I'm double posting all my Grenada blogs to both of my blogs because after I get back I will delete my Grenada blog but I'm going to want to keep the posts. This way they can stay on this blog forever.
Let me paint a picture for you all of my current situation. I am sitting less than a foot in front of a fan. I am not sitting on the couch because well... I am so severely sunburnt that I can't let my back touch anything. Now before you get all motherly, I did apply sunscreen as did Serena who is in the exact same situation I have found myself in. We discovered that the sun here is crueler and our sunscreen was made ineffective. In retrospect I should have just worn a long sleeved shirt and jeans but the 78% humidity wouldn't allow for that. The heat is unbelievable. I keep hearing people talk about how hot it is at home, and granted yes, the temperature is hotter. But we have humidity... lots of it. And let me remind you that everyone at home also has air conditioning, or if not they have air conditioned cars, or if not they have the ability to go to a supermarket, or bank, or movie theater. Like really. I can walk to.... um... someone else's house and sit on their porch... yea. Haha, I know that we'll get used to it soon enough. Our apartment is crazy nice in comparison to the other houses in the area, we have wireless internet, and pretty much everything we could ever need here, so I'm really not complaining.
Our land lady is really great, she's kinda like our surrogate grandmother here. Last night she delivered biscuits that she had just baked. They were delicious and this morning she delivered us some sort of giant banana thing with brown sugar that was also delicious. Not to mention that she brings us a mango or two every morning.
Now that I've covered all the little stuff, lets hit the hard stuff. Serena and I were immediately spiritually attacked upon getting here. In fact as the door closed to our apartment Wednesday night leaving us all alone, I sat on the bed, hyperventilated and cried. I couldn't understand why I was so upset. I just felt so lost. I took a minute to cry and then realized that I was being attacked. Serena and I began to pray. It helped a bit but it wasn't until she left the room and I looked in the mirror and saw the look of terror on my face and I started yelling prayers and telling satan to leave that I felt relief.
Day one was, to put it lightly, hell. Serena and I were sleep deprived from the heat and anxious. We just wanted to stay busy so we didn't freak out and cry but that didn't happen. We got a crash course in the Grenadian lifestyle. Let me break it down for you, they do nothing here in Conference. We're in the countryside in the middle of nowhere. Literally just a town on the way to somewhere better. Everyone knows each other here because everyone is related. The town is very poor, most people don't have jobs so they literally just sit on their porches. That's all. I'm not trying to talk it down or anything, its just a complete switch from the lifestyle of North America. There is no rush here. People come and go as they please. They'll wake you up in the morning to see how you are, and they'll just drop by whenever to say hello.
Needless to say, we're in culture shock. Google it if you want the definition, we did. : ) It may take a few weeks or months to get out of it. We're praying constantly, suiting up with the armor of God in the mornings and praying against attack when we see it coming.
So far, lessons learned....
Nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Just stop, breathe, and pray.
The love of Christ breaks down cultural walls.
I can do anything through Christ that strengthens me.
Never underestimate the power of reading the word everyday.
Use more sunscreen.
Right now we're doing minimal ministry, which is our biggest concern. We have a desire to be used. We're going to plan for the two weeks of VBS at the end of this month and the graduation ceremony in August. The rest of our duties are unclear. I just hope we figure it out soon. So for now, Serena and I are just kinda sitting around and waiting to do stuff. This is a hard practice to have, let me tell you. We're getting some good reading done that's for sure. God really does speak in the silence. : )
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