Volleyball, Locals, and Dancing in the Rain

This past week has been filled with some great moments.  It has truly been blessed. 

One big highlight:  Volleyball.
I played volleyball three times this weekend!  I played with volleyball with some people from the church for indoor and outdoor volleyball, and I got to play 2 v 2 indoor with some of the faculty members.  I tell you, I am grinning right now just thinking about all of the fun I have had playing this week.  Volleyball is by far and away my favorite sport to play, and it has been nothing short of a blessing to be able to play competitively here.  God has opened a door for physical activity.  Volleyball is nothing short of a stress reliever, and I am beyond ecstatic to be able to be playing it.

Another big highlight:  Interaction with locals
My house is in a great location.  It is right next to a church.  This church has an active congregation, and they use their parking lot as a place to play sports.  This has led to my roommates and I playing volleyball with some of the local people.  Because of this, we were invited to attend their church on Sunday.  Their service was all in Dutch, but we had a translator.  Although he was sick, he was able to help deliver the message on fear and how we should rise about it.  I sang "My Redeemer Lives" in Dutch, and am starting to be able to pick out some words in Dutch.
The locals at this church are amazing!  I was able to make contact with two people I had met previously during an outing to a beach area.  God has put them into our lives to help us with the transition of living here.  They are truly a gift from God, and I very much look forward to strengthening that relationship with that church and its members.

Another highlight:  Suriname orchestra concerts. 
Think about every orchestra concert you have ever been to.  Did you just feel a little tired?  I appreciate orchestra concerts, but I know that for some people, the phrase itself makes you want to go nap in a corner.  Well, Suriname orchestra concerts are certainly not the same.  They consist of "celebrity" performers from Holland, a couple of well-placed confetti cannons, a very entertaining Bollywood-esque performer with a tendency to swivel his hips with one hand raised, and music that had you wanting to dance.  I felt huge pride for Suriname during this concert.  What made this concert perfect, was the typical Suriname rain that accompanied it, and the lack of umbrellas from everyone in our group.  Somehow, whenever it starts raining, you just kind of surrender to the fact that you are going to get wet and just stop caring and dance.

As you can see, this week has been pretty great.  In addition to this, we also had praise night, awesome Bible studies, and fried chicken.  Another perk was a gift from America.  One of the teachers went to a wedding back in America, and he brought back things for the faculty that they wanted.  The practical side of me should have said Flaxseed Oil and Fishoil vitamins, but the childish side of me won out, and I was presented on Monday with several rolls of Sweetarts.  I am very, very thankful.

Please continue to pray for the faculty and students at my school!  A lot of the teachers are very much looking forward to Christmas break and time spent with family!