It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been here for two weeks. . .I’m sure lots of you were wondering if I would make it here too!  This is my first attempt at blogging, so forgive me as I sort out who I am addressing.  Maybe it’s hard to believe because the transition seemed like a long one. . . God was so gracious to lead me here over an extended period of time. . .(maybe starting last January) but really for much longer than that.  I remember reading the biography of Eric Liddel (Chariots of Fire) on the beach several years back, and being completely scared by the fact that God would ever ask me to be far away from everyone I love, or ever ask me to do something considered “missionary work,” but now I’m really here because God made it happen, not because I’m any more spiritual or feel at all like a missionary, but because it is His plan.  He led me here ever so gently (in some respects) and provided me with a very soft landing among a very family-like staff.  It feels pretty amazing to pray and study together with the people you work with, to walk to school in view of the mountains, to be surrounded by colorful scripture murals, but most of all to know that if it wasn’t for God’s grace I wouldn’t be here at all.  So I guess I’ll start this by saying thank you to all of you who have prayed so faithfully and cared so much, and have already endeavored to make me feel like I’m really not too far from home.  I wanted to come here to know more of Jesus, and He has shown me more of His faithfulness than I have ever known in my life.  Thank you for being a part of what He is doing here and in me. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  2Cor 12:9