We Have Arrived!!

Hey Dad and Mom,
I made it. Safe and sound with no hitches! Praise the Lord. I am currently in Porto Piritu, Venezuela. Things are good. I´m going to just copy my journal notes so I´ll be quick and you will know what has happened the last 3 days. I love you both very much!! So glad for the prayers, still very much needed.Dec 10 - It is already two days since we left Barbados. I must say it feels like a week so much change of locations in traveling has happened. We left at 7 30 am and headed to Trinidad where we were picked up by YWAM staff )Janell and Kyle= and brought back to their base )that is off in the boonies) for the day since our flight to Venezuela didn´t leae till 5 30 pm. On our way to the base we stopped for doubles at the best side road vendor (they are like Indian type food, chickpea on like a deep fried nani bread). We mostly relaxed at the base. I was amazed at how awake I had been feeling as I had only had 3 hours sleep the night before, going to bed at 1 30 am and waking up again at 4 30am. After about an hour at the base and chatting and playing with Melo´s pet snakes and a crocodile (mini), we crashed. Later we dtried to play some games and near the end Nicole Susanna and I along with they YWAMers on base there went to check out their obstacle course they made in the bus. Their YWAM is youth focused so they have this course for them to come for a week and learn about God and to work as a team to get through the course. Very cool. That walk helped wake me up again. We left again back to the airport and headed for Caracas. Once there we met with our two guides Ceasar and Jesus (imagine that lol), who took us to the YWAM base there. Unfortunately, it was night so we couldnt see much but we could tell there were large mountains from the thousands of lights from houses and streets that crowded them. The mountains were full of houses. Some looked like snow from all the white lights. The YWAM quarters were very tight but the bed was once again great and I slept so well (there were 7 of us in one tiny room, sleeping on bunks. The next day (Dec 9) we mstly just hung around waiting as we were wiating for the other group to show up that flew in at 8 30 am in the morning. Dean needed to go with the group to the immigration office to do the visa stuff,so they waited for her. Also we waited so that the others could get money exchanged too as we were told we were not to use US here as it would make us stand out, so there was no point going out anyhow as we had not money till later. It did make for a long morning and day but was also somewaht relaxing. At around noon we headed out with Jesus, walking around the long way to the grocery store to get food so that we could see a bit of the city. It was nice, extremely busy!! Cars and people and buildings everywhere.We left for the bus terminal much later than originally planned but thats what happens. The only unfortunancy is it was again dark out when we left after 6pm so we couldn´t see much again. We took a subway to the bus that took us to the bus terminal. We had a four hour drive to porto Piritu. Again we seperated to two different cities, 30 min apart (the other group went to Barcelona, a city, we are in a town). With me is Josh, Susanna, Jessica, Faith, Laura, Dervon and Celina. The bus ride was soooooo COLD! Thankfully I had on pants and my bike teshirt-tanktop which thankfully at lastl min had brought a long and my sweater. I had also thankfully taken in my pillow bag which also included my sheet which JEss and I proceeded to snuggle ourselves in. For awhile I even had it over my head as I was getting and had such a bad sinus cold from the AC from our first bus ride from airport to base. Dervon used my pillow case over his head and Ceasar used my pillow. Who knew we could find ourselves majority of the time cold here in S. America when we were constantly warned of the heat. Too funny. I was frustrated unfortunatly when we arrived as the bus threw us out so fast I lost my blue travel pillow case. It had somehow disappeared and I could not find it. Plus someone had spilt something all over the floor and my back pack was soaked. A little frustrating especially since I was so tired at this point. Our bus had left at 8pm and we arrived at midnight.Those that picked us up were so welcoming. We packed like 15 people and all our basg in a amsall van and drove off to the church )Communidad Christiana Discipular Maranath). We are in the basement, separated into 3 parts. Boys side, girls side and table sitting area and small kitchen. Our mattresses are all aligned together in a row. The AC was so cold again so we asked to have it turned down and it was much better. We went straight to sleep at 1 am ish as we were told we would be doing ministry already in the morning. Breakfest at 7 am and leave for the school where we would be speaking personal stories of values to the teens at 8 am. In the first class, Celina spoke first about her relationship with her sister and the value of understanding, followed by Josh and Larua. Caesar translated and Carla wrapped up. We then moved to another class where I spoke first about communication, hurt, trust and forgiveness in a friendship followed by Dervon on obedience. The children received us very well and listened intently. Afterwards they and us had a break and during we had the opportunity to sepak more with them. trying to communicate in broken spanish. The children exclaimed Josh looked like shaggy from scooby'doo who apparently is a cartoon favourtie for many. We headed back to base after, had a time of napping. When I awoke Jesus appeared (he had gone with the other group to Barcelona but took a bus to us in the morning). WE chatted for quite awhile. I really enjoy talking with him as it is fairly easy to communicate as he know more english. Randomly he began telling me stories of financial depenedancy on God. My ears perked up. I listened intently. He told me many stories of hi DTS leading expereience to CHina last year as we of how many times he found himself flighting to far away countries and having no money to his name only Gods provision . He spoke of God telling him to go to ARgentina for many in S. America that is the snobby country and that is how he felt but now he loves the people because he chose to follow God and god showed him how to love these people. Later at 2 30pm we had a meeting DTS and debriefing. Near the first end Faith felt that we needed to pair up as well did iSusanna and speak out any sins or things burdening us. I paried with Susanna and Josh During Faith was filed with the Holy spirit and started to be able to only speak in tongues. She was going hysterical in Joy running all over trying to hide a bit and trying to stop but it wouldn´t. Then Jess started up. It was intense for quite awhile. During Celina had the verses 2 Tim 1 6-8 and Josh had Habbikuk 1 2-5. In the evening many YWAMers (alumni came and spent time with us again. Going over spanish and chatting. They even began teaching us some of their local sala style dance. Fun Dec 11This morning has been a bit harder as I am having a lot of allergy problems from the AC and being closed up in the basement. We are mostly closed up in the church where no air gets in and we are not to leave on our own or even in a group. only with one of the local ywamers. It is very frustrating at times and I am beginning to feel a little claustrophobic. Thankfully we can go up on the porch of the church, all behind a locked gate. I am thankful that right now we were finally able to leave for awhile and walk a short distance into town to the internet cafe just to see something diff. There had been sooo much more waiting around then we thought. Thankful for the ministry the first day. The food is spread out and we are usually super hungry by the time we get to eat but what we have been eating (3 square meals) has been amazing. Breakfast and lunch or so good. Lunch seems to be made by a different church person each day so it is often not on time. Today was amazing. Beef with sauce and rice, vegetables, bread coleslaw! We have already learned though to not eat it all and save some as at dinner we seem to only get cereal or something else small. Anyhow thats about it for now mom and dad, my time is almost up already. I bought an hour but was going to try and give up the last 30 min to someone else but i now only have 17 min. At least this fills you in a bit. Feel free to print this up and post, just correct a few of my spelling mistakes, keyboard is lsightly diff and i was trying to type super fast. Please pray that we will be patient and that we can handle being couped up at times. Also pray as we are doing alot more dramas and evangelising than anticipated. celina is a little frustrated herslef as leader as they continually communicated that we were justice focused and would not be going much drama or evanglising in the way they are hoping for, oh well what can you do. Right now i am still excited. We will be going to work with some alchoholics as well as in the hospital during our time here! Okay well love you both so very much. HOpe all is well.Maybe talk to you again while I am here so write back!LoveSteph