Snakes on a what????

Week 1:

I am here now, and finally begining to settle in a bit. Honestly I have been struggling, wondering what in the WORLD I am doing here and praying that if I shouldn't be here, for God to let me go home. No, I don't really want to go home, but I don't want to feel this pit in my heart, this lump in my throat and the fear that I've had either. God has blessed, I know this. I had a row to myself on the plane out here...the whole way here and slept like a professional without the help of anxiety meds or sleeping pills, nice! I met some shady characters at my hotel the night in Jo'berg but they actually gave me someone to talk to as well and I received a coffee and "special drink" (maybe coke and lime) from each and was glad for conversation.

The flight to Nelspruit had an unexpected blessing as the man I sat next to on the shuttle to the plane, after I had asked him the time, and after he asked me where I was headed, said "hello Megan, I'm Marc...from Hands@Work".... I was a bit concerned at first as to how he knew my name but found that he snuck a peek at my boarding pass and put the peices together. My heart was put at ease on the small plane ride to Nelspruit and was even more overwhelmed as I stepped from busy chaos of Jo'berg onto the peaceful and pleasant soils of Nelspruit. We landed on an airstrip in the mountains, green everywhere and it was misting...always a blessing from God when it rains.

We arrived at my accommodations, me a bit shell shocked and in desperate need of a bed. My housemate and fellow volunteer, Farzam (whom I call Shaz as I can't pronounce his name correctly), met us at the schoolhouse where we were staying. It was just the two of us that first night and we actually bonded quite well. The schoolhouse was pretty empty, open downstairs with two bathrooms and a kitchen. Up the very steep stairs to the top floor was where we would stay, boys on the right, girls on the left. Our rooms smelled strongly of urine and the building was built of wood. Three beds in each room and not even as much space as my room back home...I wasn't too impressed but figured it wasn't about comfort, right?! The view from the balcony made it better though, a look out onto all of the Masoyi community and the sky bigger than I have seen before. It was beautiful. I wasn't happy to hear that we weren't in a gated area, the gate was a few 20 feet away surrounding the family that was volunteering with us and a couple of other local families. We were on the outskirts. I also found that there were bats, squirrels and I believe rats in our attic...fun noises coming through the slanted ceilings above our beds. I was terrified! The roof was tin and it rained the first two nights...I loved the sound and got to hear much of it as I laid awake, terrified of what might happen during the night. We have to alarm ourselves in at night...I learned that there have been a series of breakins within the area, especially our Christian campuses as the robbers had no need to worry about guns...my anxieties rose higher and higher. I also learned to walk hard...so that the Cobra's knew I was coming...can you just believe I wrote that?! Cobras!!!! Yeck, yep, terrified!

I made fast friends with the family of James and Megan and there three girls, twins Kayla and Gigi both three, and their youngest, Valen, who is two. They have been the joy of my heart with their love, hugs, and girly screams. I thank God that they are here as they make everything feel like home. Through some amazing events they were able to move down to the School of Missions, about a 7 minute walk down the road from the schoolhouse and we were able to move into the house right inside the electric fence. I miss them being so close but both our groups are relieved to have more security. The house has yellow, orange, blue and brown rooms...a backyard veranda, a washing machine (thank God) two bathrooms, four bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room...it is WONDERFUL! And there are three big dogs who live within the gate that love to protect. There are two guava trees right outside the front door which just tickles me...they taste like grapefruit too...which you all know I LOVE!

Brooke, the last of us singles arrived on Tuesday night, she is my girl partner and my roommate now. It's nice to have a girl to talk to and has been encouraging to me these past few days. I was doing okay at first, but the tears have been flowing. A spirit of fear has been in my heart and I have really needed to begin to trust God and release that stronghold...God is good though, and has been speaking peace to me.

They drive on the left here, you have to pay for bags at the Pick 'n Pay (our grocery) cell phones are called cells, a phone will cost you less than $30...wonderful! The people are beautiful, HIV doesn't look like what you might think, you call the grandma's Gogo's, You address the older women with Ma before their name..."good morning Mabeauty". They like instant coffee, there is tea time at 10 and 2, we go to bed when the sun goes down (around 7 or 8), there is electicity, I am sitting in a mall, life still goes on....

I saw a Zebra, no Monkey's yet...I hope to get some pictures soon but my camera has been locked away for safety's sake...I've got it now and need to start snapping the pics. I got tomorrow to live in the Masoyi community for four days. I will live in a child-headed home. the parents have died, and they children are left to survive on their own. I hope to bring love and FUN. It is a scary thing, no electric fences there, no dogs to protect, possibly no bed to lay in or shower to clean in or bathroom to use. The clean water is limited and the resources very few....this is to make their life reality for me, and I pray that God will teach me and that I will be open enough to learn. I don't want to be too scared to hear from Him, you know?!

Pray for me...I need some peace so I can start loving on people without fear.

Trust in God with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct they paths Proverbs 3:5&6 - The speaker brought me a card with this verse written on it, he said the Lord had laid it on his heart to give me...God is asking me to trust Him, and I am going to...just you watch! :)

LOve YOU!!!