Settling In

I can’t believe I’ve been in Orlando for four days already – everything has gone by so fast.

I’ve settled into my apartment, and I have two roommates (we share an apartment, not room): Keren and Jennifer. They’re both lovely ladies, and I’m looking forward to living with them this year.

The Swamp/Lake/Pond by Our Apartment

If you’ve never been to Florida, it’s very green and flat. It’s also quite humid and warm in the summer (but not as bad as Taiwan a few weeks ago), which many interns are not used to. I had been forewarned about the heat and humidity, but what caught me off-guard weather-wise were the afternoon storms. They are nothing like Taiwanese showers. NO: there is lightning and thunder, and the sky literally opens up and water pours out. This has happened EVERY DAY, sometimes multiple times a day. There’s nothing quite like it in California. My first experience was a little traumatizing, to be honest. I was sitting on our balcony (we live on the third floor) reading and tolerating the humidity, when all of a sudden, I heard a distant rumble. It started to sprinkle, and two minutes later, it turned into a downpour. There was enough water to take a shower, ten times. And then the thunder grew louder and closer, until I could see lightning, followed by ear-splitting thunder. Thankfully, there was a screen that shielded me from the rain. But wow, a witness of God’s power and might, very much to be feared.

Ominous Skies

Last night, all the interns ate dinner together and shared their MPD journeys this summer. There were tears and laughter as we recounted the ways God met us where we were and revealed our hearts and attitudes as we raised support this summer. Our unique stories and experiences testified to God’s intimate involvement in our lives, shaping us as we answered His call to serve with Cru this year. It was so encouraging and touching to hear all the ways God moved this summer, for the seventeen of us interns. 

[Insert more thunder and rain as I type]

After the sharing, our Intern Coordinator, Ann, reminded us that this will be a year filled with growth. And just like plants that need water, sunlight, and air, we also need three ingredients to grow, modelled by this equation:

"We all need grace, truth, and time to grow."

I’m sure there will be a lot more memorable lines, and I’ll keep y’all updated.

We’re going to Daytona Beach for our intern retreat this weekend, and rumor has it that our hotel will be right next to the beach! SO EXCITED. It will be the first time I'll be at an Atlantic Ocean Beach! Will post pictures in the next post. 

In the meantime, I’m worried about shipping my car (our family’s Toyota Camry) here. I’ve never done it before, and after I signed up for a quote with one company, six others sent me emails with similar prices and promises that they are the best. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in choosing a good company and the process will be glitch-free!