I made it!!!!!

We made it to Sri Lanka!!! Everyone on the team is safe and in good spirits.

A few of us stayed up all night before our trip, we loaded the vans at 3am (in Hawaii) and headed off to the airport for our flight at 7am. We each had a personal checked bag, a checked bag that held toys and clothes for the people here in Sri Lanka, as well as a surf board that had a board and more clothes in it loaded. Needless to say, we had a small moving van bring our bags with us.

After about an 11 hour plane ride, we landed in Taipei, Taiwan and got right onto our next 4 hour flight to Bangkok. After getting through 2 hour customs, we had another hour left in our layover that would take us to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

We were halfway in our arrival trip.

After we landed in Colombo, a few of the guys that have been on the Surfing the Nations (STN) Property came and picked us up in a bus at 1am. We filled the entire back half of the charter bus (with no air conditioning...just open windows) the team crammed in the front half of the bus and headed off for our 11 hour bus ride to Araguam Bay (which is on the opposite side of the country).

After a local breakfast called Rotty (row-tee) (a flakey tortilla kind of thing with vegis) and squating over a hold in an outhouse (which is a common toilet here), we finished our trip and finally got to the STN property.

Araguam Bay is the complete opposite of everything that is at home in Boise. Here, the one main road through town is about 6 feet wide. The majority of transportation is done on foot or by a Tuk Tuk (which is a little covered moped). There are fruit and vegitable markets in the street, along with cows, chickens, goats, and dirt everywhere. You eat with your hands, you drink bottled water (because the local water can get you very sick), we shower with dirty well water, we are sleeping on the ground in tents, most of the toilets are squatting holes with no toilet paper, it is hot, it is humid, it is dirty, it smells weird, it is not sanitary by any means, I don't understand anything of what is being said (some speak broken english), there is no hair dryer or flat iron, no need for makeup or perfume, and yet I am completely comfortable. I am so amazed at the grace of God and how He can call a person out of their comfort zone and into a foreign land and have them doing exactly what they were made for...

Since we've been here, we have had such an amazing time!!! Today we went to an elementary school and taught the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders english. We will be doing that about twice a week. I had so much fun teaching the 3rd graders...a couple other girls and I had the class and taught them "Head, shoulder's, knees & toes," as well as a couple other songs. After going over different animals, fruits and vegitables with the kids, we headed off to town to get some skirts and have a local lunch (which, the food, by the way, is GREAT)! (and cheap)!

Yesterday, we went to a local gypsey village with a pastor and brought clothes and toys to the people there. It was such an amazing act of love towards these people, as we got to sing for them, play with the kids, (they are amazed with bubbles), pray with and for them, and just show the love of Christ.

There are a few local families that previous STN teams have established relationships with and so we have been hanging out with them quite a bit as well. There are a group of girls within one family that have stolen my heart and it is such a joy to play with them and to spend time with them. The other day they invited a few of us girls into their home (which is about 700 square feet, made of cement, you sit on the floor, there is 1 light, 1 clock on the wall and dirt everywhere). We sat on the ground with them as they used henna on our hands. One of the little girls sat on my lap the whole time and just loved being with me as I played with her hair, put a flower in her hair that was in mine, we took pictures (which they absolutly love to see themselves in the screen of the digital camera) and learned phrases and words in Tamil (the language they speak here).

The other day we also gathered about 20 kids from the neighborhood and went to the beach to play games with them. We played duck duck goose, partner tag, a woosh ball game, and more duck duck goose. It was the best time I have had in a long time...just to play with the kids, to laugh with them, to chase them...God is so good and continues to show His love for these people through our team.

On Sunday, we got to go to the local church (which is quite interesting since the majority of this area is muslim and buddhist and it takes a lot of boldness to go to the christian church for a local person). It was amazing to see that the Word of God is so universal and even though I didn't understand one word that was said, God was still at work in the lives of each of the Tamil people there. Next Sunday our team gets to run the service...I will be helping with worship and teaching the kids.

As we were sitting there, my heart just broke for each one of the little ones that were sitting there...I just started praying that not one of them would fall away from God and that they would each come to know and to love God with all that they are and all that they will ever be.

Being here really makes the bible more real. I know I'm not exactly in the same place at Jerusalem and places like that, but just being in an environment that gives life to the stories in the bible (such as the woman at the well...speaking to a woman here, if you are a man is not allowed), being in a market-place like this one, being in a dirt filled town with tiny shacks as houses and animals everywhere gives the bible more life to me.

One story that really has come to life is Jesus washign the disciples feet. Sure, being in America that might not have such a significant impact...we cover our feet, our streets are relatively clean, we sit at desks most of the time. Imagine walking around either barefoot or in sandles for your entire life...what your feet would look like...caloused, bruised, cut, broken open, dirty, scared, deformed, and having the Savior of the world humble Himself and serve you by washing your disgusting feet.

I serve such an amazing God