, I would update you on the busy weekend we had here.

On Saturday, we had to go to the airport to pick up Edda. She is from Caracas and she works as a go-between to process the Visa and passport paperwork for people. We picked her up in the morning, took her to her hotel and had a pre-meeting meeting with her to discuss what she will be talking to the team about and to get an update on the process of how the Visa applications will work. We grabbed a quick lunch and went to the team meeting, which started at "4:00pm" (4:30ish would be more accurate). The meeting lasted until 10:30 pm. Everyone on the team got to discuss their application with Edda and we were also processing the paperwork for the church. Lots of paperwork and logistic details. (In other words, I got a ton of homework from this meeting, having to sort through paperwork.) After the meeting, we went out for a late dinner and then drove home. I arrived home at 12:30 or 1am.

I woke up on Sunday morning before 7am to get ready for church. I was told we were leaving by 7:30, so I figured we would be out the door sometime around 8. We left at 8:25. I was at church for my usual 6 hours, leaving sometime between 2:30 and 3pm. Church services were packed and we had even more children for the second service than usual. I worked in the class for 4-6 year olds, where there were 45 children and 1 teacher. We had serveral children on the floor because of a lack of seats. The room is not big enough to accomodate that many children but we had no other choice. It was a crazy time and I don't think the children actually learned anything. Edda came to church and said she enjoyed it. She is Catholic and believes strongly in the Virgin Mary. We were praying for her that she might hear the truth and understand. After church, we went to lunch and were there until around 6pm. Afterwards, I came home and crashed. I was exhausted.

Sometimes I wonder why God brought me here. I know the work that I am supposed to be doing, but I know that God sometimes has other plans beyond those. I sometimes wonder if I am making a difference for the Kingdom of God. Only God knows for sure. However, on Sunday, before one of the services, a man came up to me. He knows me because I was presented to the church when I arrived, but I don't know him. He told me that he had been talking with his mother about me and that I am a really inspiration for him. He told me that he knows it must have been really hard to leave my home and my family and everything I know to move to a place that is completely different- different home, different culture, different language, different church. He said he was proud of me and the work that I am doing for God. This was really an encouragement for me.

I may not know everything that God has planned for me here, but that's ok. I will keep on working for Him anyway. After all, what greater work is there in the world than to work for The One who created the world?

One step closer...

Today, I was given the keys to my apartment, all 8 of them, plus the remote for the gate for the car I don't have. We went to my apartment to try the keys to see if they work and discovered that they had delivered my new bed, dresser, mirror, and night stand. I have been given the ok to move on Monday.

This weekend promises to be busy. We have our next meeting for Misión Ohio tomorrow, where those who are planning on going on the mission trip will be turn in their deposits and applications. We also have a person coming in from Caracas to discuss the Visa application process for those who need a visa.

Sunday will be spent at church for half of the day, then packing and doing an inventory of the items already in my apartment.

I will update you later how this weekend goes. :-)

Bible Study in the park

Yesterday, I went to a Bible study with Michelle, the girl whose family I'm staying with. There were 4 other people there from the church and several college students from the local college. The study was held outdoors at the park adjacent to the lake. The topic of the day was relationships.

While I did not understand everything that was being said, I did get the general idea. During the study and discussion, a man who was selling cepillados (a snow cone in a cup with sweetened condensed milk poured on top) stopped and listened in. He even contributed a little to the conversation and discussion.

After the discussion, we had a time of prayer. The cepillado seller joined us in the prayer. Afterwards, he asks many questions about prayer, as did 2 of the other guys at the meeting. As explained to them, prayer is talking to God. It is not a memorized speech that you learn that sounds nice. It is talking with God, telling Him how you feel about Him, telling Him of your needs, how you need Him in your life, praising Him and thanking Him for the blessings He has given, and interceeding for others by asking God to help them. After this explanation, each person said a prayer request that they had and then we prayed again, thanking God for His many blessings and lifting up the needs that we had.

Afterwards, many people from the study bought a cepillado and someone bought one for me. It was my first experience with these. The ice, in the past, would have made me sick. Whenever you find yourself in Venezuela AND HAVE ADJUSTED TO THE WATER, make sure you try a cepillado.

Creative use of resources

The Venezuelans are very conscious about their appearance. Cleanliness is important, as is the way you look and the way you present yourself. So, what do you do when you are supposed to be at a Bible study at 10:30 am and you wake up to find that there is no water in the apartment and it wont be turned on til noon??? You get creative, that's what you do. And that is what I did.

I took advantage of my "resources" and did what any person from Northeast Ohio would do when in the tropics during the first week of March... I went swimming. I figured the water in the pool could at least get me somewhat cleaned off (although I didn't think they would appreciate it if I brought my shampoo to the pool). After "bathing" in the pool, I used a glass of water from the fridge to take care of the final cleaning touch-ups.

You do what you have to do when you have to do it. Swimming might not be the ideal way to bathe, but it sure is the fun way!

Regaining stability

I just returned from seeing my new apartment for the first time. I am excited. I like the apartment. It's small but not too small. It has a brand new stove, refridgerator, and 2 new air conditioners. It's located in a good neighborhood. It's not really close to the church, but it's not super far either.

The church administrator said she will tell me when the paperwork is finished. I have no idea how long this will take, but I am now a step closer to living on my own here.

The thing I like about this is the fact that I will be regaining a little bit of stability in my life. I have been living with someone, mostly out of a suitcase or two, since June of last year, when I moved out of my apartment. It is hard to constantly live out of a suitcase. It is hard not having a place of your own.

It will be really good to unpack the suitcases and be able to put them away for a while.

The apartment building

The entrance to the building

My living room (It came with the couches!)

My bedroom (They will be bringing a bed and a mirror)

The Kitchen