Hi guys,
I have been so full on, I think this is my first down time to write. I am now in Lubbock staying with Liz, one of the interns from DC. Her family has been so lovely and wonderful, nicer and more generous than I thought was possible.In fact I have only met nice people out here. Oh, something exciting, I met Melinda from Tauranga's brother on Sunday and he had like a handle bar mustache like Roger, if you know him. So that was exciting. It's a small world. Liz has been so excited and determined to have every American experience with me, so I've already been camping, eaten at Chick-fil-a, The Cast Iron Pot, I've eaten lunch in a food court in supermarket, I've had soft pretzels. I got a meal for $1.70 which was insane. Mostly eating things, suffice to say I think I good for at least a week.

So on Tuesday we left at 9.30 in the evening, it was very emotional. By 2.30 on Tuesday we made it to L.A and then by 10.30 the same evening we landed in Dallas. LONGEST TUESDAY OF MY LIFE! When we go to Dallas it was ridiculously hot and we stayed up until like 2.30 in the morning maybe later, the next day we slept in until like 2.30 in the afternoon because in New Zealand that would have been 7.30 Thursday morning. I'm confused already. Donna and I found out that between maybe 4 and 6 it is the hottest it will get by taking a short walk down to a park.It was 31 degrees Celsius at 3.30 in the morning so I had to find a fan and sadly woke up Donna. on Thursday we drove to Lubbock, John did a fantastic job and did not drive on the road once on that trip and that evening we had dinner with Louis Neill (Allan from Morningside's mother). On Friday I went camping with the Greenlawn Church of Christ youth, well a few of them. We went to a canyon and saw bison, prairie dogs, fire ants, even a scorpion. It was a fantastic experience and the lessons given by a boy called Matthew were very good. It was however SO HOT, that the nail polish ON MY FINGERS, MELTED! I will get a picture next time I go outside and I will put it up.On Sunday I went to Greenlawn in the morning and the evening, they were all such nice people, as I said, I haven't met a mean person yet. The lessons over there were really good too. On Monday I got almost everything sorted, so I thing I am all goods now pretty much. Tomorrow I will David and Debbie Horn's house in a small town, which I am super excited about. And then of course the orientation for AIM is on Saturday which I am really excited about so that I can finally get down to work and also, the added bonus of not having to live out of a suitcase also appeals.

Today I had another epiphany like I did right before I left, I don't know if  talked about it so I'll recap just in case. Before I left, I was packing away my room and I was really worried about my fragile things being broken and having to leave behind the majority of my stuff, I got upset about these things. So I went off for the day and saw a fire across the harbour on my way to West Auckland. Then later that night I was worrying again about my stuff and a verse popped into my head,
                  Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I went to sleep that night with that thought and I had a dream that my bedroom was on fire and there were little kids in the room (because in my dreams, I'm a super hero) and all my stuff was burning and melting, And I got all the children out and left myself and in my dream all my stuff was being destroyed before me and it was okay because everyone was out of the house and was fine. I woke up with a lesson learned and the realization that when we all got very serious it didn't matter at all what happens to my things. So that was the other week. Today I was having a bit of an emotional moment because I was tired and I was worried and I started in my head thinking of the song, of which I don't know what the name is or who wrote it. It goes
                "It's all about you, Jesus. And all of this is for you, for your glory and your fame. It's not about me as if you should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender."
And you know what, it's right, it's not about me, it's about God and doing His work and glorifying Him. So you all know that I am already growing as a person while I am here and I haven't even started AIM yet.

On that note I have not left this room for two hours so I will go now.
God Bless,
Jenna