que sera, sera

I am sitting here, looking out on turquoise water that swells and retreats, inches closer to the sand--my backyard--and fizzles out into ripples of white foam. It's hard to believe that this place is my home for the next few days still. I anticipated the excitement to fade after the first day or so, but the beauty of this island will not stop amazing me. Puerto Rico truly is gorgeous--it's charm doesn't come from the clear water or the large fronds of the swaying palm trees or the bobbing heads of the gekkos or the sweetness of its mangoes. I'm not sure exactly what makes this place so inviting and lovable, but its essence is undeniable. We went to a small church on a hill in Rincon on Sunday, and they treated us so well, hugged and kissed us like family. I can see why so many people fall in love with places and peoples like this. We've had some interesting adventures, trying to get by with the little Spanish we know to communicate with people who know just as little English. I am a sucker for cultural differences, but I've been bummed to find how westernized this place is. While there are lots of people who don't speak English, there are plenty of those who do. There are lots of fastfood joints everywhere, which I guess is not that surprising. One thing is for sure here: the rules are merely suggestions. This applies really well to the way people drive and their concept of time. I LOVE not worrying about time down here...but the driving sometimes gets a little crazy.

I've mostly been laying around reading all day, everyday since I've been here - The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan, a Thai etiquette book, God Has a Dream by Desmond Tutu, and a book that MBMS (the mission mobilizer I'm going to Thailand with) sent me. In so many ways, I really feel like this is preparation time for Thailand. And what's crazy is that I really have no idea how to prepare other than to think and pray...thinking and praying certainly gives me new ways to learn how to (or desperately try to) TRUST. But, fortunately, my mind hasn't been too occupied to enjoy the natural, raw beauty in this place. As the chorus of a worship song from the little hospitable church we visited goes: Que sera, sera. What will be, will be.

praying, continually, for my brothers and sisters,
desiree