Spain- Who can believe it?

I have arrived in Spain. I continually have to pinch myself to make sure this is all real. I cant believe this is my life. Yesterday I spent part of my day reflecting on just how far Christ has brought me and just how different my life looks. It seems impossible. And in the world it would be. But with Christ all this is possible. He makes the unreachable reachable and the unremarkable something new. He redeems all that is lost if we just ask him. I am left in awe and so very thankful.

I left Virginia on Sunday after running lots of last minute errands. Lori then drove me to North Carolina. It was a difficult goodbye for me as I was leaving my closet friend in a unsure situation. Recent changes in her life made walking out this decision very difficult for me.What I really wanted was to put her and her dog on the plane with me and bring them along. What I had to do however was place her in God's hands. This was so hard for me, and my emotions were a wreck. Lori has been a good friend to me for many years. The enemy whispered to me "How can you leave her in her time of need?" But God....God says He loves her and will never forsake her. That he has a plan for her. So in those promises I must trust. To walk forward and hold a steady course with Gods help.  

I arrived on Tuesday in Gran Canaries, Spain. My travels were quite smooth and I did not have any problems. A few moments of discomfort and self doubt as I arrived at the airport and did not find my ride waiting for me. I began to question  if I flew in to the correct airport. You see the Canary Islands are a chain of islands and I suddenly wondered if I had booked a flight to the wrong one. My phone would not connect to the Internet in the airport and I had no way to call the ship as I turned off my phone service as I left the states. Anxiety began to rise after about  10 minutes- you see it is very unlike Mercy ships to not be there.. I walked outside to look for the very familiar white vehicles and back in again several times. Then I remembered to stop and pray. I decided it would be best to just sit down and wait a few minutes and then if no one came I could ask the police near by for help. It took only a few short minutes for a young women from the ship to walk up and ask if I was Jennifer. Her and several others from the ship had been waiting for me in International arrivals. I however had changed planes in Madrid so I had arrived  in domestic arrivals. So they were there all along and we were just  at opposite ends of the airport. We were soon loaded up and were on our way to the ship with no further problems.

Arriving in Port took only about 30 minutes. As we rounded a corner in the shipyard, the large freshly painted Ship loomed ahead. Ready or not-home sweet home for the foreseeable future. The next few hours consisted of embarking on the ship. Very similar to what happens if you take a cruise, if you have ever done that. I check in, get an ID badge with my picture, and deal with some of the legal paper work that needs to be done. I then get my room assignment and begin to drag my luggage to my room. I am grateful that Sue my new roommate and Hannah a young lady I know from my last visit here helped me to get my bags down 2 flights of stairs to my new room. My room is on the 3rd deck. Just at the water line. It has no windows and 3  compartments with 3 sets of bunk beds. I will eventually be sharing it with 5 other women. But as of this morning there are 3 of us with 1 more expected today. We have 1 bathroom/shower to share, with others available down the hall if needed. Space is limited but sufficient. I am thankful to have a bottom bunk. A small, but important thing I had prayed for.

I spent Wednesday unpacking and attempting to fit all I brought with me in one closet about 12 inches wide from floor to ceiling, two small shelves  and 1/2 of the 8 inches of space under my bed.  A challenge to say the least. I made most things fit and will donate the rest to the boutique on board. It is a small "thrift store" where crew can shop for things they might need for free. It is a good lesson for me to decipher what is really important in my life and "space worthy" and what things I can really live without. I also spent some time making my part of the cabin feel more like home. Hanging pictures and a few items from home that warm my heart or help me keep my focus where it needs to be. This is all done with magnets as you can not go around poking holes in a metal ship with a hammer and nails- bad things happen if you do!

Thursday and Friday were spent working in general supply. It was a work out to say the least. I walked more than double my step goal on both days. Up and down  many flights of stairs. In and out of freezers and refrigerators, weighing large amounts of produce as it arrived on board and moving pallets of freight.The men I worked with were very kind and often tried to stop me from doing the heavy lifting or pulling.  In the evening I was able to go to the local boardwalk with one of my roommates and see a little bit of Spain. It was really lovely. It was the perfect temperature,  in the 80's, with a cool ocean breeze and cool drink in my hand . We sat at a beach side cafe as the sun went down, listening to someone play a saxophone close by and just relaxing. Another pinch me moment for sure.

Yesterday, Saturday was a blessing for sure. My new supervisor Jim, my friends Marina and Kevin and I all went out to see the Island. Jim rented a car and planned out our route. We went from one small Spanish village to another covering a large portion of the island. We were able to see a large Gothic cathedral and sip warm cappuccino spiced with cinnamon while sitting in its shadow.
We saw elaborate mosaics, beautiful fountains and colorful markets. Lunch was delicious fresh fish served sea side in a small village along the way. It was grilled and wonderfully season with olive oil and roasted garlic. I could have lived without it being served with the head attached. Not to mention one of my traveling companions who proceeded to eat the head including the eye. Not the high point of the day for me.

We traveled high into the mountainous region of the island. This island was formed by a volcano and it was plain to see as our travel took us further and further into the remote places. The ragged coastline was breath taking. Large chunks of black volcanic  rock could be seen strewn about and it was very hot and arid as we traveled father from the sea. We ventured near the tallest part of the island and again stopped for coffee in a small sleepy village late in the afternoon. We were welcome into town by a very sweet elder of the village who spoke to us in Spanish and we could not really understand. I was able to discern he was saying we were welcome. The sweet melody of choir could be heard drifting out of the catholic church near by. I found myself drawn to the doorway to listen to the soothing sound. The church was over a hundred years old and I was dwarfed as I stood by the large wooden doors.

We then drove down the mountain through other villages and raced to the sea. the clouds could be seen rolling in from the ocean toward the island and it made for some beautiful scenes. We ended the evening eating pizza and listening to live music in the city park. It was festive and loud and a good end to a lovely day. Spanish women sat at nearby table using beautiful fans to cool themselves and the rose gardens nearby left a soft fragrance in the air.

It was a lovely day. A time of friends bonding and new explorations. I was really blessed by the generosity of my friends as I was allowed to pay for nearly nothing. It amazes me how the Lord continues to pour out blessing upon blessing on me and those around me.Undeserved kindness.  I ended the night lying in my bunk with a truly thankful heart. I am excited to see what this week brings. We will again be here in Spain and are scheduled to leave somewhere near the end of the week. Until then , I will  continue to look for opportunities to serve, pray for those ahead and those behind and hold all of them in my heart.
In His Service,
Jennifer