I am currently listening to a bunch of children singing and laughing outside my window which has a great view of the city lights. Their sound warms my heart as I thank the Lord for His many blessings on me. My posts are likely going to be a few days late as I am typing them up on Word and posting them whenever I can get my laptop to the school to get internet access. So I apologize for the delay.
Today was once again another flood of information, but an incredible blessing came at the end. Marc and Amy took us on a tour of the metro, stopping in two beautiful parks and allowing us to do a little shopping at EPA, which is about equivalent to an Ace Hardware or a Lowe's. I learned that Caracas is split up into municipalities, similar to townships. We live in Las Colinas de Bello Monte. Taking the metro, we stopped in Miranda, Altamira, Chacao, and Chacaito, all districts of Caracas. I had the opportunity to meet the previous math teacher, who explained more about the city and what God is doing in Caracas. His passion for the Lord and heart for his people was very evident.
The afternoon and evening were spent back at home meeting with Chris and the new teachers for orientation and fellowship. Jessica made an incredible homemade pizza, which made me look forward to opportunities to cook. Tomorrow marks the last day of these “free meals” and we will soon have to learn to come up with meals on our own. We spent time in prayer for each other, for the school, and for the community. It was an incredible blessing to lift up these concerns to the Lord, acknowledge that He is our strength, and pray over the future. It allowed me to refocus on my purpose for coming to Caracas and made me thankful for coworkers who share the same vision.
Since coming here, my quiet time has been nonexistent. Chris's devotion yesterday was on the importance of spending personal time in the Word and I was convicted by his words. While spending time in prayer was refreshing, I need to make daily study of the Word a priority. This is an area you can be praying for. I know that without that time spent with the Lord, I will become drained and try to survive on my own strength.
Caracas definitely feels like a completely foreign country. I get overwhelmed when I realize that my next few trips to the store or on the metro will be without someone who has lived there for several years. I am nervous about my safety, getting lost, or finding myself stuck somewhere and unable to speak the language. However, I trust that the Lord will protect me as He sees fit and know that He has me here for a reason. I am trying to forge ahead with confidence and push myself outside my comfort zone so that I will feel more comfortable getting around in the city.
1 Corinthians 1:26-30 “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”
This was used in Chris's devotion and is a reminder of why I am here, who brought me here, and how He has plans to carry me through. I am reminded that even when I am weak, even though I am fallen, God's power is made perfect in my weakness.
Short Stories:
1) To purchase anything here at any store besides a restaurant, your passport number is needed. We always have to carry a copy of our passport and as of today, I have memorized my number in Spanish so I can give it quickly at the store. However, I managed to forget this process when purchasing a trashcan this afternoon. After ringing up my purchase, the lady rattled off something in Spanish and I looked at her blankly. In very incorrect Spanish I said “No hables Espanol” (should have been hablo) and she thankfully laughed and found a clerk who spoke some English. He looks at the screen and uses his knowledge of English to say “ID” and I immediately understood what I needed to do. Too bad I hadn't figured that out earlier.
2) I officially now have a fan and couldn't be more excited despite the insane price I paid for it. The box said 2 in 1, so Kayla and I assumed this meant we were getting 2 fans. Score! Wrong...the fan came with two different bases. However, the fans came extremely disassembled and the instructions were in Spanish but Kayla and I were determined to get them to work. We finally got hers assembled while mine had a stripped screw so I hauled my mattress into her room and slept there last night. But today I had David, the supervisor of the construction crew here, get the screw out for me, which he did in literally 2 seconds. However, I was unable to express my embarrassment in Spanish so I sheepishly said “Gracias.”
3) The awesome shower curtains my Mom made are finally up. Natalie, a returning teacher who I am sharing a bathroom and closet with, comes tomorrow and I was determined to have them up before she gets here. No problems putting them up and they look great. Thanks Mom!
4) I have only seen 2 other blondes in the three days we have been walking around Caracas. I am seriously considering dyeing my hair or at least getting some lowlights when I am home for Christmas. It would cut down on the amount of staring, although being a girl who is not Venezuelan is enough for them. I am excited for Natalie to come as she is also a blonde. Who would have thought hair color would be so important?
Spanish word of the day: pendiente which means roughly “awareness.” Whenever we are walking anywhere, we are to be aware of our surroundings, who is walking near us, and what situations we may run into. It is an important skill to know anywhere, not just in a city of 4 million.
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