First scary moment while in Caracas...don't worry though, clearly I made it safe and sound. Today we took the metro to a place we visited a few days ago, the Parque de la Este, which means 'Park of the East.' Well, Saturday mornings on the metro are extremely crowded. People are packed in like sardines, you smell a lot more body odor than you'd like to, and you have to learn to shove your way through. I, being new to the metro, have not mastered this art of pushing people to get into or off the metro. So as the group is getting onto the crowded metro I suddenly find myself last in line and there is literally, at least in my opinion, no space for me on the car. The warning beep sounds and the doors start to close as Alli, who is in front of me slips in. I quickly run to the next door over but at this point the doors are not even big enough for my hand to fit through. I watch as the only people I know zoom by me and have a minor freak-out moment. Here I am, this young blonde girl, clearly alone, standing in a tunnel underground amidst a bunch of other Venezuelans who I feel like are all staring at me. At this point, despite my slightly shaking legs, I prayed and regathered myself. I realized all I needed to do was get on the next metro and if I didn't see my group before then, get off at our stop. As it turned out, the group quickly realized that I wasn't there, got off at the very next stop, and was waiting for me after having been apart from them for less than 10 minutes. However, I am thankful for the Lord's protection and giving me presence of mind in what felt like a scary situation.
Also of note today, it rained really hard this afternoon. It is the rainy season but today is the first day it had rained here while we were out and about. We left the metro on our way to the bus that would take us near home and the rain is just pouring. The streets are dirty so not only are my feet getting wet, but flecks of dirt are appearing on my pants, ankles, and shoes (and we all know how protective and obsessed I am about my shoes). I live at the top of a mountain so the water runs like a river down towards the city when it rains. Our bus seriously drove through a stream of water that was several feet deep. The Venezuelans didn't even want to get off the bus because it meant wading through waist deep water to get to the sidewalk. Also, the sewers overflow when it rains so not only are you walking through a rushing river, but you are walking through 'poop water.' So when we got off our bus, we were running through this poop water, soaking our shoes and the tops of my capris.
However, it led to an hour of sitting in a panaderia in Central Polo (sort of equivalent to a mall...sort of) talking about our feelings after four days in this city and how we handle stress. I felt encouraged by their care and concern for us and once again reaffirmed that this is where God wants me. I thank the Lord for His continual reminders that He is caring for me and loves me.
Prayer requests:
1) We are still having issues with the water. It is currently not working at all and the tank is completely empty but no one knows why. I am thankful for two days of warm showers and that 10 other people in this house will have to look as gross as I do when the water isn't working. Apparently the city turns the water off on Sundays and Mondays and normally our tank would get us through these two days, but it's broken so we're stuck until it comes back on.
2) We are also still waiting on internet for the house. Everything is Venezuela just takes a lot more time. All we need is a call that someone, kind of like the cable guy in the States, is coming to set it all up. However, in Venezuela, this can take weeks or months to happen. So we continue to wait patiently and are thankful for times we can go to the school and use their internet.
Spanish word of the day: agua negra which means 'black water' or what the Venezuelans call the poop water that appears during a rainstorm
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