September 24th: The beginning

The past 48 hours have been the longest and scariest times ever for me. I said goodbye in Minnesota friday morning and there were many tears shed, and from that moment forward I was nervous and scared to fly alone. I was really stressing out and was freaking out a lot of the time. My plane landed safely in San Jose at 7:30 (Costa Rican time) yet I was still really nervous. Then God happened to plan to have me meet a classmate of mine at baggage claim! What a sigh of relief we talked and freaked out together. Then we went out to find our leaders and there they were! Yet through all of this I still felt so unsettled. We drove to the base and moved in our stuff. On all of our beds there was a card with our name and a bible verse. Mine was Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" At that moment I was so happy and felt so comforted and like all my fears had been washed away. That note just comforted me and helped me realize that God really is with me wherever I am and he is speaking through my leaders in classmates to guide me and keep me safe. I am so excited for what is next to come! It was a wonderful first day and I just pray that tomorrow is just as good :)