One week gone.

So one week has passed and it feels like I have know these people for a life time. The days are so long here and everyone is so open.  I blows my mind that we just meet each other a week a go and we are all from different parts of the country.  Yesterday started our normal schedule with work and everything.  I had yesterday off so I was able to do laundry.  This was surprisingly very needed becasue I had layered so many things in the past week to try and stay warm.  The weather has been so cold and rainy here but no worries every local has informed us that this is very unusal. Actually today was very nice.  It was a little chilly in the shade but not too bad.  What I really wanted to share was what we did tonight. I don't really know how to describe it but it was such an eye opening experience.  We were each given an invitation to dinner by a different country or region of the world, I was invited by the Middle East.  We met in one of the rooms and then one of the leaders lead us out of the room and to the side of the Pan, the place we are staying, and told us to sit on the blue tarp.  We were then given the instrutctions that we could not leave the blue tarp, we could only talk to the people directly beside us, no complaining or grumbling, and we couldn't leave until we had had solid food.  We were then given pita chips and humus.  As we continued to sit there we could see out there countrys and some of the people were traveling aorund and we attempted to do so but were not allowed.  Eventually someone from America brought us some steak and once we ate some we were able to leave. The staff then called us all together and told us that we each were representing the spiritual knowledge in those areas.  America had steak, baked potatoes, green beans, sweets and games.  Everything decreased from there to on group, they were called the 10-40 who had nothing and were sitting in a dark ally behind the Pan.  It was just eye opening to see how distracted we as Americans can get with all our fancy cars, nice houses, sports and whatever it might be to not even realize how hungry people are for the Word when we are just sitting here enjoying ourselves and not sharing, in this case steak, but the glorious gift we have been given.  It is just amazing to look back and see all the things I could have been doing wheather giving my money instead of getting those shoes or even just taking 10 minutes a day to pray for a specific area that doesn't know Him at all.  I  thank you for the prayers they are greatly apprieciated from me and everyone here on project. 
Love from Santa Cruz