June 2

In Flight
The whole thing still seems surreal. Maddie & I still haven't grasped that we're about to land in a foreign country to do mission work.
I'm starting to get excite, though, rather than the itinal dread I felt yesterday. I'm trying not to focus on what I'm giving up, but on what I'm gaining. The things I'm leaving behind--my family, Jimmy, the luxuries of America--are really what I need to give up for Christ anways. I'm experiencing in a physical way what I need to be doing in a spiritual way. It's hard. But I'm gaining so much. I'm going to learn about another country & do something I've always wanted to do. I know this will be life-changing & I can't wait to se how.

My First Night
This is so hard.
The bus ride was...we were in an old school bus. After exiting the plane, we had to wait a little bit for the bus, but that's how it works in Nicaragua. The airport is tiny. There are two baggage carosels with several ads in English.
We stood outside for a while waiting for the bus.
The twomost used parts of vehicles around here, I'm convinced, are the gas pedal & the horn. Our bus driver honked at everything. There are no real road names or speed limits here.
We stopped at a gas station to get some food & water. I bought a five pack of gum, a 1.5 Liter bottle of water, a small can of Pringles, & a Milky Way candy bar. My total was $2.97.
The house is called Casa Blanca, White House. It's a stucco off-white color with windows everywhere. The long-termers came out to greet us, & that was cool.
The main room of the house has huge windows. The showers are outside. When we arrived, the water wasn't working. It just started.
I'm so homesick. I had to "use the bathroom" earlier for crying. Maddie is really homesick, too. Stephanie is happy to be away. I'm envious yet heartbroken for her. I wish I could do this with no problems or tears, but I love that I miss my parents & Jimmy so much.
Dinner consisted of steak, salad, strange blackish beans, rice, & tasteless wrap things. I didn't eat much, & now I'm super thankful I packed so much food.
Everyone gets one cup for the week & is responsible for keeping up with it & keeping it clean.
I can't wait for this time next week.
I came upstairs after dinner before the devotion time & found my bed covered in bugs. My bed happened to be right under the light. One of the hair cutting ladies, Angie, helped me move the bunks away from the light & me move beds. I can feel every rod through my thin mattress. Luckily Stephanie had three extra pillows, so I got one & now I have two. Small comforts.
I wish so much I could email or call (for like 5 minutes) my parents & Jimmy to say how much I lvoe & miss & take them for granted. Ok, Jesus, I understand how much I do love them...can I got home now?
There are so many different reasons that people are here. Most of them are here for the kids. I'm eager to meet the kids who make it so worthwhile...
I was reading in Lamentations & found this verse, which really helped me...
"You came near when I called to you, you said, 'Don't be afraid.'" (3:37)