I surrender...

Hello all!

Thanks for reading and all the encouragement. If you want ever send some encouragement feel free to email me at Hester.melissa@gmail.com :) As letters have to be brought down here by missionaries/groups coming to the complex.

Let's see. It's been a while my last post.

We have hit jumbo a couple of times and bought things like avocados, cucumbers, cereal, milk, pop tarts, and  other stuff too. On the right we have an avocado and on the left we have a cucumber and in the middle one of my house mates allison...yessss .It's amazing.

Classes are going well and hopefully soon we will be starting soon to go out and do stuff. We went out on Tuesday night and went and ate a nice dinner. I got a steak and a salad and some people got pizza and others got some kind of pasta. It was rocking.

Lots of team building activities have been going on. From cutting down a tree, to cleaning up our back yard, to game night and then lazy Saturday was ended by a wonderful movie night. The movie was the Book of Eli. I absolutely love that movie. :) Plus the inside jokes of cuddling with Jaime.

Lazy Sunday wasn't so lazy, but yet it was. lol  It was filled with building memories, getting encouragement partners and encouraging others. It has been a blessing getting to know my roommates and my housemates. I will say the best bonding times happen at night or in the morning. As everyone has seen, I am not a morning person, but on lazy Sunday... I was up and awake and left for church before anyone else!! It felt great. haha

Today is Monday and when we start doing ministries- our weekends will be filled up with work. I am super excited for the chance to do so. I am super excited about getting in the towns, and talking to the people.

I will say that somethings that we all struggle with are the language. It's hard to pay attention to the conversations because you don't know what they're saying. I can pick out different words and get the jist but saying it is quite the craziness.

If you guys could pray for me. Throughout the week I have felt like throwing in the towel and just coming home. Sometimes it's that I miss the freedom I once had. Other times it's I miss small group or church, and other times I just miss having personal space or alone time. Everything here is structured in a way where I can't just break out on my own. lol So different in the states. I know those are selfish things but It's been a struggle. I really miss home and all the comforts of home. I've never been thrown into a situation I couldn't control to some extent. It's been an experience getting to know these girls and bonding with them, and I am so blessed to call all of them friends.

The title is I surrender. Last sunday (september 8th) we had a worship service and I'll tell you what- it was amazing. This past week I played lead guitar and a couple of the girls sang. Maybe next week clay and play lead guitar. They are awesome singers and Jess is the one that comes up with the song list. I love that even though we are all Christians, we all have different Christian music/praise music tastes. I would be so lost without her, shannon, renee and clay. It was such a blessing because people love live music. lol (church music is those recorded tracks.) Our motto for this trip is I surrender. We all have ties in the US and It can sometimes be hard. When I come back from Christmas break, I know that I will be missing the birth of Beth's baby and that's so hard for me. I want to be there and I wish I could be. Unless I get the go ahead to miss another week- looks like Im gonna miss it. I am also dealing with thoughts of missing other things I took for granted. However, I have had to surrender that fully. I can't make something happen just because I want it to. It has to be his will. If you don't know the song by Hillsong here it is.

If you want to know the most played song on my ipod. Katy Perry's Roar has been overtaken by this song. I listen to it constantly because I have to keep my eyes fixed on HIM or else I will lose all focus and go home. I have been in the word so much I could burst. haha it's amazing. The song You Are More by Tenth Avenue North is another song I keep holding on to.

Well as It's almost lunch time I suppose I should wrap this up.

Pray for the coming week for all of us. Pray that my ipod touch makes it till Christmas. It's old and wonky and only works some of the time.

Remember if you ever want to skype or email feel free to let me know.

Miss you all!

Till next time.