just thinking about tomorrow...

We're flying out tomorrow. I think all of the nerves are setting in. This is real. All of the packing, praying, and preparations are finally coming into play. Please pray for our team's safety in arriving in the Dominican Republic, for strength to overcome immediate fears and struggles, and for us to focus completely on glorifying God through our actions and attitudes. How can you specifically be praying for me? Well here's some things that are currently on my mind:

Some things that I am anxious about:

balancing my time between studies and relationships
knowing Spanish well enough to communicate effectively with my host family
feeling isolated and lonely due to language differences
becoming homesick due to different people, traditions, foods, living conditions, etc.
finding alone time with God
allowing myself to let go of control and fully experience the new culture (including their concept of time)

Some things that I am excited about:

establishing genuine relationships with my team
meeting my host family and being called "hija"
being able to finally say "hablo espanol" fluentlly
saturday excursions such as tubing, hiking, white water rafting, etc.
getting to know the girls at my work site and just hearing their stories and loving them them in practical ways
getting out of my comfort zone and truly experiencing a cross cultural immersion experience
just seeing what God has in store that is beyond my imagination

next time I post we'll be in Jarabacoa! Hasta luego!

a new beginning

Today was our first day of orientation before the big trip. It's becoming so real that for the next four months I'm going to be emerged in a new culture, language, and family. It's hard to know what to expect, besides the occasional stories from last years' travelers about life-threatening tubing excursions and eating chicken feet. I have a rough schedule of what my time entails that I'll share here so you all can know what I'm doing during what weeks. As for the next two days, our team will be in orientation getting to know each other and learning about what to expect.

Timeline:
Sept 1 Travel to Jarabacoa, DR
Sept. 2-3 Local Orientation
Sept. 6-Oct. 8 Spanish Classes
Oct 9-Oct 15 Travel Week
Oct 16-18 Ministry Class
Oct 25-Dec 10 Work at ministry site
Dec 12-13 Beach Trip
Dec 14-15 Debriefing at Base
Dec 16 Travel home

Thanks to all of you who have showed such interest in my trip! I hope that through my stories and pictures along the way you will get a feel for the new life that I am experiencing and feel like you are a part of the excitement.

Please continue to pray for our group as we dive into an unknown culture, face challenges and struggles, and learn to lean solely on God in this coming semester.

God bless!
Rachel