God's gonna make me stand (Part 2)

Then there were the things I wasn't expecting: everything taking twice as long to do, common foods such as cheese tasting completely different, the huge adjustment to living in Venezuelan culture, and the feeling of being dependent on others and, more importantly, on God.
It's true, everything takes way more time to get done than you ever anticipate.  We now tell each other to overestimate how long something is going to take.  Venezuelans aren't as concerned about the time as they are about the events taking place.  Because of that things will start when people get there and end whenever they leave.  There aren't always definite times for plans and if there are they aren't stressed.  It was very hard for me to adjust to this because I've realized that I have a time orientation; I value promptness and schedules.  I've had to learn that this culture is different in that way: time isn't the most important thing and if things get done they get done, and if not that's okay too.  I admire this about them because they seem to enjoy where they are when they are there, whereas I often think about how long the present event is going to take and what time I need to get to the next thing.  A team motto is "flexibility".
I wasn't expecting the food to taste so different.  A common misconception that I also held before coming here is that Venezuelan food is just like Mexican food.  It is not.  In fact, you would be hard pressed  to find tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa or tacos! Some popular foods include "arepas", which are like sandwiches but the bread is made of cornmeal and can be stuffed with anything and everything, including PB&J. Rice and beans, and ham and cheese are also very popular.  Another common food is "platanos", which are plantains and can be cooked any number of ways: fried, boiled, and baked.  Empanadas are a popular breakfast food that are a fried cornmeal shell stuffed with meats and vegetables.  These are by far my favorite Venezuelan food.  American fast food restaurants and food items can be found all over the city.  We live just a few blocks from McDonalds and our language school is across the street from Wendys.  It is fun to go to these places but it can be disappointing because they aren't quite the same since they use local ingredients, such as the strong tasting cheese.
Adjusting to the culture was initially really hard for me because I spent so much time trying to find all the similarities between Venezuela and America and trying to make Venezuela fit into my picture of home.  That didn't work because the reality is that Venezuela is very different from home and it will never be like home no matter how many American things I try to surround myself with.  I've had to see that the differences aren't all bad and that there are so many things I can learn from the Venezuelan people, such as the value they put on simply being together without rushing off to the next thing as well as their affection for each other.  They are such a warm and expressive people in a way that makes you feel welcome and cared for even if it's only the first time you've met.  They make me want to love more openly and experience life more deeply.  I wouldn't be able to see these things if I was still trying to make Venezuela into what I wanted it to be. I think the Lord is definitely using Venezuela and its people to make me into the person that He wants me to be.
Another challenge has been feeling so much more dependent on others than I expected.  I just came off 4 years away from home living "on my own" and even this summer I spent a lot of time doing "my own thing" and I enjoyed that.  Since coming to Venezuela, I've lived with, worked with, and hung out with the same 6 people every day.  It's both good and hard.  They are amazing and I know it's good for me to have this experience of sharing my life with them but it's hard because I've never had to do anything like this before.  For most of my life people have been in defined parts of my life: I've had family, coworkers, classmates, friends, etc..and there was rarely overlap.  But now the lines are blurred because everyone is in every part of my life.  I'm seeing more clearly my need for community and how God doesn't intend for me to do life alone.  I thank Him everyday for them.
         The final aspect of life in Venezuela that I didn't anticipate but am so thankful for is seeing my need for God more and more everyday.  I wake up each day knowing that I can't do what I need to do that day without seeking Him and relying wholly on His power.  The days are long, I fumble through the language, I lose patience and don't understand so many things about life here but God is completely in control and so full of grace.  This time has been great for breaking down my pride and showing me that what I do is only because of what God enables me to do.  If I things weren't challenging and unexpected I wouldn't feel the need to seek the Lord; I would just power through and boast about my own abilities.  2 Corinthians 12:8-10
  Thank you so much for reading these long posts!! Thank you also for your prayers and support!
Philippians 1:3-6

God's gonna make me stand (Part 1)

Before coming to Venezuela, there were certain things I anticipated: warmer weather, meeting lots of new people, figuring out my new job, growing in my relationship with the Lord and getting to know my team.
The weather has been so nice though at times uncomfortable; temperatures have averaged in the high 80s during the day.
           It has been so exciting meeting new people everyday.  We've made friends with neighbors, people at churches and even employees at bakeries we frequent.  We've also met so many students: those already involved in the student organization, Vida Estudiantil, and those who have never even heard about Christ.  Venezuelans are very friendly and curious and initiating conversation is very natural.   They welcome you to sit down with them no matter what they're doing and they'll readily introduce you to all their friends! A few weeks ago some of my teammates and I were on the engineering campus with an information and survey table.  We are hoping to start a Bible study on the engineering campus and we wanted to start connecting with students that might be interested.  I sat down on a bench to finish writing some things for our table when Alexis, a student I had met on the bus a week earlier, sat down next to me.  We chatted for a little before he asked me what we were doing.  I told him and he was so excited because he had just become a Christian over the weekend.  He then introduced me to his friends, some of whom were Christians and some of whom were not.  He introduced me to Maria Antonieta who was interested in knowing more about having a personal relationship with Christ! She had some time so right there and then we did a survey and I was able to share the gospel with her in Spanish! It's was so incredible to see Alexis's enthusiasm for connecting with other believers and then to see the Lord open doors to another student being able to hear the good news!!
 Figuring out my new job has been a week to week adventure but I'm so thankful for each new experience.  Doing full-time ministry is very different from being involved with campus ministry back home.  I have so much to learn and I'm thankful that the Lord is so patient with me.  It is evident that the Lord didn't bring me here because I'm really good at ministry..but because He is mighty and sovereign!  Each day I learn something new about God, about myself, and about others. The national director for Vida Estudiantil in Venezuela, Deivi,  told us on our third day here that God's purposes in bringing us here were not about what we could do in Venezuela but about what He wanted to do in our hearts.  God has things He wants to teach me and Venezuela is where He has chosen to do that this year.  Deivi also added that my effectiveness in ministry will flow from my growth in the Lord.
             I have had a great time getting to know my team.  I am so thankful for each one of them and the ways that they reflect Christ's character.  All of us girls, 5 in total live together and we have had wonderful times sharing our lives with each other.  They challenge me to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord and to love others more.  I'm learning to be more honest about what I'm struggling with and God has shown me so much grace through each of these women.  I admire their faith and perseverance.  I'm looking forward to growing even closer and learning more from them.