Akron

Akron is beautiful. It's a super tiny town, but it is really gorgeous. There are many rolling hills and lots of green trees and grass. The complex here is amazing! There are four different "houses" with about 12 bedrooms each (2 people to a bedroom), a living area and a "kitchen." They are really fun. I have a fantastic roommate who is from Santa Cruz, Bolivia (where I'm going) and we have a lot of fun teaching each other Spanish and English and learning about each other's culture.

I absolutely love meeting so many people from all over the world. There are about 50 of us from North America and 60 from elsewhere. There are a lot of different languages echoing around here. I'm enjoying my time here, although every now and then I get a pang of homesickness when I realize what I'm doing. It's comforting, though, to know I'm not the only one who feels the same way.

One of the things I love the most about being here in Akron is the chance to see people from all over the world praising God in different languages. We've sung a few songs in a few different languages and it's awesome to know that it doesn't matter if you're singing in English or Cambodian, God understands both. I had someone from Korea pray for me in Korean and that was no less powerful than it would've been if she prayed for me in English. At the commissioning service there were many many people praying to God in their own languages. It was beautiful... not necessarily because the language was beautiful, but because I realized that there is no language barrier with God. It sounds so obvious when I'm writing that, but it's so profound and awesome when you finally understand it! We're all different in language and customs and physical appearance, but there is something greater than any physical difference could hope to be and that is the love of the one God. God is the same in Nanaimo as He is in Santa Cruz as He is in Cairo as He is in that little village just outside Mexico City. That is very encouraging to know.

As all of us SALTers are getting ready to go (the IVEPers have already all left... :(... sad), we're all feeling the same anxieties and excitement. We're terrified, but thrilled at the opportunity. It's like one of my friends here said, we have to remind our selves of the simple truths, of God's steady promises. Remembering these things strengthens our courage and determination to persevere. The leaders of my Going Global small group gave me a helpful saying to remember. It says "God is Good. He knows what He's doing. I can trust Him." That helps. It helps to know that this is where God wants me, so I'm going to be OK. It helps to know that everyone goes through culture shock and that what I will be feeling is normal. I'm very scared, but I'm also terribly excited to see how God is going to use this experience to strengthen my faith and trust in Him.

Oh! And another HUGE praise item! I was sure I had at least $1500 owing to MCC when I got here, but when I received my donations report I had nothing due! Thank you sooo much to everyone who supported me financially through this! It was an amazing God moment to read that statement and realize that God is certainly taking care of my needs as I trust Him.