It all starts....

Wow! is all i can say about Venezuela!
I did not realize how much I wanted to come to Venezuela until I got here and felt a huge peace. I know for sure that this is where God wants me right now in my life. Thanks for praying for my (and Dawson's) travel because it could not have been any smoother! Thank God! I feel right at home with my family here but i still miss those at home. I like living the simpler life because it allows me to trust in God all the more!
Since I have been here i don't feel like i have enough time because i want to blog, journal, do my devotions/pray, be social, keep in touch with those on facebook and email, and simply take in the culture. The first few days I got all settled in and just started getting used to things. I have gone to the grocery store a few times to get food for dinner. One time i went with Dawson and we needed to buy some fruit juice. So he told me this one juice looked like strawberry juice even though it was a really dark fusia color. Well.... once we got back, we tried some and come-to-find-out it was BEET juice! ahhh that stuff will take your breath away! ha after drinking that i don't think i will ever have cancer! Dawson and i are getting along great, already like brother and sister!
Sunday was one of my favorite days yet, CHURCH! wow praise God for brothers and sisters around the world. For some reason singing praise to God in a different language is so touching! I got to see a whole bunch of people i have known for a long time as well as meet a lot of new friends. :) One of the songs was about "Manda el fuego" which means "Send the fire," the fire that refines us and makes us more like Christ. Oh and the preaching was just what i needed to hear. It was about a relationship with Christ like the one John had with him when John reclined on Jesus. (so close as to hear his heart beat). I have a feeling Sundays will be my favorite days while i am here!
On Tuesday it was David's birthday so we headed out to a beach called "Cata." (i kept thinking of my friend Kata!) That was the best beach experience i have ever had! It was seated in between rolling mountains with beacutiful blue waters. Dawson and I had fun boogy-boarding on the waves and Deshay and I were able to have some great conversation. God has placed Deshay in my life- she has challenged me so much in my faith and i see Jesus living in her heart :). She heads back for college tomorrow but i am glad to have a week with her before she leaves. At the beach Dionna, Deshay, Dawson and I went on a rough 30 minute hick in flip-flops and swimsuits to another cove where we got to snorkel. I have never done that before but i absolutely loved it! Ha it was nice to get a little tan before school starts as well! :)
The past few days we have all been at camp with the little kids. I have learned so much in the past few days about service, my pride, and simply lessons from little kids. But it has been a little frusterating for me because i could not speak to them- but i tried hard to simply love them from my heart and serve God with everything i have. All glory to Him and absolutely none for myself! Let me tell you an amazing miraculous story: Thursday night while a few guys were leading worship for the kids and all were singing "Romans 16:19 says," the power/lights went out. Ha- I laugh because following the power going out, the kids just screamed. What a sight! After the kids all got calmed down and some carlights were shown on them David got up to speak. He spoke about lions and how the devil is a like a lion looking for someone to devour. He said "Maybe this lion [devil] is the very one who tunred off the lights." My prayer at that point was- God you are in control ov everything, I trust you." Then Dawson (who was acting like the devil wearing a lion mask) came running in to chase David, but another kid named Abel came in to chase Dawson (Abel was like the Lion of Judah). As soon as Abel chased Dawson away, the power came back on! What a miracle! David then said "Who's the first lion? SATAN! But who is the second lion? THE LION OF JUDAH!" WOW WOW WOW! Praise the Lord! God had everything in control all along! He just keeps proving Himself over and over in my life- especially now!

Well thanks for reading this, I hope to keep in touch on here about once a week if I can! I have had some people ask how they could be praying for me- well here it is: please pray that God will comtinue to transform my life and change me. Pray that I would be able to share my faith with others and that i will learn spanish quickly. Also pray that i will develop an extremely intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. PRAISES for all God is doing here in Venezuela! Praise God that i can be here this year! thanks for caring for me!

One last thing, its funny because people keep asking me how long i am staying. And when i tell them a year they cant believe it and act really surprised! I am so glad i have the oppurtunity to be here this year. Being at the camp was so dear to me because that it what my family worked on 9 years ago! Its so good to be here! and the fruit absolutely delicous! :)

MIss you all at home but I am so glad to be here! (ha mom dont read into that too much!- i miss you a ton! haha)

Love,
Mariah Brooke

P.S. sorry i could not put pictures up... but feel free to look at my facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photos.php?id=503614515