Puerto Rico Day 1
I've on an impulse decided to blog about my time in Puerto Rico this week. We'll see if I can keep it up. I was telling a couple of our other staff that it feels strange...
It's been about ten years since i've been on a mission trip where i'm more 'along for the ride' and don't know a lot about where I am or what's going on. Almost a decade ago was my last such experience- which happened in Belize, and I was a college student. I can't remember what I felt at the time. I just know what I feel now. I feel a sense of freedom- not being the 'one in charge' for my experience here. I'm assisting Kevin- one of our trip leaders who also oversees our ministry throughout Puerto Rico. He picked me up, chauffeured me around town today, and brought me to our lodging site. He's now off picking up other staff and plans to have a meeting with me and other leaders tonight to adequately prepare us for our team arriving tomorrow.
My first impression of Puerto Rico is that it's 'interesting'. It's just about what I expected. Kind of a hybrid between what I have gotten used to in Jamaica and a growing but run down American city... For San Juan, that is, which is where I am right now. I'm not blown away or surprised by anything. It's interesting figuring out how the cross between Spanish and English works with the people. I have heard that most law enforcement officers speak little or no english, while much of the population speaks both... That may explain why we were let off scott free this afternoon by the officer who pulled us over for an illegal u-turn. Traffic was nuts today. It's been raining all day. Supposed to rain the next couple days too I think. I met pastor Jesus this evening, one of our partner pastors in San Juan. We happened to run into him at a restaurant where we ate some really good fried plantain sandwiches.
Tomorrow we pick up our group. I will strive to blog throughout the rest of the week and then will post all of the blogs at the end of the week to keep it together. I figured I might as well make the most of my time. If I was trip leading I would likely be using this time doing expenses, writing trip journals, having staff meetings, or running errands. I'm sure I will be busy as I assist and learn and observe what our ministry is like here, but hopefully I'll find time to document my thoughts throughout the rest of the week as well.
It's been about ten years since i've been on a mission trip where i'm more 'along for the ride' and don't know a lot about where I am or what's going on. Almost a decade ago was my last such experience- which happened in Belize, and I was a college student. I can't remember what I felt at the time. I just know what I feel now. I feel a sense of freedom- not being the 'one in charge' for my experience here. I'm assisting Kevin- one of our trip leaders who also oversees our ministry throughout Puerto Rico. He picked me up, chauffeured me around town today, and brought me to our lodging site. He's now off picking up other staff and plans to have a meeting with me and other leaders tonight to adequately prepare us for our team arriving tomorrow.
My first impression of Puerto Rico is that it's 'interesting'. It's just about what I expected. Kind of a hybrid between what I have gotten used to in Jamaica and a growing but run down American city... For San Juan, that is, which is where I am right now. I'm not blown away or surprised by anything. It's interesting figuring out how the cross between Spanish and English works with the people. I have heard that most law enforcement officers speak little or no english, while much of the population speaks both... That may explain why we were let off scott free this afternoon by the officer who pulled us over for an illegal u-turn. Traffic was nuts today. It's been raining all day. Supposed to rain the next couple days too I think. I met pastor Jesus this evening, one of our partner pastors in San Juan. We happened to run into him at a restaurant where we ate some really good fried plantain sandwiches.
Tomorrow we pick up our group. I will strive to blog throughout the rest of the week and then will post all of the blogs at the end of the week to keep it together. I figured I might as well make the most of my time. If I was trip leading I would likely be using this time doing expenses, writing trip journals, having staff meetings, or running errands. I'm sure I will be busy as I assist and learn and observe what our ministry is like here, but hopefully I'll find time to document my thoughts throughout the rest of the week as well.
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