"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."- Philippians 1:6

After a very long journey, I finally arrived in Jeffreys Bay this past Tuesday. God definitely has been teaching me a lot about patience. My flight left Atlanta on Sunday and was delayed in the air on the way to New York. We landed late which left me only about 20 minutes to make it to my flight connection. Of course my gate was the farthest possible gate, so I put on my 30 pound backpack and ran through most of the JFK airport. I got to my flight just as they were boarding. I boarded the plane just in time to sit on the runway for 3 hours for a mechanical problem. As you can imagine, hearing the pilot say that a "very important" piece of the plane is broken and needs to be replaced is not exactly what you want to hear before taking a long flight. Once they replaced the part we took off and flew 8 hours to Dakar, Senegal. We sat on the runway for an hour in Dakar to refuel and have a security check. We then took off and flew another 7 hours to Cape Town, South Africa. Due to the delay in New York, I missed my connecting flight to Port Elizabeth, and there were no other flights leaving that night. So, myself and 9 other stranded people stayed the night at a hotel in Cape Town and woke up early to fly out the next morning. When we got to the airport the people working for South African airlines could not find our reservations. So, after many hoops to jump through they finally gave me a ticket, and I boarded my plane to Port Elizabeth. After a short flight I landed and then was driven an hour to Jeffreys Bay. Needless to say by the time I arrived I literally had no idea what day it was, but I was just thankful to be there! Even though it was a long journey, it was exciting to see God work. I met so many neat people along the way, and despite the hardships it turned out to be a blessing in many ways!

I've taken the last few days to recover from the jet-lag and to get to know everyone here. I normally don't have many problems getting over jet-lag, but this time has been especially difficult. I am starting to feel better now and hoping having a normal routine will help. This trip has been challenging already to say the least. It rained from the moment I stepped off the plane until this past Saturday. We didn't just have showers; we had torrential downpours and flooding. Apparently, this never happens in J-Bay, and I am just lucky (ha). The rain was starting to get depressing. Thankfully, I saw my first glimpse of sunshine this weekend, and it was a huge blessing. I have been learning to drive on the "other" side of the road which has been a whole new adventure for me, but I am starting to get more comfortable with it.

I am coming into a group that has already been here for two months and is very close. They have been so gracious to welcome me and make me feel at home, but this past week has still been a little overwhelming for me. I am so used to the Africa I have seen in Kenya and Swaziland. This Africa is so different and in a way I am out of my comfort zone. There are many of the same luxuries that we have in America. The beach is beautiful here and many times I forget that I am in Africa and instead think I am in Florida. Then I am brought back to reality when I see the "street kids" on the beach and outside of the nice restaurants begging for food. Where there is such wealth there is also such poverty. In a way it is as if my senses don't know which way to go or how to feel.

Many things are new to me here and it is going to take me some time to adapt. I have felt attacked by the Enemy in many ways since I arrived here with fear, inadequacy and discomfort. I have made the decision that I will not let these feelings overtake me. I know God has me here for a purpose, and I trust Him to fulfill that purpose. I refuse to let my fears get in the way of that. I am excited to see what God has in store and how He is going to use this time to teach me a new level of dependence on Him. It doesn't mean it won't be hard, but it seems that most good things come through hardships. My heart for my time in Jeffreys Bay is to encourage and bless the staff here. Hopefully the Lord will use me to do that.

• Continued good health
• Safety as I drive the teams daily and that I will learn directions quickly
• Good rest when possible
• God would show me new ways to encourage the people around me
• That I would be able to see people through God's eyes
• Guidance and discernment as I make decisions for next year

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life! I'm sending love all the way from South Africa!

For His Glory,

Caroline :)

Ps. 56:3