Philly Cheesesteak

I have free internet in my hotel room in Philly for tonight and tomorrow! What a blessing! I left this morning. Man, was that rough or what. Most my family came and some of my best friends. It was maybe the hardest thing I've ever done. I got on the plane and read notes and looked through pictures that were given to me. The people next to me probably thought I was crazy because I was the last one on the plane and I stumbled into the airplane full of bags with a puffy eyed face. haha God really showed himself to me though once I got to Philidelphia. A lady at baggage claim talked to me while we waited for our luggage. She asked me why I was here. I told her about the Peace Corps and what I was doing and this younger girl about 28 yrs. old entered the conversation. She said she just got back from Kenya working with the Peace Corps a year ago. She might have been a hippie if it was the 60's. She happened to be going the same direction I was, so she should me how to get to the subway and paid for most of my ticket to ride since they couldn't break a $100 bill. Oops...How was I supposed to know. haha She did it joyfully though and then used her cab ride to drop me off at the hotel which was in the opposite direction she was going. She paid for it and everything. A similar experience happened when I went to the Dominican Republic. I feel like God is really trying to keep me encouraged. I really needed it today. From the hotel I went right to the conference room running on the 2 hours of sleep I got last night. It was really uncomfortable at first b/c I didn't know anyone. The room was full of people. I realized then that all 30 of them were going with me to Swaziland! What?!? A lot of this isn't what I expected. I am talking to people though and trying to get to know them. I am really uncomfortable. My roommate, who looks like Stephanie Tanner (except swears a lot more and is from Boston haha), is going to go with me to get something to eat and use our debit cards. It's just all so overwhelming right now. Strange circumstance. Strange people. Strange city. The first day is done and I can't believe it. Although I know this is going to be a crazy ride, I have hope. I think its because I can still feel God's presence with me tonight even with these anxieties. It encourages me to see what's next. Many times today I thought, "Jaci. You are nuts. What have you gotten yourself into?" But then I take a deep breath and I am curious to see what tomorrow brings. I think tomorrow will be better. :) I just need some sleep. Thank you for your prayers through all this.

Well, I drive to New York tomorrow to fly out to J'burg, South Africa. We will sleep over there and drive to Swaziland the following day.