First Couple of Days

This is going to be a quick one.  Getting ready right now to head out on a mobile medical clinic in one of the villages.  Yesterday was a "get accustomed"/beach/relax day.  We met the Straw family who is the other missionary family who live on the other side of town.  Then we took a trip to Sunset Beach with them.  What an awesome day to go.  Sun was shining and water was warm.  We also had dinner with them and just hung out getting to know them.  Today will be fun too because it's our first medical clinic, something most short-term teams will experience.

Training

So I'm sitting in a hotel next to the hotel that I'm staying in because they have free wireless...  Anyways, I am currently on day 4 of training out here in LA with all of the other AY missions interns.  We got to San Diego on Thursday afternoon and proceeded to Ensenada, Mexico for the last couple of days.  There we did some "mock" events of which we will do with our short term teams this summer (meals, orientation, work project, travel, etc.).  Fun stuff.  On Friday night, the cook in Ensenada prepared us dinner which was called Menudo.  We ate it, but unbeknownst to us was that it was soup with chunks of pig intestine.  Ummm...  I only got about half of the bowl down, I did not, however, throw up or anything along those lines.  :-)  After all of that we headed back to LA on Saturday afternoon and have been here since.  My team is the last to leave for our site so we will be the only ones in LA come tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll be able to communicate with a lot of you then.

Training has been very worthwhile because the emphasis has been on giving everything to God.  This is something that I really committed to doing this past semester.  I think too many times, we take for granted the presence of God and the ability He has.  He is everything, and as such we should lift everything up to Him.  For instance, this summer, I will have times of struggle and difficulty and the only thing that I should and need to do is give it all to God.  I challenge you, as you read this, to think and reflect of all things you haven't given to God and tried to do on your own.  Remember, we are all only human.  What have you not given to Him, our Creator?

Here We Go...

I'm sitting in the Pittsburgh Airport right now waiting for my flight to San Diego via Minneapolis.  It's way early, but I'm pretty wide awake with the excitement of a)flying by myself and b)kicking off my summer in Gabon.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for me in the coming months.

On another note, I can't thank the people around me enough, meaning my friends and family.  The amount of prayer from all of you is overwhelming.  Thanks to my family, GCC friends, ACAC friends, and FCC congregation members (and anyone else that was left out).  God works and prayer is one of the ways that He works.  Just know that I am praying for your summers as much as you are mine because I know God will use each one of you to impact someone's life this summer.  Talk to you hopefully in San Diego...

Studying

So I should be studying right now...  I have a spanish final in about 19 hours, and I need to know a ton of stuff.  Yet here I am.  I am so blessed to be around people that are supportive and also looking to further expand their worldviews.  I live in a suite with 7 other guys and 3 out of the 8 of us are going on missions trips this summer.  Chuck is going to Paraguay with Athletes in Action for 2 months and Charlie is going to Papua New Guinea for 2 months to help a missionary family.  What awesome experiences?!?  I can't wait to come back and share how God worked through us and in us.  Interesting fact here, with Scott (who lives with me and is going to England), the 4 of us will touch 6 out of 7 continents this summer. :-)

I am however, as a I stand less than a week from leaving, looking forward to seeking and listening to God.  There has been a yearning in me this semester to go out somewhere and just take time to be still and listen to God.  That deep sense of standing on the top of a mountain or in the middle of the jungle and experiencing the stillness and peace.  I think, as Christians, we don't spend enough time (I know that I don't) listening.  We are always doing.  That is a great thing, but we also need to take and make that time to listen to what God is saying to us.  It does not necessarily need to take a missions trip for this to happen, but we do indeed need to make it happen.  I am excited to embark on this journey next week and grow as a man of God.  I know that God will use me, stretch me, and speak to me on this trip.  I hope that this summer, you will grow as well, let God do great things in your life.  Listen and learn.

"Be still and know that I am God..." - Psalm 46:10

Jew

Visa

I couldn't help it.  I have to post something RIGHT NOW.  My passport/visa stuff just got here via FedEx.  Awesome!  Everything is pretty much set for the summer now.  My funds are raised and my paperwork is done.  All I have to do now is get through school and finals, pack when I get home on the 13th, and fly to intern training in Cali on the 14th.  Oh, and just found out from mom that I know a lot of the people coming down from the church the last week I'm in Gabon.  Jacob and Ben are coming down, it's going to be sweet.  I'm getting pumped!

Flights

So I got my flight stuff this week!  Here's the schedule of flights: PIT to MIN to San Diego, LA to JFK (Wash, D.C.), JFK to Casablanca, Morroco, Morroco to Gabon and then back through JFK and then PIT (home).  Confusing, right?  Luckily I'll be the one worrying about that, and all you have to do is read the blog posts.  :-)  So, since I have all of my flight info, I can now apply for my visa.  I got the last remaining detail done today so that I can send the app in.  I got the yellow fever vaccine.  My, was that fun...  Almost all of the paperwork for the trip is done.  Finally!  Now all I have to concentrate on is track and schoolwork.  Easy...

Zach

Easter Break

Hey,

Just got back this afternoon from school for Easter break.  It's nice to be back, probably the last time I'll be home for an extended period of time before I head off for the summer.  Isn't that crazy?!?  This break is basically letting me and the family get all of the little details worked out and plan for the craziness in May.  Finals start May 8, I plan on moving everything out of my dorm during finals and then fly to LA for training on May 13.  Wooo....  Anyways, I look forward to it.

Right now, details are being worked out and gear is being put together for the trip.  Lastly, thanks to everyone who is supporting me prayerfully and financially.  I am grateful for all of the support.  God works through each and every one of you.  Please continue to pray as myself and the 3 other Gabon interns get closer to shipping out there.  Thanks!

- Zach