We're Here!

Hello All,

Well, we're borrowing Internet (we're staying with a couple named Beckie and Rayner) so I can't type too much but know that we did make it safe. Our flight was a bit delayed but we got to SD around 5pm and Beckie and Rayner were there to pick us up and take us to their very cute apartment. So far, we've been out to the local food/restaurant thing where we picked up fried chicken and fried plantains for lunch. After dinner, Rayner and I took the guagua (bus) to his sister's boyfriend's apt to grab an air mattress. Then we walked over to his sister's apt to say hello before catching the guagua back home. I'm pretty sure I started sweating when I picked our first bag off of baggage claim and have yet to stop completely. It's definitely going to take me awhile to adjust to the heat. We also learned how to cross the street (just slowly make your way across, one lane at a time until you've finally crossed the entire street) and how to get on a concho (motorbike taxi) though I think I need a refresher because I can't remember if it's from the right or the left side (some student I am huh?!) The initial anxiety has passed as we've arrived safely but there is still quite a bit of anxiousness lurking behind because the Spanish is so fast and not at all what we learned in school which suddenly feels VERY formal. But God is good and with your prayers we will settle in (some day!) I am longing to have a place to call home though feel extremely privileged to have even made it this far! What an honor that God would bestow upon two silly folks like Kelly and I to be able to come to this BEAUTIFUL country to serve His people whom He loves so much more than I can fathom and to learn what it is to experience solidarity in the Kingdom cross-culturally. We could not feel more blessed. Uphold us in prayer though because the emotion of it all is dying to manifest in all kinds of unhealthy ways - pray that we would be on our guard against arguments, giving into sadness, allowing fear to compromise our decision making, allowing sheepishness to impede our learning or social risk taking, and above all that we would cling ever so tightly to Him. The paradoxical life has never been so real as it is today.

Love,
S&K