Things are starting to get settled in... I think!

I've been living with a host family for just over a week now and things are settling down and I am getting used to the routine. I generally get up at 6:30a. By get up I mean physically get out of bed and not wake up; my family mom starts stirring and often sings or plays loud music at 4:30a or shortly thereafter and there's a rooster that frequently gets midnight mixed up with sunrise. But after getting out of bed it's time to take a shower. It's very important to shower at least once a day here, if not twice. I tried to skip a morning once and it was like I had committed a crime - I wasn't dirty at all buts that's the culture here - very clean and very hygienic. A shower is either in a shower much like you would imagine, but only with cold water, or on mornings that water is not running to the shower (which has been the case for 6 days now), I fill a 5 gallon bucket from a hose or cistern and use a large dish to pour water over me. I actually prefer this way because I can either control the cold on me or if my family has warmed water on the stove, I can have a lukewarm shower.

After this I have breakfast which is either corn flakes or beans and tortillas. I actually had pancakes with mantequilla the other day which was a nice treat, but very different. I then leave and walk to a teammates house and then we walk to the local church. It’s about a 30 minutes walk for me total (15 by myself). At the church I have Spanish class for 4 hours with one 20 minute break, and then it’s off to lunch at Rachel's house (a 20 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride if we choose, but its fun to walk). We hop on the computers at her house briefly then spend time in culture study. Andy nicknamed the house "English Town" or "Pueblo de Ingles". In the evening we walk back to the church (close to where the Karen's and Andy live) where we split off and Andrea and I walk home. In total I walk about 1 hour 40 minutes a day so that's good exercise with my heavy bag of books at my side. The walk by myself is quite relaxing and I have begun to use it as a prayer time. If the last portion of my walk is too late, I try to get a cab home.

The house I live in is very different from that in which I am used to back home. The family keeps it clean (as do most people here) but being that it is fairly open to the air and older, it’s not uncommon to see critters run about - I actually just saw a mouse a few minutes ago. But like I said, the floors and furniture are very clean. Many things here are fairly progressive and I would venture to say, even with my limited knowledge, that in restaurants they are probably cleaner than in the States. Just one example: I was at a Burger King to watch a soccer game (there are TV's everywhere) and in the course of less than two hours they mopped the main floor four times. I guess if someone comes in and slips they don't have to worry about a law suit going through in court.

I will wrap this up by saying thanks to all those who have bee so faithful in prayer this last week. Without you and your cries to God on my behalf I don't know how I would have persevered. The first few days were overwhelmingly lonely and I learned to trust the Lord in a way I have never had to before. It has been hard but has been a blessing in disguise as I have never used so much Scripture to push through life. God's Word has never been so close to my heart and for the first time in a long time, I can't get enough of it when I have time to sit down and read.

In your free time, I encourage you to read Psalm 18 and just contemplate and ponder the power of the God we serve. It's a passionate chapter, but since it is long, I won't post it here. Here are some other things that have driven me to make it this week.

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' "
- UNKNOWN -

This is my quote to persevere in the language. I have learned much for one week, but have so far to come. Sometimes I feel like I won't be able to speak well even in five months, but I will continue to press on daily. I have this passion to study all the time and I can honestly say, if I had spend this much time studying anything else with as much passion, I could have had two PhD’s by now!!

And my verse for these days:

Isaiah 43:1b-3a

"Fear not, for I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will

not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord. Your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."

The team enjoying some beverages at, "El Centro".

We stopped by an orphanage up in the mountains. We visited some of children that Andrea had worked with back in January of this year.