Week 1: Arrival!

Dear Everybody,

So, we have officially been in the country 3 days, and have been doing so much! For our first day, we were pretty jetlagged from travelling for around 30 hours, so we layed low, and even got a three hour nap in! Our host family, the Cranes had us over for dinner that night, and treated us for gelato afterwards! Day 2 we started our training for camp at the school I'll be at, so we were pretty much at the school all day. Coming home from school, we walked by the boardwalk which they call the corniche here. We were also able to put our feet in the Mediterranean sea, which was super cool for me! That night we explored a little bit more of our city, which was super interesting, because there is quite a "night life" here! Today has been a challenging one, we found out this morning that there were 2 suicide bombers outside of the French Embassy, and 5 people were killed. While the bombing was pretty far away from where we were at the time, for me it was a very sobering moment of the situation that this country has found itself in, and the broken people who are here. Walking back from school today, there was definitely a different atmosphere around us. There were far fewer cars and people out and about, because people are realizing that it might not be safe. 

So far, the Lord has been teaching me a lot, but I think one main thing that continues to be clear is how much I have grown in him and through him over the past few years. I look at some of the situations I have been put in since being here, and I know that I couldn't have done that 2 or 3 years ago, and I'm aware that a big reason for that is because 2 or 3 years ago, I was predominantly relying on my own strength, though I would never admit that, and now, through him, I'm able to do abundantly more. 

Some things I've done:

• Eaten Gelato
• Tried Schwarma
• Touched the Mediterannea Sea
• *Attempted* to lead my team from the school to our apartment(about a 20 minute walk).
• Spent my first dinar
• Been okay with walking in the streets, and sometimes in front of cars
• Stood on the roofs of more than one building
• Learned a few phrases in Arabic

Some things you can continue to be praying for are; the political unrest of North Africa, the safety of our team and of the kids that we will meet on Monday, the hearts of the local staff who will be coming alongside us to teach these kids, and the people affected by the bombings today, particularly law enforcement. 

Love you all,

Rose