ready or not.

it's been awhile and there has been alot that happened in the past month.

so i finally made it to Venezuela!!! I've been here alittle over a week at this point and it's ben a good time so far. i've seen alot of things that i'd never dreamed i'd see, ive been alot of places i have never thought i would ever be.

packing was interesting. it was similar to alot of other things i did this summer to prepare, and after i was done i really didnt feel any more ready. there were many things that i forgot that i wanted or needed and there alot of things that i thought i would need or want but don't. it's funny how that happens when youre trying to stuff the stuff, or in some cases memories, that you will have with you for an entire year into 2 suitecases that cna only weigh about 50lbs.


i drove down to columbus with my mom and grandpa on a tuesday afternoon, ate dinner with some of my favoirte people, hung out with some cool folks, then on about 45 minutes of sleep i got up to go get a donut and then head to the airport around 530am.
i had never flown over the ocean before so it was pretty neat to see, even if i could barly see it from the aisle seat.

we finally ge tout of the craziness that is the airport and into the craziness that is Caracas. we took a taxi on what seemed like the second longest ride of my life, it was only abotu 3 hours, but when we started the sun seemed to be pretty high in the sky. by the time we got to Valencia it was very dark. and it seemed to happen in a blink, mostly because the sun here sets at like 7ish which i am still getting used to.

the drive to valencia was interesting. there are no real rules to the road. i couldnt read the graffiti or understand the radio when it was on. street lights seemed to be scattered spuraticaly on the road whenever they felt like appearing, even on the dark mountain sides that we were driving down.
it was cool at times to see the mountains and the ocean at points, sad at other times to see the poverty that exists intermingled in clutter of the city and that covers the side of large mountains is what look like abandon shanties.
it is almost unrealistic to think that the Gospel can change that. that the Gospel will change that one day. it seems far, far away. especially when i have not even seen the worst of it here in Valencia. but the Lord has. and one day it will be changed for good.

Valencia is a large city with a large university that we will be working at. ive had the chance to meet afew of the students that we will be working with this year and im excited here. the peopel here have been so kind and welcoming. the students have been great, thought our conversations are very limited, im excited to get to knwo them more share life with them over the next year.
unfortunatly the part of campus that we will be most active on will nto start classes until november because fo a strike that took place over the summer. we have ahd the past week and the next few to plan and prepare and to get to know the team which i am looking forwward to. but i know we are all anxious to get started meetign students and starting ministry.

i'm going to try to post more often to so that i do not have to recount a months worth of events in one post and so i can include some of the cool details of life here in VZ(like the iguanas that take the place of squirrels in parks nd on campus) and the awesome stories in ministry and day to day life that happen(like not beign able to order fast food by myself or being attacked by a giant grasshopper in our apartment)

it's going to be cool to see what God has in store for this year.
"Do not fear what they fear^b]">; do not be frightened."^c]"> But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord."
this is form 1peter 3:14&15. God has used it already and i feel like it will continue to be recycled in my life this year.

look forward to sharing more with you soon.
matt.